Sony a99 vs Canon EOS 850D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a99 and Canon EOS 850D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a99 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 850D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a99 were released 2012 and Canon EOS 850D was released 2020. That is a 8 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a99 2012
Canon EOS 850D 2020

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a99 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 850D 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 a99 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 850D 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

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a99 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 850D has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a99 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS 850D 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

ISO range

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a99 100-25600
Canon EOS 850D 100-25600

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 a99
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 850D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a99 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 850D can shoot up to 7,5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a99 6
Canon EOS 850D 7,5

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a99 and Canon EOS 850D can shoot movies.

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.

Sony a99 weighs 812 gr (equal to 1.79 lb) which is 58% heavier than Canon EOS 850D and its 515 gr (or 1.14 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a99 812 gr
1.79 lb
Canon EOS 850D 515 gr
1.14 lb

Sony a99 vs Canon EOS 850D Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a99 and Canon EOS 850D, 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 a99
Canon EOS 850D
Name Sony a99 Canon EOS 850D
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Release Year 2012 2020
Release Date 2012-09-12 2020-02-12
MSRP 2799 USD 749 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Camera Type SLT DSLR
Sensor
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 8
Image
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
ISO Range 100 - 25600 100 - 25600
White Balance Presets 8 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 19 45
Lens Mount Sony A

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 a99
Canon EOS 850D
Articulated LCD Fully articulated Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1229000 1040000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type TFT Xtra Fine color LCD TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71× 0.82× (0.51× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 0
Photography features
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Frames per second 6 fps 7,5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 4 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
MPEG4
H.264
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless No Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth)
Remote Control Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional)) Yes (via wireless remote or smartphone)
GPS Yes
Built-in
No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a99
Canon EOS 850D
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 500 shots 800 shots
Width 147 mm 131 mm
Height 111 mm 103 mm
Depth 78 mm 76 mm
Weight 812 gram 515 gram