Sony A77 vs Canon 70D

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Sony A77 vs Canon 70D

APS-C 369.7mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A77 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A77.

APS-C 337.5mm²
20.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Canon 70D Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 70D in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 70D.
Compare Canon 70D image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 70D conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A77 II
Compare A77 vs A77 II

Succeeded by the Canon 80D
Compare 70D vs 80D

Compare SONY A77 II vs CANON 80D

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Differences

Sony A77 advantages over Canon 70D

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A77 test data on DxO Mark 70D test data on DxO Mark

13.2 vs 11.6 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
More viewfinder magnification
0.73x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.3 vs 20.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 29 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
11.6 fps vs 6.7 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.6 fps vs 6.7 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Canon 70D advantages over Sony A77

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$999 vs $1899
Save money for lenses or accessories
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
70D test data on DxO Mark A77 test data on DxO Mark

926 vs 801 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

920 vs 530 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
216 mm vs 75 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
More cross-type AF points
19 vs 11
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Bigger JPEG buffer
65 vs 17 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 16000 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Tilt-swivel screen
Both provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A77 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read 70D User Reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A77

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 16-50mm Lens
Kit with 18-135mm Lens

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Canon 70D

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

Review Excerpt

Very fast top frame rate; full-time phase-detect autofocus; Full 60p HD video; Excellent kit lens; Very good high-resolution sensor.
Heavy; EVF appears dim when used in bright light; AF tracking in Movie mode was unreliable in our testing.
Read our Sony A77 Full Review

Dual Pixel CMOS AF delivers full-time continuous autofocus (with phase detect at every pixel in framing area) for video and Live View still shooting; Full HD (1080p) video recording with pro-level features and quality; Improved resolution and good high ISO performance; Excellent Wi-Fi remote shooting with full exposure controls; 3-inch articulating LCD touchscreen.
Image quality only improved slightly over 60D; Dynamic range still lags behind competing models; May not feature enough upgrades to convince people to step up from 60D.
Read our Canon 70D Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D7100

Sony A77

Nikon D7100

$1899
APS-C

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

$810
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A77 vs Nikon D7100

Canon 70D

Nikon D7100

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$810
APS-C

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 70D vs Nikon D7100

Compared to Canon 7D

Sony A77

Canon 7D

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Focus peaking

$1499
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A77 vs Canon 7D

Canon 70D

Canon 7D

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1499
APS-C

Fast startup
Faster JPEG shooting

Compare Canon 70D vs Canon 7D

Compared to Pentax K-3

Sony A77

Pentax K-3

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-camera panoramas

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

Compare Sony A77 vs Pentax K-3

Canon 70D

Pentax K-3

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 70D vs Pentax K-3

Compared to Sony A77 II

Sony A77

Sony A77 II

$1899
APS-C

Built-in GPS

$1198
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Sony A77 vs Sony A77 II

Canon 70D

Sony A77 II

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 70D vs Sony A77 II

Compared to Canon 7D Mark II

Sony A77

Canon 7D Mark II

$1899
APS-C

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

$1647
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A77 vs Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 70D

Canon 7D Mark II

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1647
APS-C

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 70D vs Canon 7D Mark II

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