Canon 40D vs Sony A55

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Canon 40D vs Sony A55

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APS-C 369.7mm²
10.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 1600

Go in depth with our full Canon 40D Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 40D.

APS-C 369.7mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Sony A55 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A55.

Succeeded by the Canon 50D
Compare 40D vs 50D
Compare Canon 50D vs Sony A55

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Differences

Canon 40D advantages over Sony A55

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 6.10 vs 4.82 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 0.9 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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

800 vs 330 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More cross-type AF points
9 vs 3
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Less shutter lag
0.13 vs 0.22 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 32 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A55 advantages over Canon 40D

Less expensive
$850 vs $1299 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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.
A55 test data on DxO Mark 40D test data on DxO Mark

818 vs 703 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
More dots on screen
922k vs 230k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
More pixels
16.2 vs 10.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
More AF points
15 vs 9
More AF points improve autofocus
Faster JPEG shooting
9.0 fps vs 6.4 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 3200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

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
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

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Review Excerpt

Read our Canon 40D Full Review

Read our Sony A55 Full Review

The Competition

Compared to Pentax K-7

Canon 40D

Pentax K-7

$1299
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$1300
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
HDMI out

Compare Canon 40D vs Pentax K-7

Sony A55

Pentax K-7

$734
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A55 vs Pentax K-7

Compared to Canon T2i

Canon 40D

Canon T2i

$1299
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$692
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 40D vs Canon T2i

Sony A55

Canon T2i

$734
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$692
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A55 vs Canon T2i

Compared to Sony A33

Canon 40D

Sony A33

$1299
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$540
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 40D vs Sony A33

Sony A55

Sony A33

$734
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Built-in GPS

$540
APS-C

Compare Sony A55 vs Sony A33

Compared to Nikon D5100

Canon 40D

Nikon D5100

$1299
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Longer stills battery life

$650
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Canon 40D vs Nikon D5100

Sony A55

Nikon D5100

$734
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A55 vs Nikon D5100

Compared to Sony A35

Canon 40D

Sony A35

$1299
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$567
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 40D vs Sony A35

Sony A55

Sony A35

$734
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Built-in GPS

$567
APS-C

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A55 vs Sony A35

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