Canon 550D vs Sony A57
70 Imaging
57 Features
63 Overall
59


64 Imaging
57 Features
85 Overall
68
Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 18MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Expand to 12800)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF/EF-S Mount
- 530g - 129 x 98 x 62mm
- Announced April 2010
- Alternative Name is EOS Rebel T2i / EOS Kiss X4
- Earlier Model is Canon 500D
- Later Model is Canon 600D
(Full Review)

Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Overview
Below, we will be analyzing the Canon 550D and Sony A57, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by rivals Canon and Sony. The resolution of the 550D (18MP) and the A57 (16MP) is relatively similar and they feature the exact same sensor measurements (APS-C).

The 550D was introduced 3 years earlier than the A57 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before delving in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the 550D grades versus the A57 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon EOS 550D & Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are provided at Canon 550D Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 550D over the Sony A57
550D | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 921k | Crisper screen (+119k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Canon 550D
A57 | 550D | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | September 2012 | ![]() | April 2010 | Newer by 29 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Canon 550D and Sony A57
550D | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very accurate focus | ||
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical screen measurements |
Touch screen | ![]() | Lack of Touch screen |
Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to travel with your camera, you need to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon 550D enjoys outer measurements of 129mm x 98mm x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4") and a weight of 530 grams (1.17 lbs) while the Sony A57 has measurements of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).
Check out the Canon 550D and Sony A57 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the 550D and the A57.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the 550D and A57 is 70 and 64 respectively.

Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is very difficult to picture the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over specifications. The pic underneath may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the 550D and A57.
To sum up, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You can count on the Canon 550D to offer greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged 550D is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.

Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 550D vs Sony A57 Specifications
Canon EOS 550D | Sony SLT-A57 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Canon | Sony |
Model type | Canon EOS 550D | Sony SLT-A57 |
Also called | EOS Rebel T2i / EOS Kiss X4 | - |
Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2010-04-01 | 2012-09-13 |
Physical type | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Digic 4 | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 22.3 x 14.9mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 332.3mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 18 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 5184 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 16000 |
Highest boosted ISO | 12800 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Canon EF/EF-S | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 326 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 1.6 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Screen size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 1,040k dots | 921k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen technology | TFT color liquid-crystal LCD | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440k dots |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.55x | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 4.0 frames/s | 12.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/200 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (60, 50 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 530 grams (1.17 lbs) | 618 grams (1.36 lbs) |
Dimensions | 129 x 98 x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4") | 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 66 | 75 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.0 | 23.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.6 | 13.0 |
DXO Low light rating | 807 | 785 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 470 pictures | 550 pictures |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LP-E8 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 sec or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch cost | $599 | $1,000 |