Sony a9 II vs Canon EOS 30D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 II and Canon EOS 30D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a9 II is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 30D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a9 II were released 2019 and Canon EOS 30D was released 2006. That is a 13 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a9 II 2019
Canon EOS 30D 2006

Type of camera

Sony a9 II is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 30D is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a9 II has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 30D has a "Canon 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 **
Sony a9 II 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 30D 80 mm
Canon APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6

** 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 (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a9 II has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 30D has 8,2 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a9 II 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS 30D 8,2 MP
8185344 pixels
3504 x 2336

Sony a9 II has a 193 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 30D. 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 a9 II has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 30D. Sony a9 II has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Canon EOS 30D has 100 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a9 II 100-51200
Canon EOS 30D 100-3200

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 Sony a9 II
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 30D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a9 II can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 30D can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a9 II 20
Canon EOS 30D 5

Ability to record movies

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

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a9 II. Unfortunately Canon EOS 30D does not support recording movies and movie clips.

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 30D weighs 784 gr (equal to 1.73 lb) which is 16% heavier than Sony a9 II and its 678 gr (or 1.49 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a9 II 678 gr
1.49 lb
Canon EOS 30D 784 gr
1.73 lb

Sony a9 II vs Canon EOS 30D Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 II and Canon EOS 30D, 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
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Name Sony a9 II Canon EOS 30D
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Release Year 2019 2006
Release Date 2019-10-03 2006-02-21
MSRP 4499 USD 1499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 3504 x 2336 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 8,2 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DIGIC 2
Image
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
ISO Range 100 - 51200 100 - 3200
White Balance Presets 9 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5-axis))
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Focus Points 693 9
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF
Canon EF-S

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
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
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 2,5”
Screen dots 1440000 230000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes No
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.9× (0.56× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Frames per second 20 fps 5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 12 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse Yes Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Video recording Yes No
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
N/A
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Connectivity
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
HDMI Output Yes No
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11ac + NFC + Bluetooth)
No
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wireless) Yes (N3 connector) with TC-80N3 remote controller
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS 30D
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100
BP-511A
Battery Life (CIPA) 690 shots 750 shots
Width 129 mm 144 mm
Height 96 mm 106 mm
Depth 76 mm 74 mm
Weight 678 gram 784 gram