Sony A77 vs Canon 200D

The Sony Alpha SLT-A77 and the Canon EOS 200D (labelled Canon SL2 in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in August 2011 and June 2017. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony A77		Canon 200D
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Sony A mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-16,000 (50 - 25,600)		ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)		Swivel touchscreen
12 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens stabilization only
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
470 shots per battery charge		650 shots per battery charge
143 x 104 x 81 mm, 732 g		122 x 93 x 70 mm, 453 g

Check A77 offers at
ebay.com
Check 200D offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 and the Canon EOS 200D? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Sony A77 and the Canon 200D are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The 200D can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the A77 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 200D is notably smaller (24 percent) than the Sony A77. Moreover, the 200D is substantially lighter (38 percent) than the A77. It is worth mentioning in this context that the A77 is splash and dust resistant, while the 200D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the A77 gets 470 shots out of its Sony NP-FM500H battery, while the 200D can take 650 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E17 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
2.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
3.		Canon 6D	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	2,099	ebay.com
4.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Canon 100D	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
6.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
7.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
8.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GH5	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	725 g	410	Y	Jan 2017	1,999	ebay.com
10.		Pentax K-3	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	560	Y	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
12.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	4,499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A68	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	610 g	540	n	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
14.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
15.		Sony A99	147 mm	111 mm	78 mm	812 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6500	120 mm	67 mm	53 mm	453 g	350	Y	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
17.		Sony A6600	120 mm	67 mm	69 mm	503 g	810	Y	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The 200D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 61 percent) than the A77, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the 200D is 10 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.5 (A77) and 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the A77 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the A77 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the 200D), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the 200D is much more recent (by 5 years and 10 months) than the A77, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The 200D has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha SLT-A77 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 16000, which can be extended to ISO 50-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 200D are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
2.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
3.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
4.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
5.		Canon 100D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
6.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
7.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
8.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
9.		Panasonic GH5	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.9	13.0	807	77
10.		Pentax K-3	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.7	13.4	1216	80
11.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
12.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
13.		Sony A68	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.5	701	79
14.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
15.		Sony A99	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	14.0	1555	89
16.		Sony A6500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.5	13.7	1405	85
17.		Sony A6600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.8	13.4	1497	82

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A77 has an electronic viewfinder (2359k dots), while the 200D has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the A77 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 200D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the A77 has a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.54x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A77, the Canon 200D, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 6D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
4.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 100D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
9.		Panasonic GH5	3680	n	3.2 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
10.		Pentax K-3	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
12.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
13.		Sony A68	1440	Y	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony A99	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A6500	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony A6600	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the A77, but is missing on the 200D is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The A77 writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the 200D uses SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 and Canon EOS 200D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon 6D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon 100D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Panasonic GH5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
10.		Pentax K-3	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
13.		Sony A68	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony A99	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Sony A6500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony A6600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	2.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the 200D offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the A77 does not provide wifi capability.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A77 (unlike the 200D) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the A77 has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.

Both the A77 and the 200D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A77 was replaced by the Sony A77 II, while the 200D was followed by the Canon 250D. Further information on the features and operation of the A77 and 200D can be found, respectively, in the Sony A77 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 200D Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A77 and the Canon 200D? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha SLT-A77:

• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.54x).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2011).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 200D:

• Better low-light sensitivity: Can shoot in dim conditions (0.4 stops ISO advantage).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 921k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• More compact: Is smaller (122x93mm vs 143x104mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 279g or 38 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (650 versus 470) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (61 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 10 months of technical progress since the A77 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the 200D emerges as the winner of the match-up (13 : 11 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A77 and the Canon 200D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A77 or the 200D perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
2.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
3.		Canon 6D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,099	ebay.com
4.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Canon 100D	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
6.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
7.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
8.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GH5	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2017	1,999	ebay.com
10.		Pentax K-3	4/5	..	..	83/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
12.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	4,499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A68	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
14.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
15.		Sony A99	5/5	..	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6500	5/5	+ +	3.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
17.		Sony A6600	4/5	+	4/5	83/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check A77 offers at
ebay.com
Check 200D offers at
ebay.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

~

Check A77 offers at
ebay.com
Check 200D offers at
ebay.com

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.