Which is better? Canon 550D or Sony A550??


raccoon80

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Jul 10, 2009
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Choa Chu Kang
Now jammed between these 2...any advices from the pros. out there??
 

Hi, 550 (new)($1120) has latest technologies & 10-22mm($1100) is great for landscape.
 

one what can fit your budget .. if budget not a problem .. 550D
 

Now jammed between these 2...any advices from the pros. out there??

Heh , which you prefer leh ? I m sure you have a preference but is just unsure :cool:
 

Better? How do u define better?
 

dxomark rate sony higher. dpreview rate canon higher. plz read both review online.

canon have more lens at a more reasonable price.
 

I think u better go try out both the camera and search the photos taken by both and compare.
 

canon will allow u much more variety of lens choices, accessories, etc should u wish to upgrade in the future...
 

Try to hold the cameras in your hand and see which feels better.

Sony:
- fast AF in live view
- better DR
- tilting LCD screen
- Built-in HDR
- 7FPS

Canon:
- slightly better at high ISO
- video

So the real factor is which feels better and if you need video or not.
 

Actually I do not need a video function at all...

Previously used my dad's 1000D for 6mths..but recently heard from colleagues that Sony is as gd as Canon.

Went Harvey Norman, Salesman also recommend Sony more than Canon, saying that price is half the difference and performance is equally gd.

Now confused...as I'm not sure of the lens that can be used on Sony..Can be found easily as Canon lens?
 

Lenses should not be a problem. There are plenty of 3rd party lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina which supports Sony mount. You can also use Minolta lenses on Sony bodies and best of all, enjoy stabilisation on all these lenses as the stabilisation is in the body. ;)
 

The main advantage canon 550D has over sony a550 is the video mode. Image quality of both camera will be similar. Sony's advantage are HDR, build in image stabiliser (ALL lens becomes stabilised),the tiltable lcd screen to allow over the head or ground level picture composition, and sony has the fastest af live view.

Don worry about lenses,sony alpha can use the hundreds of minolta lenses available. Minolta lenses are cheaper than canon, nikon and sony lenses usually.

So decide between video vs functions.

ADD: if u r into sports photography or wanna take F1, u r gonna be addicted to sony a550's 7fps shooting speed. It sounds like a machine gun lol.
 

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Lens wise , if you count the model number , Canon definitely has wider ranges.
Practically speaking , one dont really need so much lens ?

For the Sony/KM mount , the general ranges are well covered from ultra wide to zooms. Normally pple qoute sony lens are pricier , that is true if you simply look at RRP pricings from Sony website or galleries. And also , they tend to qoute the Carl Zeis lens.

I mean , AF Carl Zeis lens leh . Cant expect them to be cheap rite ? haha. Anyway , if you look at the pristine 24-70 2.8 versions from Nikon , Canon and Sony. They all come close in terms of pricing ( Correct me if I am wrong, as 1.5 year back all 3 brands sell ard 2.5k )
 

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One way to choose is to analyze the conclusion - cons from dpreview.
Seems that the Sony A550 has more JPEG related cons unless you shoot raw and spend time doing post processing. :)
Perhaps experience shows.


Sony A550

Conclusion - Cons

* JPEG output doesn't really do the sensor justice - shoot raw for the best results
* Default output over processed: too much contrast, saturation (reds in particular often end up overdone) and noise reduction for our taste
* Metering not reliable enough, easily fooled by unusual subjects and large skies (often over exposing)
* More auto white balance errors than we'd expect at this level
* Not enough control of noise reduction for JPEGs (high or really high)
* No Program Shift or Depth of Field Preview
* Very Limited customization options compared to competitors
* Some shadow noise visible even at base ISO in certain shooting conditions
* Despite improvements the viewfinder still not that great - hard to get your eye near enough
* Button placement is less than optimal
* In today's market, at this price, lack of video has to be mentioned

Source : http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyalphadslra550/page27.asp

Canon 550D

Conclusion - Cons

* Auto Lighting Optimizer's effect is subtle to the point of being unnoticeable
* No rear control dial (as found on higher-end Canon bodies)
* Entry-level ergonomics won't suit everyone (the EOS 50D and 7D just feel nicer)
* No in-camera raw conversion option
* Slightly soft JPEG output at default settings (but this is far from unusual)
* Chroma noise takes a fairly big chunk out of resolution at ISO 12800 (but better than the 500D)
* AF assist strobe can be annoying

Source : http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos550d/page29.asp


Nikon D5000


Conclusion - Cons

* Control system rather dependant on multiple button presses
* Contrast detect AF so slow it's useless for most types of photography (which is often the case on DSLRs)
* No built-in AF motor restricts lens choice (though most popular lenses do work)
* Default JPEG output soft (shoot RAW for best results)
* Moderate screen resolution (and too reflective in bright light)
* Video capability rather limited
* No mass storage USB support

Source : http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/page33.asp
 

Both are very comparable cameras.
You have to decide on the future lens and accessories purchases to help determine you final choice.

The A550 does have the built in shake reduction, so all lenses benefit from that (even 3rd party or old Minolta ones).

The 550D can leverage from a wide range of optics of various prices (and build standards).
 

Sony A550 get my vote if u don't need video
 

Hey,

y not try the image quality between the 2 brands and also if your comfortable to which machine. One price One quality, there is always a reason for this statement.

Some baised to Sony, while others may be Canon or Nikon..thus thru here is a mixture of information which tends to create confusion.

Im a Canon user....no worries.

Canon - trusted by the professionals

Cheers!!
 

Personally, I think if you plan to sell away your camera in the future when you're upgrading to a better camera, I would go for Canon as I believed that it has a better resale value.