Canon 600D vs Sony A500
66 Imaging
58 Features
72 Overall
63


63 Imaging
51 Features
52 Overall
51
Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 18MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Bump to 12800)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF/EF-S Mount
- 570g - 133 x 100 x 80mm
- Revealed March 2011
- Alternative Name is EOS Rebel T3i / EOS Kiss X5
- Old Model is Canon 550D
- Successor is Canon 650D
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Introduced August 2009
- Renewed by Sony A560

Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Overview
In this article, we will be reviewing the Canon 600D versus Sony A500, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by brands Canon and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the 600D (18MP) and A500 (12MP) but they feature the same exact sensor sizes (APS-C).

The 600D was revealed 20 months after the A500 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the 600D grades versus the A500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon EOS 600D & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are available at Canon 600D Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 600D over the Sony A500
600D | A500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | March 2011 | ![]() | August 2009 | Newer by 20 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+810k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Canon 600D
A500 | 600D |
---|
Common features in the Canon 600D and Sony A500
600D | A500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More accurate focus | ||
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen dimensions |
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither features Touch screen |
Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
If you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Canon 600D enjoys external dimensions of 133mm x 100mm x 80mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.1") having a weight of 570 grams (1.26 lbs) and the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Look at the Canon 600D versus Sony A500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the 600D against the A500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the 600D and A500 is 66 and 63 respectively.

Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by going through specifications. The picture underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 600D and A500.
Plainly, both of those cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Canon 600D to provide greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher 600D is going to have a benefit in sensor technology.

Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 600D vs Sony A500 Specifications
Canon EOS 600D | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Canon | Sony |
Model | Canon EOS 600D | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
Also Known as | EOS Rebel T3i / EOS Kiss X5 | - |
Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2011-03-31 | 2009-08-27 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Digic 4 | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 22.3 x 14.9mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 332.3mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 18MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 5184 x 3456 | 4272 x 2848 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Highest boosted ISO | 12800 | - |
Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
Cross focus points | 1 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Canon EF/EF-S | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Total lenses | 326 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 1.6 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 1,040 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Display technology | TFT color LCD, liquid-crystal monitor | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.53x | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 13.00 m | 12.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/200 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (60, 50 fps) | - |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | - |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 570 grams (1.26 pounds) | 630 grams (1.39 pounds) |
Dimensions | 133 x 100 x 80mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.1") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 65 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.1 | 21.8 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 11.5 | 11.6 |
DXO Low light score | 793 | 772 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 440 images | 520 images |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 sec or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Retail price | $799 | $638 |