Canon 7D, Nikon D300s, Pentax K-7, Sony a550 – Comparison & Review
This post is a comparison of the latest prosumer SLR cameras from the top four companies; Canon 7D, Nikon D300s, Pentax K-7 and Sony a550. Since both my current cameras have broken during my Southeast Asia trip, I’ve taken some time to look at my choices.
I wrote this article to help me decide on a DSLR most suitable for my needs. I put together a chart with a side by side comparison of the four competing cameras. These cameras are targeting serious amateurs and professional photographers. The features and specs listed on the chart are a few deciding factors for my purchase.
Note: I did not do a personal tests on any camera, but I did do extensive research on all the models. Any advice from this post is simply my opinion or speculation. Some camera specs might be off so do your own research before you make any purchase.
Digital SLR Camera Comparison Chart for; Canon 7D, Nikon D300s, Pentax K-7 and Sony a550
Below is the comparison chart I created to list all the features of each camera side by side. You can also download a PDF version of this comparison chart by clicking the link below:
Digital SLR Camera Comparison;
Canon 7D, Nikon D300s, Pentax K-7, Sony a550
Canon 7D – Canon has a large portion of the DSLR market so purchasing a Canon camera isn’t a bad choice. That was the major reason I purchased Canon in the first place. They also have a large infrastructure, for instance; the quality and quantity of their lenses, their superior customer service (from what I’ve experienced), large user group (probably the largest out of the four) and aftermarket accessories (the biggest available). As for the camera itself; 18 megapixel is the largest file output of all the cameras. If for some reason this is important to you, than this is the camera for you. But make a note that even thought it has the largest MP size the sensor size is the smallest of the four. The 7D also shoots at a whopping 8fps, making it the fastest of the bunch. Ideal for sports photographers and wild life shooters. Canon is a good brand and is known for it’s excellence in image quality. You can’t go wrong by buying a Canon, but you will pay a premium price.
Nikon D300s – Nikon the second biggest name in the DSLR market, is known for it’s image quality, and as far as I can tell, the Nikon D300s has the best IQ of them all. After downloading many sample photos from each camera, I have come to the conclusion that the D300s has the best IQ. However, the difference in the image quality isn’t that noticeable from the other competing brands. The D300s is also a good choice because it’s a second generation model of the Nikon D300. A camera that has proven itself in the field for quality and durability. Unlike the Canon 7D, which is a completely new camera built from the ground up, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Pentax K-7 – Pentax was late into the digital market, but they have come a long way with their digital SLR cameras. Out of all the SLRs, the Pentax K-7 has the most features and options. Where Canon and Nikon seem to spend their time focusing on profitability of their cameras, Pentax seems to care about what photographer’s really want in their DSLRs. I’m glad there’s a company like Pentax, paving the way for innovation and usability. If you’re looking for a feature rich camera that will conform to your needs, the Pentax K-7 will make you a very happy photographer.
Sony a550 – Sony is also a very big name, just not in the DSLR sector. But I expect things to change in the upcoming years as Sony starts undercutting their competitors and aggressively pushing their line of digital SLR cameras. I don’t blame them since the digital camera market is a billion dollar industry. As for the Sony a550, it has most of the feature that Pentax has and the same specs as all the other camera. High ISO and tiltable LCD is also a plus. The only thing it doesn’t have is video, which seems kinda silly to me. But then again it is priced way below the other cameras, which means it’ll give Canon and Nikon a run for their money.
Final Conclusion and Thoughts
All these cameras have made significant improvement over their older predecessor.The features and abilities of each camera have all come along way from when the first digital SLRs arrived. You can’t really go wrong purchasing any one of these cameras.
My recommendation to everyone would be to figure out what you photograph most and pick the best camera that suits your photography style.
As for me, none of these cameras will be a big improvement to my photography. It’s worth it for me to wait and simply spend the few hundred dollars to fix my broken cameras. Especially considering my initial investment into Canon products.
Another reason I’ve decided to hold off from buying a new camera is because of Photokina. Photokina is a major photography convention happening in September of this year (2010). Most likely the major camera companies (Canon, Nikon, Pentax & Sony) will reveal their new line of digital SLRs during this event. It also makes sense since the following months are the biggest consumer months of the year.
So for those of you who can wait, it’s probably a good idea to do so. It would suck if you bought a new camera only for it to be outdated in a couple of months by a new model!
A Little Side Note on Image Quality (IQ)
When it comes down to image quality, I notice little difference compare to my older Canon 5D MK1. Due to the size of the 5D’s full frame sensor, it still competes very well with today’s cameras. To learn more about full-frame sensors read my post here: Full Frame Camera vs Cropped Sensor
To be honest, rather than spending $1700 on one of the cameras above, I would instead buy the Sony a850, which goes for $1900, making it the most affordable full frame camera in today’s market.
If image quality is what you’re looking for, I recommend looking at full frame cameras instead of crop sensor SLRs. I always recommend full frame cameras for anyone particular about their IQ.
For those interested in full frame cameras, three cameras come to mind; Canon 5D MKII, Nikon D700 and the affordable Sony a850. But keep in mind you will be paying more for these cameras than you would compared to the ones in this review… except for, maybe, the Sony a850.
Full frame might produce better image quality, but if you don’t plan on using it for commercial purposes or printing large posters, than I see no reason to buy one. Full frame cameras are expensive and not worth the money if all you’re doing is printing 8×10 images and posting images to the web.
Below are links to the official product page for each digital SLR camera reviewed.
- Official Canon 7D product page.
- Official Nikon D300s product page.
- Official Pentax K-7 product page.
- Official Sony a550 product page.
Hey Kim,
I thought the Pentax K-7 offered the best bang for the buck in a semi-pro DSLR offering. You helped me better understand what I should be looking for when it is time to consider such a DSLR kit. Gordon
Good choice Gordon, in the digital world Pentax isn’t getting as much recognition as it should. I wold have went with Pentax had I not invested a couple thousand in lenses. Sony is also another camera to consider. When I’m in the market again for another SLR, Sony and Pentax will be the 2 cameras on my list.
Thanks Kim. Actually, I just purchased a Cannon SX30IS for fun, versatility, and design. I know there are some IQ issues and there is no remote shutter release but I have investigated the issues thuroughly enough to make the decision to purchase. I have already set up a test regiment to evaluate the equipment’s true capabilities. I will get the Pentax, or some other DSLR with all the lenses, later on.
There are no perfect solutions out there (Thank God) so I will have fun working around what ever limitations and benefits this equipment has to offer… and learn allot doing so.
Regarding the issue with chromatic aberration, I have studied in detail many of the downloadable photos produced with this equipment and found some interesting observations. Where the images were sharp and clear, there was no more apparent CA than what is normally expected.
However, in much softer images it appears that most of the highly visiblethe CA is usually either latitudinal or longitudinal but not generally both. When I did find both (Lat/Long) I noticed at 100% crop that the CA was blurred diagonally at the edges. These observations point to slight directional camera movement.
That being said, very slight camera movement was what was blurring the CA and making it so visible and apparent. My testing will include IS both on and off while mounted on a tripod at various focal lengths.
They say not to use the IS while mounted on a tripod… I wonder why?? My guess is that the ‘in-lense’ IS system may be mismatched for use on a long telephoto zoom lense. The lenses making up the long focal length is what is causing the CA but it may be the in-lens IS that is causing normal CA to blur into very visible CA. My testing should determine that.
If that is the case, then turning off the IS and using a tripod should produce very acceptable results. If it doesn’t, then back the SX30 goes and I will get the Pentax instead. Too bad they didn’t allow for a remote shutter release on the SX30 since they provided for full manual settings along with both AEB and AFB (Auto Focus Bracketing for the Orton Effect).
Gordon
Hey Kim,
I have tested the Canon SX30IS and it is not suitable for post processing. As soon as you begin to process these images, all the noise that is just under the surface at 100% 1:1 ratio crop, comes poping out at you. I have a little compact Canon A1100IS that has the exact same DIGIC4 processor and 1/2.3″ CCD imaging sensor that does not do this. The SX30IS does. I think that is the way it is with all the bridge cameras I have looked at. I think the term bridge was invented by the industry to coax the buyer into a DSLR. It certainly is not a bridge for the user
Since I can’t afford the Pentax, I think I will go with the Canon Rebel T1i. It has a much better battery life than the new Rebel 2Ti. I prefer the 15.1 MP rather than the new 18.1 MP. The Rebel has a decent APS-C CMOS sensor that has great high ISO quality with almost no noise or chromatic aberration at the periphery. Images shot with that system are worth processing. Gordon
Sorry to hear that the Canon SX30IS didn’t work out. Moving up to a Rebel T1i is a major jump. It’s a great camera IMO. I was able to test it out and the image quality was comparable to that of my Canon 5D MK1 fullframe sensor. I think a 12mp SLR camera is perfect for most photographers even professionals so a 15.1 for you will be more than enough to get great image quality. I’m even considering getting the T1i as a second body with a Tamaron 18-270mm for all round use. I find it very time consuming to constantly change from wide to telephoto or vise-versa and by the time I change the lens my shot is usually already gone. So having something like this which is light weight and easy to carry around would be a super benefit for me. I also would like a second camera to waste my actuations on, for timelapse and panos which can burn the shutter pretty quickly. I learned from my trip to Thailand that burning the shutter for this type of photography can be very bad for the camera. I would hate to blow the shutter on my Canon 5D MK2!
Thanks Kim. That was really great info that you shared. Other than the fact that the T1i doesn’t have a full frame sensor, it seems like the best all around dollar-to-performance value out there.
The T1i takes beautiful exposures. If you magnify a macro exposure of a flower to full resolution and even a bit beyond, the color blending from various shadow angles is flawless. No noise whatsoever and every minute detail is pristine perfect. Yes, I would say that the quality would be comparable to full frame pro system at 25% of the freight. Yes, it would make a great backup for a professional like yourself.
Incidentally, is that the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC that you were referring to? Have you verified its performance on a T1i? It sounds the perfect all around lens. I was going to ask you what you recommend, but you read my mind instead!:)
Regarding shutter burn. Aren’t Canon shutters supposed to get over 100,000 actuations before they begin failing?
Gordon
The Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC was the lens I was referring to. I have not verified or done any research on the performance. I will do one if I do end up getting this combo
As far as overall performance with the lens and what I’ve read, it ‘s not perfect, but a lens with such a wide focal length, we shouldn’t expect it to be. As far as shutter burn I’ve done 10k on one timelapse, so you can see careless this would be on a 2k camera.
Thanks Kim. I did some research on the Tamron AF18-270 F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC. The main drawback with this lens is that the inner ring feels like it is somewhat loose when using manual focus. When pointing the lens up or down, there is a little bit of lense creep that happens after a while, which is said to be expected with such a telphoto lens. It is not a critical issue and Tamron will fix it under warranty with a free service, if that happens.
There are no issues with noise or CA and only very slight distortion at the corners at some telephoto lengths. Macro shots are limited to 1/3 of a meter. Other than that, the lens is apparently a great match for the capabilities of the Canon Rebel T1i. Almost all the reviewers who purchased the lens gave it a 5 star rating for its relative cost-vs-performance value. Some said the build could be a bit better but the image performance is solid.
BuyDig.com sells the T1i body and Tamron 18-270 lense tegether as a set for a good price.
How do you get 10k of shutter actuations on a timelapse? Shows you how much I don’t know… Thanks. Gordon
Hi Kim,
I went over to Photozone online and they do very professional discrete laboratory evaluations of cameras and lenses. They tend to give low marks and are not stroking the major manufacturers for their advertising dollars.
They did not give a particularly high rating on the Tamron 18-270 lens. Only a two out of five for optics and image quality. I don’t think you would be happy without a three out of five rating, even for a beater camera!:) “Beater camera”… now that is an oxymoron.
Four is generally the highest mark that they rarely give in the prosumer lens market. They said that the Tamron 18-270 image quality (resolution) was good at the center of focus but started to fall off around the borders together with some border CA at the longer focal lengths. These guys are really picky old school types… which is actually quite refreshing compared to the wholsale sell out reviews.
The 18-55 IS kit lens that comes with most Cannon EOS frames, actually has great image quality at any price. The next best zoom step up, without emptying your bank account, is the Canon 55-250 IS lens with the same solid performance. They were both rated with a 3 out of 5 rating and a 5 out of 5 value for the price. The only real negative that they had to say about these lenses was their plastic mount instead of a stainless steel mount. They said it made the lenses look cheep. That is rather subjective, relative to the performance.
I did check out many Tamron and Sigma and Canon Photozone reviews for the Canon EOS frame and most lenses seemed to have only a 2 out of 5 image quality rating. I was very surprised at the degree of differences in image quality, even between Canon lenses. Sigma doesn’t seem to rate in the EOS lineup but Tamron is comparable to Canon. However, Canon still has the best performing lenses within specific models.
You have to look at each lens offering very carefully, otherwise it is like a shell game trying to find out where the pea went. Gordon
hello captain kimo, im a newbie in digital photography & just bought a sony slt-a55 and i dont think i can do a AEB of 2EVs between each picture in my camera. do you know if i can do it manually, like set something up or down everytime i take a picture??? thanks