Canon EOS 60D vs Sony SLT-A99: A Technical and Practical Showdown for Advanced DSLR Enthusiasts

The photography market of the early 2010s brought us an intriguing face-off between the Canon EOS 60D and the Sony SLT-A99 - two mid-size SLRs aimed squarely at advanced enthusiasts and aspiring professionals. Each embodies distinct philosophies within DSLR technology, with Canon maintaining classic DSLR optical viewfinder design and Sony pioneering the translucent mirror (SLT) technology. With nearly two years separating their launches - 2010 for the 60D and late 2012 for the A99 - this comparison goes beyond specs to carefully evaluate practical real-world performance, image quality, ergonomics, and versatility across various photographic disciplines.

Having rigorously tested both cameras across hundreds of shooting scenarios over the years, this in-depth analysis will equip photographers, from passionate amateurs to professionals, with the insight to select the right tool matched to their creative ambitions and workflow needs.

First Impressions: Size, Ergonomics, and Build Quality

Before diving into sensor performance and autofocus systems, it’s instructive to assess how each camera feels in hand, highlighting usability for extended shoots and travel.

Canon 60D: Weighing in at 755g with dimensions of 145x106x79mm, the 60D strikes a commendable balance between portability and robust handling. Its mid-sized DSLR form factor feels comfortable with most EF and EF-S lenses, aided by a solid polycarbonate shell and environmental sealing - a significant bonus for hobbyists who shoot outdoors in varied conditions. The textured grip, while modest versus professional-grade models, accommodates prolonged handheld use.

Sony A99: Slightly heavier at 812g and marginally larger at 147x111x78mm, the A99 is a full-frame behemoth relative to the APS-C Canon. Constructed with a robust magnesium alloy body and comprehensive environmental sealing, it exudes professional reliability. The grip is deeper, ergonomically sculpted to minimize wrist fatigue during fast-paced shooting - particularly beneficial for wildlife and sports photographers who favor telephoto setups.

While both cameras feel reassuringly substantial, the Canon’s lighter weight supports travel photographers prioritizing compactness, whereas the Sony’s heft underscores its enthusiast-to-pro aspirations.

Top Controls and Intuitive Operation

Mastering exposure and focus quickly depends on accessible controls, which can vary vastly even in cameras within similar classes.

Canon 60D continues Canon’s heritage of logical controls with dedicated dials for mode, exposure compensation, ISO, and quick release buttons. The rear livestream toggle and fully articulated LCD enable flexible framing in challenging angles, ideal for macro and video shoots. Although lacking illuminated buttons, key functions are reachable intuitively even for beginners learning manual modes.

Sony A99, while sharing a classic DSLR top layout, integrates an electronic viewfinder which profoundly alters user interaction by embedding exposure info and focus peaking within the eyepiece. The dual storage slots’ switch and comprehensive flash options are readily accessible. However, the menu system is more layered and takes a steeper learning curve, a trade-off for its feature-rich environment catering to advanced users.

In summary, the 60D offers a gentler learning ramp and quick access to essentials, whereas the A99 demands time investment but rewards with deeper customization.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Core Battle

At the heart of any camera lies its sensor - shaping the final image’s tonal rendition, dynamic range, and low-light capability. Understanding the divergent sensor tech here is key to grasping each model’s creative envelope.

Canon 60D: The camera sports an 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor (22.3x14.9mm) paired with DIGIC 4 processing, yielding images up to 5184x3456 pixels. The sensor uses a traditional Bayer color filter array with an optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter intended to reduce moiré at a slight cost to sharpness. Its maximum native ISO peaks at 6400 (expandable up to 12800), which is decent for an entry-advanced DSLR in 2010 but now somewhat limiting for heavy low-light work.

Measured DxOMark scores confirm this, with a respectable overall 66, 22.2 bits color depth, and 11.5 EV dynamic range. Low-light ISO performance is modest, hitting best quality around ISO 800 but starting to degrade noticeably beyond ISO 1600.

Sony A99: The full-frame 24MP Exmor CMOS sensor (35.8x23.8mm) and advanced BIONZ processor give the A99 a technical edge. Although still equipped with an anti-aliasing filter, the sensor area nearly triples that of APS-C, providing inherently superior light gathering.

DxOMark’s laudable rating of 89 and 25 bits color depth signifies exceptional tonal nuance and color fidelity, while a 14 EV dynamic range excels in retaining highlight and shadow detail - important for landscapes and studio portraiture. Its native ISO sensitivity extends up to 25600, maintaining usable image quality well above the 60D’s limits, which is vital for indoor sports or nighttime astrophotography.

In short, image quality comparison heavily favors the Sony A99 in almost every respect, thanks chiefly to its sensor size and advanced processing, while the Canon 60D remains highly competent for learning photographers and daily shooting.

Viewfinders and LCD Displays: Optical vs Electronic

Composition and focus confirmation are direct user experiences influenced mostly by the viewing system choice.

Canon 60D’s optical pentaprism viewfinder offers 96% frame coverage and 0.6x magnification - solid performance reflecting its DSLR heritage. While some users prefer optical viewfinders for no lag and natural scenes, the less than 100% coverage can cause compositional surprises at the edges. The 3" fully articulated Clear View TFT color LCD (1040k dots) aids creative angles and live-view shooting, although the screen resolution is modest by today’s standards and lacks touchscreen support.

Sony A99’s electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a 2.36M-dot TFT Xtra Fine color LCD with a 100% field of view and 0.71x magnification. Unlike the Canon, the EVF displays real-time exposure previews, focus peaking overlays, and customizable info - advantages when shooting video or in complex lighting. The rear 3" articulated LCD has a higher resolution at 1229k dots but similarly lacks touchscreen control.

Although some purists balk at EVFs for potential lag and unnatural rendition, Sony’s implementation here is widely regarded as one of the best, enabling precise framing and exposure decisions before shutter release.

Autofocus Systems Under the Microscope

Reliable, fast, and accurate autofocus greatly affects results across portrait, wildlife, sports, and macro photography.

Canon 60D: Featuring 9 phase-detection AF points - all cross-type and arranged centrally - this system, while effective for portraits and casual wildlife tracking, lags behind newer multi-point and dual-pixel AF systems found in later Canon bodies. It supports face detection and live view contrast-detection AF but lacks animal eye AF or advanced tracking modes, limiting performance when subjects move unpredictably.

Sony A99: With a 19-point phase-detection AF system including 11 cross-type points and full frame coverage, the A99 offers superior subject acquisition and tracking, especially beneficial for sports and wildlife photography. Critically, it supports continuous AF tracking during high-speed bursts up to 10fps, maintaining focus on moving subjects - a decisive advantage over the Canon’s 5fps burst and limited AF tracking. Animal eye detection is absent, but face detection is integrated.

This autofocus superiority was notable in extensive field testing, with the A99 consistently producing sharper sequences of action shots and fewer focus misses under challenging conditions.

Burst Performance and Buffer Depth

Frame rate and buffer capacity directly influence sports, wildlife, and event photographers balancing decisive moments with image quality.

• Canon 60D offers 5fps continuous shooting, with a moderate buffer mostly suited for JPEGs and around 10-12 raw frames before slowdown - adequate for casual action but constrains sustained bursts.
• Sony A99 almost doubles that at 10fps, supported by dual memory card slots (Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC), and a substantially larger buffer accommodating over 20 RAW frames, enabling longer bursts without buffer saturation.

For professionals or serious hobbyists tracking fast-moving subjects, the A99’s burst speed and handling represent a major performance benefit.

Video Capabilities: Balancing Quality and Usability

Both cameras support Full HD video, but their approaches differ in format, frame rates, and audio options.

Canon 60D introduced video enthusiasts to fully articulated screen recording at up to 1080p/29.97fps encoded in H.264 – suitable for DSLR filmmaking at its time. The inclusion of a built-in microphone port allows external mic input, but unfortunately lacks a headphone jack for audio monitoring. Limited to non-touch operation and no in-body stabilization, the 60D requires stabilized lenses or rigs for smooth results.

Sony A99 offers Full HD video up to 60fps with formats including MPEG-4, AVCHD, and H.264, delivering smoother slow-motion footage and professional codec flexibility. It equips both microphone and headphone jacks - a valuable feature enabling real-time audio monitoring during production. Moreover, sensor-based image stabilization enhances handheld shooting stability over Canon’s non-stabilized sensor. No touchscreen remains a minor quirk amid comprehensive video features.

In direct comparison, the Sony A99 provides a more advanced, video-friendly platform for hybrid shooters and vloggers demanding high-quality footage with audio control.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

Lens selection significantly affects creative potential and investment sustainability.

• Canon 60D uses Canon EF/EF-S mount, which boasts an expansive ecosystem of 326 lenses, spanning affordable primes, high-end L-series zooms, macro optics, and third-party options like Sigma and Tamron. This legacy mount ensures users access lenses with decades of proven optical performance and innovation.

• Sony A99 utilizes the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount featuring fewer native lenses - approximately 143 options - but includes revered Carl Zeiss optics and adapters for legacy Minolta glass. Although smaller, it’s notable for specialist optics, and full-frame optimized designs. Still, the selection lags Canon’s sheer volume and variety, particularly for budget and third-party options.

For photographers valuing lens cost, variety, and system extensibility, Canon’s EF mount reigns supreme, while Sony users benefit from quality first-party glass but with a shallower catalog.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity

Endurance and data management features critically impact shooting sessions and workflows.

• Canon 60D uses the LP-E6 battery, providing an excellent 1100 shots per charge under CIPA standards, making it efficient for travel and extended outings. It supports single SD card slots (SD/SDHC/SDXC) and Eye-Fi wireless connectivity for rudimentary image transfer.

• Sony A99 employs the NP-FM500H battery, approximately half the Canon’s stamina at around 500 shots per charge - likely due to power demands from the EVF and sensor stabilization. Yet dual card slots (supporting Memory Stick and SD variants) allow overflow and backup strategies rarely found in Canon mid-range DSLRs. The A99 lacks built-in wireless options and Bluetooth/NFC, relying on wired USB 2.0 transfers and GPS tagging.

Travelers and event shooters who prioritize battery longevity will find Canon’s advantage compelling, though professionals requiring robust data redundancy may prefer Sony’s dual slots despite shorter battery life.

Genre-Specific Performance and Recommendations

Our comprehensive testing across major photographic disciplines reveals nuanced advantages:

• Portraiture: The Sony A99’s full-frame sensor facilitates superior skin tone gradation and creamier bokeh due to larger sensor size and optimized lens dynamics. The 60D’s APS-C delivers respectable quality but less dynamic depth.

• Landscape: Dynamic range and resolution edge the A99, preserving highlight and shadow detail - key for high-contrast scenes. Its weather sealing also matches Canon’s, necessary for outdoor work.

• Wildlife: Autofocus speed and burst rate combined with full-frame glass give A99 the upper hand in tracking and detail fidelity at distance.

• Sports: The A99’s 10fps burst and AF tracking are decisive for fast-moving subjects, outperforming the 60D’s 5fps.

• Street: Here, the Canon 60D’s smaller size and lighter weight support more discreet shooting.

• Macro: Articulated screens benefit both equally but the 60D’s superior battery life supports lengthy close-focus sessions.

• Night/Astro: The A99’s superior high ISO and dynamic range enable clearer starscape captures with less noise.

• Video: The Sony’s headphone jack and stabilization permit better monitoring and steadier footage.

• Travel: Canon’s lightweight, longer battery, and extensive lens selection make it more traveler-friendly.

• Professional Use: With superior image quality, build, and dual cards, Sony suits pro workflows better.

Real-World Image Gallery: Side-by-Side Comparisons

Canon 60D screen back Sony A99 front Sony A99 screen back

These test images highlight the Canon 60D’s solid color rendition and sharpness in good light, but note the increased noise and lesser detail retention in shadows versus the Sony A99’s cleaner, more nuanced files at higher ISO.

Final Verdict: Who Should Choose Which?

Canon 60D - Best suited for enthusiasts and photographers stepping up from entry-level DSLRs who need an affordable, reliable, and versatile APS-C camera with excellent battery endurance and an extensive lens lineup. Ideal for travel, casual portraiture, and those prioritizing a traditional DSLR feel with optical viewing.

Sony A99 - Ideal for advanced enthusiasts and professionals requiring full-frame quality, cutting-edge autofocus, faster burst rates, and comprehensive video features. Best for sports, wildlife, landscape, and hybrid shooters who demand top-tier image quality and don’t mind investing in a heavier, more complex system.

Summary Table of Key Specifications

Conclusion

The Canon EOS 60D and Sony SLT-A99 represent two different but complementary epochs and approaches within advanced DSLR photography. The Canon excels in usability, battery life, and a vast lens ecosystem, making it a compelling choice for those developing their photographic journey or valuing portability and price. Conversely, the Sony A99 delivers superior image quality, autofocus, and video functionality geared towards discerning enthusiasts and professionals whose workflow demands push technological boundaries.

Armed with this detailed, hands-on comparison, photographers can confidently align their choice with their creative priorities - whether that means embracing the Canon’s approachable classic DSLR ethos or unlocking the cutting-edge potential of Sony’s SLT system.

For further inspiration, in-depth hands-on reports can be found in our detailed galleries and user guides tailored around these cameras' practical deployment in the field.

If you are looking for balanced performance with budget considerations, go Canon 60D; for uncompromising quality and future-proofing, Sony A99 remains a stellar choice.