Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography vs Sony a33

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography and Sony a33. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography is manufacturered by Canon but Sony a33 is from Sony. Both Canon and Sony are well known brands though.

Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography were released 2005 and Sony a33 was released 2010. That is a 5 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography 2005
Sony a33 2010

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography has a "Canon APS-C"-sensor while Sony a33 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography 80 mm
Canon APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6
Sony a33 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)

Resolution

Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography has a 8,2 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a33 has 14 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography 8,2 MP
8185344 pixels
3504 x 2336
Sony a33 14 MP
14033152 pixels
4592 x 3056

Sony a33 has a 71 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a33 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography. Sony a33 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography has 100 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography 100-3200
Sony a33 100-12800

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a33

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Sony a33 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography 5
Sony a33 7

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Sony a33. Sadly, the Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography does not support this.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography weighs 770 gr (equal to 1.7 lb) which is 54% heavier than Sony a33 and its 500 gr (or 1.1 lb).

Camera Weight
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography 770 gr
1.7 lb
Sony a33 500 gr
1.1 lb

Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography vs Sony a33 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography and Sony a33, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Name Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography Sony a33
Manufacturer Canon Sony
Release Date and Price
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Release Year 2005 2010
Release Date 2005-06-01 2010-08-24
MSRP 1499 USD 949 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Camera Type DSLR SLT
Sensor
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm) APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 3504 x 2336 pixels 4592 x 3056 pixels
Megapixels 8,2 MP 14 MP
Image Processor DIGIC 2 Bionz
Image
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
ISO Range 100 - 3200 100 - 12800
White Balance Presets 6 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 9 15
Lens Mount Canon EF
Canon EF-S

See Compatible Lenses
Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier APS-C Sensor
1.6x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 38 mm
50 mm becomes 80 mm
100 mm becomes 160 mm
200 mm becomes 320 mm
APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Articulated LCD Fixed Fully articulated
Screen size 1.8” 3”
Screen dots 118000 921000
Touch screen No No
Screen type N/A N/A
Live view No Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentaprism) Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.9× (0.56× 35mm equiv.) 1.1× (0.73× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A N/A
Photography features
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Frames per second 5 fps 7 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Range 12 meters 10 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse Yes No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Partial
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Video recording No Yes
Video format N/A MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
Video resolution N/A 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone No Yes
Built-in Speakers No No
Storage
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Memory Card Compact Flash
Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
HDMI Output No Yes
Microphone Port No No
Headphone Port No No
Wireless No Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Remote Control Yes (N3 connector) Yes (Optional)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Canon EOS 20D Astrophotography
Sony a33
Enviromentally sealed No No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Battery Pack BP-511A
Rechargeable NP-FW50 battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 1000 shots 270 shots
Width 144 mm 124 mm
Height 106 mm 92 mm
Depth 72 mm 85 mm
Weight 770 gram 500 gram