Canon 50D vs Sony DSLR-A550

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Canon 50D vs Sony DSLR-A550

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APS-C 369.7mm²
15.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Canon 50D Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 50D.

APS-C 369.7mm²
14.2 megapixels
ISO 200 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Sony DSLR-A550 Review.

Succeeded by the Canon 60D
Compare 50D vs 60D
Compare Canon 60D vs Sony DSLR-A550

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Differences

Canon 50D advantages over Sony DSLR-A550

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 0.5 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
More telephoto lens reach
216 mm vs 83 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More cross-type AF points
9 vs 1
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
Pentaprism viewfinder
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
More viewfinder magnification
0.59x vs 0.53x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Bigger JPEG buffer
43 vs 15 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony DSLR-A550 advantages over Canon 50D

Less expensive
$1050 vs $1399 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
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.
DSLR-A550 test data on DxO Mark 50D test data on DxO Mark

807 vs 696 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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

950 vs 640 shots
Capture more photos
Wider angle kit lens
27 mm vs 45 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens

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
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

Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
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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Buy the Canon 50D

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Buy the Sony DSLR-A550

Review Excerpt

Read our Canon 50D Full Review

We haven’t reviewed the Sony DSLR-A550.
Read our Sony DSLR-A550 Initial Test

The Competition

Compared to Pentax K20D

Canon 50D

Pentax K20D

$1000
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 50D vs Pentax K20D

Sony DSLR-A550

Pentax K20D

$859
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Higher effective ISO

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

Compare Sony DSLR-A550 vs Pentax K20D

Compared to Samsung GX-20

Canon 50D

Samsung GX-20

$1000
APS-C

HDMI out
More dots on screen

$1400
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 50D vs Samsung GX-20

Sony DSLR-A550

Samsung GX-20

$859
APS-C

Less expensive
Tiltable Screen

$1400
APS-C

Lens selection
Top deck display

Compare Sony DSLR-A550 vs Samsung GX-20

Compared to Pentax K-7

Canon 50D

Pentax K-7

$1000
APS-C

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

$1300
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 50D vs Pentax K-7

Sony DSLR-A550

Pentax K-7

$859
APS-C

Less expensive
Tiltable Screen

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Top deck display

Compare Sony DSLR-A550 vs Pentax K-7

Compared to Nikon D300S

Canon 50D

Nikon D300S

$1000
APS-C

Less shutter lag
More pixels

$1697
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 50D vs Nikon D300S

Sony DSLR-A550

Nikon D300S

$859
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Tiltable Screen

$1697
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony DSLR-A550 vs Nikon D300S

Compared to Sony DSLR-A500

Canon 50D

Sony DSLR-A500

$1000
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$850
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 50D vs Sony DSLR-A500

Sony DSLR-A550

Sony DSLR-A500

$859
APS-C

More dots on screen
More pixels

$850
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony DSLR-A550 vs Sony DSLR-A500

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