Canon EOS
500D
 vs
Sony Alpha
DSLR-A330

Updated (February, 2011): Compare the Canon EOS 1100D vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A330

Canon EOS 500D

54

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 500D

Movie format
 Full HD
1080p @ 20fps
Screen size
 Large screen
3.0"
Screen resolution
 High resolution screen
920k dots
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
300 ms startup delay
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
159 ms shutter lag
Size
 Really small
Prosumer size 129x98x62 mm
Sony Alpha DSLR-A330

33

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha DSLR-A330

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
Sensor size
 Large sensor
APS-C 23.5x15.7mm
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2
Badge
 Built-in focus motor
Autofocuses with more lenses

differences

Advantages of the Canon 500D
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 20fps vs None
Help
 Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Screen size Much larger screen 3.0" vs 2.7"
Help
 More than 10% larger screen
Screen resolution Significantly higher resolution screen 920k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 Around 4x higher resolution screen
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 663 ISO vs 535 ISO
Help
 The 500D has a slight edge (0.3 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 15.1 MP vs 10 MP
Help
 Capture 50% more detail in your photos
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available 162 lenses vs 92 lenses
Help
 Around 80% more lenses available
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder 0.54x vs 0.48x
Help
 More than 20% larger viewfinder
Sensor type Has a CMOS-family sensor CMOS vs CCD
Help
 CMOS-family sensors often produce better quality images
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 3.4 fps vs 2.5 fps
Help
 Around 40% faster continuous shooting
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 12,800 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
Size Smaller 129x98x62 mm vs 128x97x71 mm
Help
 More than 10% smaller
Thickness Thinner 2.4" vs 2.8"
Help
 More than 10% thinner
Canon EOS 500D Learn more about
the Canon 500D

Advantages of the Sony DSLR-A330
Color depth Better color depth 22.4 bits vs 21.7 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.7 more bits of color
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Sensor size Larger sensor APS-C 23.5x15.7mm vs APS-C 22.3x14.9mm
Help
 More than 10% larger sensor
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Overall image quality Slightly better image quality 64.0 vs 63.0
Help
 Almost the same
Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 Learn more about
the Sony DSLR-A330
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent entry-level DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 500D Canon EOS 500D
54 vs 33
Explain scores
Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 Sony Alpha DSLR-A330
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon EOS 500D.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonEOS 500D
 Canon EOS 500D vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A330
SonyAlpha DSLR-A330
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
1
0
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
1
0
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
1
0
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
2
0
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
1
0
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
2
0
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent entry-level DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Size Fairly small Help
500D:129x98x62 mm
DSLR-A330:128x97x71 mm
Thickness Thin Help
500D:2.4"
DSLR-A330:2.8"
Weight Light weight Help
500D:520 g
DSLR-A330:529 g
Fastest shutter speed Slow max shutter speed Help
1/4000 of a second
Viewfinder coverage Below average viewfinder coverage Help
95%
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
3,200 ISO
Continuous shooting Slow continuous shooting Help
500D:3.4 fps
DSLR-A330:2.5 fps
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Dynamic range Poor dynamic range Help
11.5 EV
Overall image quality Low image quality Help
500D:63.0
DSLR-A330:64.0
Low light performance Above average noise at high ISO Help
500D:663 ISO
DSLR-A330:535 ISO

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 550D

Canon EOS 550D

Entry-level DSLR

$652 - $888 body only

$778 - $932 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the EOS 550D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 550D vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Canon EOS 1100D

Canon EOS 1100D

Entry-level DSLR

$484 - $648 body only

$570 - $659 with 18-55mm lens
Light sensitivity Slightly higher maximum light sensitivity
Battery life Has a significantly longer battery life
Thickness Is thicker
Sensor cleaning Lacks a self cleaning sensor
Compare the EOS 1100D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 1100D vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $984 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Thickness Is thicker
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Compare the D3100 vs the EOS 500D
Compare the D3100 vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Canon EOS 600D

Canon EOS 600D

Entry-level DSLR

$860 - $1,035 body only

$922 - $1,099 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is significantly larger
Compare the EOS 600D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 600D vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is much less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has much better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 500D
Compare the D5100 vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Canon EOS 450D

Canon EOS 450D

Entry-level DSLR

$803 body only
Dynamic range Has slightly narrower dynamic range
Compare the EOS 450D vs the EOS 500D
Compare the EOS 450D vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Nikon D5000

Nikon D5000

Entry-level DSLR

$997 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D5000 vs the EOS 500D
Compare the D5000 vs the Alpha DSLR-A330

Canon EOS 500D Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon EOS 500D.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony Alpha DSLR-A200

Sony Alpha DSLR-A200

Entry-level DSLR
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder
Continuous shooting Shoots slightly faster
Live view No live view
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Compare the Alpha DSLR-A200 vs the Alpha DSLR-A330
Sony Alpha DSLR-A390

Sony Alpha DSLR-A390

Entry-level DSLR

$471 - $499 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution
Size Larger
Thickness Significantly thicker
Compare the Alpha DSLR-A390 vs the Alpha DSLR-A330

appearance

Canon EOS 500D Sony Alpha DSLR-A330
Canon EOS 500D Sony Alpha DSLR-A330
Canon EOS 500D Sony Alpha DSLR-A330

Find similar cameras

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discussion Which do you think is better?

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