In this article, we will be comparing two semi-professional cameras – the Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – by looking at their similarities, differences, strengths, and weaknesses; all to the end of aiding your decision on which of them to get for professional, or just for personal uses.
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
For an even wider frame of reference, you might want to check out some of our other Sony-Canon reviews like the Sony a77II Vs Canon 70D.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – Comparison Overview
Seeing as our comparison of the Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D is somewhat lengthy, we have divided this review using subheadings so that you can get a clearer picture of what these cameras have in store for you (no pun intended, lol). With this comparison overview, we hope to give you a gist of this review before diving into a more detailed comparison.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – Where Do They Both Get It Right?
First off, please be informed that the Sony Alpha a77 and the Canon 60D are semi-pro DSLR cameras with APS-C sensors. While the Sony Alpha a77 has an impressive 24.3 mega pixels in sensor resolution, the Canon 60D boasts of only 18.1 mega pixels. So, yes, you will be getting pretty large prints with either of these cameras, but obviously, the Sony camera will be giving you larger sized prints than the Canon one.
Going for either the Sony Alpha a77 or the Canon 60D affords you flexible shooting positions as both cameras have articulating 3-inch LCD screens. However, these screens have differing resolutions: 921k dots for the Sony a77, and 1,040k dots for the Canon 60D.
An awesome fact for the outdoor photography or nature photography enthusiasts is that both these cameras come with environmental sealings on their bodies, giving them the added protection from moisture or dirt. Therefore, with either one of them, you can take photos outdoors without fear of causing damage to your camera.
The Sony Alpha a77 and the Canon 60D both have RAW Support, so you are guaranteed better image quality when you shoot in RAW with either of the cameras, as your images will be stored with little or no changes effected on them.
Another great thing going on for these cameras is that they both have great shutter speeds of 1/8000 to 30 seconds. So, these two brands have got the blurs properly taken care of.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – Where Do They Both Get It Wrong?
It looks like Sony and Canon had an agreement to a couple of things with regards these two cameras:
As much as you desire to have ease of use of whatever equipment you purchase, when it comes to purchasing either the Sony Alpha a77 or the Canon 60D, do not expect a touch screen as neither of them has one.
Also, neither one of these cameras makes provision for wireless connection, which means that transferring files will have to be done using cables; not very convenient.
And finally, these two cameras are quite on the heavy side, with the Sony Alpha a77 pulling a weight of 730.28 grams and the Canon 60D pulling a weightier 752.96 grams.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – How Do They Differ From Each Other?
The battery life of a camera is definitely of concern to the photographer; it helps keep a lot of things in perspective. The Sony Alpha a77 comes with a 1600 milli-Ampere-hours battery that allows you take 470 shots per single charge, which is actually way below the average battery life of a DSLR; you will definitely need to have a backup plan.
The Canon 60D, on the other hand, comes with a 1800 milli-Ampere-hours battery, allowing you take up to 1100 shots per single charge. Now that’s more like it.
Moving along, each of the cameras comes with a viewfinder. Where they differ though, is that the Sony Alpha a77 offers you the technologically advanced electronic viewfinder, which shows you the image as it will appear after it has been shot. However, the Canon 60D offers you the old but trusted optical viewfinder, which allows you view the image as it really appears.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here! Get the Canon 60D here!
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What’s the Price/Value Ratio Like?
It is necessary to point out right now that the Sony Alpha a77 is the more expensive camera, and is, in fact, more than twice the price of the Canon 60D. Now, both of these cameras give great value, however, considering their prices and their specifications, we think that the Canon 60D has the better price/value ratio.
The Sony Alpha a77 is a very functional camera with very interesting features, but we think it was a bit overpriced. The Canon 60D, on the other hand, might not have as many interesting features as its counterpart, but for what it comes with, we think this one is just rightly priced.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – How Strong Are These Brands?
Sony and Canon are both Japanese companies that have dominated the camera manufacturing market considerably. Although it is well known in the photography community that Canon has been in the market for a much longer time, and is a bigger name than Sony, it might also interest you to know that Sony is the world’s largest supplier of imaging sensors.
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – Comparison Table
Sony Alpha a77 |
Canon 60D | |
| Announcement date | August 24, 2011 | August 26, 2010 |
| Weight | 730.28 grams | 752.96 grams |
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Sensor resolution | 24.3 mega pixel APS-C HD CMOS | 18.1 mega pixel APS-C CMOS |
| Continuous shooting | 12 frames per second (fps) | 5.3 frames per second (fps) |
| Battery life | 1600 milli-Ampere-hours/470 shots | 1800 milli-Ampere-hours/1100 shots |
| Image stabilization | Sensor-shift | None |
| Optical zoom | 3x | 1x |
| GPS | Yes | No |
| ISO Range | 50 – 16000 | 100 – 6400 |
| DxOMark Overall Score | 78 | 66 |
| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What situation is each best suited for?
Sony Alpha a77 |
Canon 60D |
| If you are into sports photography or wildlife photography, you really would appreciate the offerings of the Sony Alpha a77. With the camera’s incredible image stabilization, fast continuous shooting of 12 frames per second, 11 cross type focus sensors, and environmental sealing, you are sure to be really excited about going on shooting sprees with this one. Not only will you be excited to try out the features, you will love the outcome. The Sony Alpha’s articulating screen, APS-C HP CMOS sensor, and face detection focusing together with the other features mentioned earlier will bring out the street photographer in you, as this camera is great for portraits and group pictures. The camera’s built-in GPS, live-view feature, and very high sensor resolution of 24.3 MP also make it a great partner for landscape photography. | The Canon 60D’s biggest strength is its long-lasting battery that affords you the opportunity to take 1100 shots per charge. It takes the incessant worry of having to think of intermittent power backup. With its 1800 milli-Ampere-hours/1100 shots battery, this is definitely suitable for a long-day shooting spree. You already know that the Canon 60D is the less expensive of the two cameras, and is sure affordable for a semi-pro camera. And considering the fact that it does not cost as much as the Sony Alpha a77, the enthusiast can actually have a good photography experience with the Canon 60D, while he saves money for other stuff. |
| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What do they have in common?
Here, we will be showing you how similar the Sony Alpha a77 is to the Canon 60D, so that, irrespective of the camera you finally go for, you will know what features you will not totally lose out on from the foregone option. Going through this section will reveal that, in some instances, the features might be exactly the same for both cameras, while the features may differ slightly in some other instances.
Great Sensor Resolution
Although both cameras have APS-C sensors, the Sony a77 has a 24.3 mega pixel sensor which gives it a 6 mega pixel advantage over the 18.1 mega pixel sensor of the Canon 60D. This does not in any way make the Canon 60D inadequate, as the sensor of the Canon can comfortably capture images that will appear well on large prints while displaying good enough details.
It is important to state here that when considering megapixels before purchasing a camera from similar-sized sensor options, it is necessary to consider what sizes of images you intend to print and how much cropping you will be doing. This is because a larger image size will cause whatever sharpness or fineness that was lost as a result of blowing up an image or cropping it to be more noticeable. Ideally, with an 18.1 mega pixel camera, any print that is 16 x 24 or smaller will look great, while a 24.3 mega pixel camera will produce awesome high-quality prints at 20 x 30 or smaller.
So, the whole hype about mega pixels would majorly concern those who want to produce large prints of images that still retain maximum quality.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Articulating Screen
The articulating screen is one of the prominent features of both the Sony a77 and the Canon 60D. Both cameras have articulating 3 inch LCD screens with a resolution of 921k dots for the Sony a77, and a resolution of 1,040k dots for the Canon 60D.
A screen can only be referred to as articulating when it is not fixed, and so, can be turned in a number of directions independent of the camera body.
Cameras with articulating screens are a great choice for shooting group photos and self-portraits, as the LCD screens on these cameras afford photographers flexible shooting, and thankfully, both the Sony a77 and Canon 60D each have one.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Built-in Flash
Both the Sony a77 and the Canon 60D have built-in flashes. The major advantage of the built-in flash is its usefulness when capturing an image in a low-light area, especially in situations when carrying an external flash will prove obstructive, or too-much of an unwanted weight.
This is not to say that the built-in flash is the almighty solution for low-light problems. What we are saying is that it will come in handy sometimes seeing as it is always in the camera. We also like that the inbuilt flash does not affect the weight of the camera. So, it is sure a great thing both cameras have it.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
RAW Support
A camera with RAW support allows for the storage of the uncompressed version of the images which contain undeveloped data from the said camera’s image sensor. This means the camera stores the shot images with little or no changes effected on them, for use later.
However, for the images to be printed or shared, they need to be converted to JPEG or other convenient image formats. The benefit of shooting images in RAW is that you get better image quality. Since the Sony a77 and Canon 60D both have RAW Support, you have got nothing to worry about in this regard.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Face Detection
Face detection is the function of the camera that detects human faces so that the camera automatically sets the focus and exposure for the shot. Both the Sony a77 and Canon 60D have the face detection feature, which makes either of these cameras a good choice for portrait photography.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Environmental Sealing
If you are more into outdoor or travel photography, you will agree that it is so not advisable to leave your camera exposed to the elements, as the major causes of damage of cameras used in such conditions are moisture and dirt getting into them.
Environmental sealing, is therefore, a desired characteristic to look for in a pro or semi-pro camera. Thankfully, the Sony a77 and Canon 60D have got you covered as both cameras have environmental sealings on their bodies providing an added protection for outdoor photography.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Shutter Speed
You definitely need a camera with a quick shutter speed to help you do away with unintended blur when capturing images in motion. The Sony Alpha a77 and Canon 60D each have an amazing shutter speed of 1/8000 to 30 seconds. This helps keep the moving subject in focus by freezing the motion. So, whichever of the two cameras you decide to go for, be rest assured that, all things being equal, your motion pictures will come out clear and sharp.
Chill though! Blurs do not necessarily have to be bad things when they are planned for. For instance, you will need to introduce some blurs if you were capturing a car race as in sports photography, so the vehicles do not look too still as if they were parked in your garage. The technique called panning will help you out on this.
Shutter speed, however, does more than controlling blurring; it is an amazing tool for correcting exposure issues and producing awesome effects. So, in this regard, you cannot go wrong choosing either the Sony Alpha a77 or the Canon 60D.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Microphone Port
If you intend to shoot videos with your camera, you sure will appreciate being given high quality audio recording options. These options are what both the Sony Alpha a77 and the Canon 60D provide, as these cameras each come with a microphone port. Great, right?
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – How different are they from each other?
Just like the subheading suggests, we will be looking at how these cameras stand out from each other. To aid your decision-making, we will be pointing out some of the unique features of each camera and also their differences where they share a particular feature.
Continuous Shooting
By way of definition, in photography, continuous shooting is the feature that allows multiple pictures to be taken in rapid succession, and within a specific timeframe; usually one second. So, if it is shooting cheetahs run, or athletes bolt across a race track that you are interested in, you really need to pay attention to this feature as it pertains to the two cameras under review.
The Sony Alpha a77 beats the Canon hands down in this field of play, as the Sony camera affords you an amazing 12 frames per second, while the Canon brings less than half of that to the table. However, the continuous shooting of the Canon 60D is still pretty fair.
It is necessary to note at this point that to enjoy continuous shooting, you will need a camera with great battery life. So, just before you make that all-important choice on which of these cameras to purchase based on the continuous shooting feature, we will need you to look into this next important feature – battery life.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Battery Life
What the Canon 60D lacks in continuous shooting speed, it makes up so much more for in battery life. The Canon 60D’s battery provides an amazing shooting life of 1100 shots per single charge, dwarfing that of the Sony Alpha a77 which provides 470 shots per single charge. Obviously, with the Sony camera, you will need to make plans for back up depending on how long your shooting session will last.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! Get the Canon 60D here now!
Viewfinder
Sony and Canon made decision-making easier for the market by fitting both the Sony Alpha a77 and the Canon 60D a viewfinder each. The difference, though, is that while the Sony Alpha a77 offers you the innovative electronic viewfinder, the Canon 60D offers you the trusted optical viewfinder. Big deal? That depends on how you see things. The viewfinder is that part of the camera where you look through to properly compose and focus your picture, or simply put, where you look through to correctly shoot your shot.
So, electronic vs. optical? With the technologically advanced electronic viewfinder, you always see what your image will look like after it has been shot. Cool, right? Some photographers beg to disagree, and will instead stick to the decades-old optical viewfinder, which shows you the image as it really appears. If you would rather see the image as the lens does, the optical viewfinder is your better option. But if you’d prefer to see things from the sensor-point-of-view, then you would love the electronic viewfinder.
The Sony Alpha a77 has an advanced electronic viewfinder, while the Canon 60D has a trusted-over-the-years optical viewfinder. Whichever of the cameras you finally get to pick, be rest assured you will be buying one with a viewfinder.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What Are The Unique Pros Of Each Product?
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What are the Pros of the Sony Alpha a77?
- Unlike the Canon 60D, the Sony Alpha a77 as a built-in image stabilizer which stabilizes all the camera’s lenses and ensures that photos taken do not come out looking blurry.
- There is also a built-in GPS, which registers your shooting locations and helps you remember where what was taken.
- The Sony Alpha a77 offers AF Micro adjustment which adjusts the lens of the camera for proper focusing, while the Canon 60D does not have this feature.
- The camera comes with a built-in electronic viewfinder.
You could check out the video below to see how the Sony Alpha a77 works.
Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now!
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What are the Pros of the Canon 60D?
- The Canon 60D offers a long lasting battery life with 1100 shots per charge, which is way above what the Sony Alpha a77 offers.
- The camera offers a built-in optical viewfinder.
- The Canon 60D is the more affordable of the two cameras.
You can watch this video to see how the Canon 60D is a great camera
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What Are The Unique Cons Of Each Product?
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What are the Cons of the Sony Alpha a77?
- The Sony Alpha a77 has a pretty poor battery life, offering a below-than-average 470 shots per charge.
- This camera is more expensive than the Canon 60D.
Sony Alpha a77 vs. Canon 60D – What are the Cons of the Canon 60D?
- There is the absence of a built-in image stabilizer in the Canon 60D.
- The Canon 60D has no built-in GPS, so the camera cannot track the locations where images were shot.
- There is also the noticeable absence of AF Micro adjustment in the Canon 60D.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What Pros Are Common To Both Products?
Sony Alpha a77 |
Canon 60D | |
| High Sensor Resolution | The Sony a77 has an impressive 24.3 mega pixels sensor, which is great if you want to produce large prints of images that still retain the maximum image quality. | The Canon 60D has a high sensor resolution of 18.1 mega pixels, although not as high as that of the Sony Alpha a77. Nevertheless, this camera can also produce high quality large prints. |
| Articulating Screen | This camera has an articulating 3 inch LCD screen with a resolution of 921k dots, which provides the photographer with flexible shooting positions. | This camera also has an articulating 3 inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1,040k dots, making it a great choice for shooting self-portraits and group pictures. |
| Face Detection | The Sony Alpha a77 has the face detection feature that detects human faces so the camera automatically sets the focus and exposure for the shot. This way, when the shots are taken, they do not come out looking blurry. | The face detection feature on this camera makes it a great choice for shooting images with a lot of people in it. |
| RAW Support | This camera’s RAW support feature allows for the storage of the uncompressed images containing undeveloped data from its image sensor. And since the images are not compressed, they retain their original quality which is the ideal thing, anyway. However, let us remember that RAW photos are large files and so will take up some space in storage.Do not forget to stock up on extra memory cards if you’ll be shooting in RAW. | The Canon 60D also has RAW support, which means the stored shot images will have little or no changes effected on them so you can have more room to edit them as you want at a later time. |
| Built-in Flash | The built-in flash of the Sony Alpha a77 makes it a great choice for those moments when carrying an external flash will seem very cumbersome, as you will still be able to shoot beautiful images in low-light areas. | The Canon 60D also comes with a built-in flash, making it just as great a choice as the Sony Alpha a77. |
| Environmental Sealings | With the Sony Alpha a77, you can comfortably carry on with your outdoor photography knowing the environmental sealings on this camera’s body secures and protects it from the harsh elements. | The environmental sealings on the body of the Canon 60D also makes it a wise outdoor-photography camera. |
| Microphone Port | Making recordings with great audio quality is easily achievable while shooting with the Sony Alpha a77 as the camera is fitted with a microphone port. It is now up to you to get whatever microphone will give you your desired audio quality. | The Canon 60D also comes with a microphone port. |
| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Here’s a video of what the Sony Alpha a77 can do.
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What Cons Are Common to Both Products?
Sony Alpha a77 |
Canon 60D | |
| Heavy body weight | With a body weight of 730.28 grams, it is slightly lighter than the Canon 60D. However, using a camera of this weight for daily photography or street photography might not be too convenient. | The Canon 60D is the weightier of the two cameras at about 753 grams. This weight will also pose a challenge if you intend to use the camera for street photography. |
| No Touch Screen | For ease of use, having a camera with a touch screen is desirable. However, the Sony Alpha a77 does not have a touch screen. This cannot really be considered a major setback though. | The Canon 60D also does not have a touch screen, so the two cameras are even in this regard. |
| Absence of a wireless connection | In today’s fast-paced world, being able to upload pictures from your camera to your computer or smartphone is definitely a photographer’s desire. Unfortunately, the Sony Alpha a77 does not provide this needed luxury. So, you’ll have to rely on wires and other cumbersome means to transfer your files to an off-camera device. | There is also an absence of a wireless connection on the Canon 60D. |
| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What Do People Think About Both?
Sony Alpha a77 |
Canon 60D |
| Users of the Sony Alpha a77 appear to be most pleased about the continuous shooting. Being able to shoot 24.3 mega pixel at 12 frames per second certainly made some giddy with delight. | Canon 60D users were sure glad that the brand had taken their homework seriously and had significantly improved on the Canon 50D camera to come out with the Canon 60D. |
| People who very often shoot videos have shown their pleasure at the high-quality videos shots with the Sony Alpha a77. Although the built-in microphone works fine, some have advised that an external mic be used instead, as the built-in mic picks up even the tiniest unwanted noise. | The Canon 60D were really comfortable with the High ISO performance of the camera, better than with some others of the same generation. |
| The electronic viewfinder elicited mixed reactions. While some thought it was an immense pleasure, others are of the opinion that an electronic viewfinder can never be better than the traditional optical viewfinder. As one user put it, an optical viewfinder shows what the lens is seeing, but the electronic viewfinder, as in the case of the Sony Alpha a77, shows what the sensor is seeing. It appears that needs a lot of getting used to, right? | A great deal of Canon 60D users were quick to state that although some of them had upgraded to other cameras, their Canon 60D cameras were still in good shape and a great backup camera for them. |
| Users were definitely disappointed with the less-than-average battery life of the Sony Alpha a77. | People seem to be in love with the battery capacity of the Canon 60D. |
| However, the general opinion is that the Sony Alpha a77 is worth the huge amount paid for it. | Overall, the popular opinion is that the Canon 60D is a great buy that does what its specs suggest – no unnecessary hype. |
| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
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| Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | Get the Canon 60D here now! |
See what the Canon 60D has to offer to the videographer in the video below!
Sony Alpha a77 vs Canon 60D – What’s Our Take on Them?
Sony Alpha a77 |
Canon 60D |
| In more ways than one, we feel the Sony Alpha a77 is the overall winner of this contest. But then, after paying a little over a thousand bucks for this camera, you definitely expect it to perform exceptionally well. The features of this camera will make photography a great experience, so, we suggest you get the Sony Alpha a77 if you can. Get the Sony Alpha a77 here now! | If you are not looking to spend so much on a semi-pro camera right now, the Canon 60D is a great option for you. You will be satisfied with this camera, because it will be giving you great value for your every dollar spent. Get the Canon 60D here now! |
PS: if you want to see how the Sony Alpha a7 does when compared with another camera, check out our Sony Alpha a77 vs Nikon D5300 comparison article.
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