Canon 600D v/s Sony Alpha 57 - Which one is better?

[amitsinghmiet]

I want to buy an SLR. I have finalized these two models but little confused which one to choose. Kindly,help me out and let me know which one is a better one. I'm from India and my budget is around 40K INR. Any suggestions???

[Polar01]

Welcome to CIC, it would help if you could add your name and location to your profile, so we can call you by your name and as for location it helps as telling you to go to a certain store when you are half a world away does you not good. I will tell you which is the better one, this after long research into the correct camera, there is none, it is what feels the best in your hands. If they are close in specs it mainly goes down to the one that feels right, the next for me is, does that camera have a good selection of glass that I can up grade to in the future.
From a quick read the A57 has be replaced by the A58 when compared to the Canon D600 they are similar with a price difference of $20.00 Canada more for the Canon (Rebel T3i with 18-55mm kit lens). My self I would say the Canon is a better deal because of the greater choice of glass. Good glass you want to get, and keep the body is the replaceable. That is why good glass can be and is worth more than the camera body itself.
So again it comes down to which one feels better in your hands, there is good glass out there for the Sony not as great a selection as for the Canon, but every bit as good or better.

Cheers:

Allan

[amitsinghmiet]

Thanks Allan for your advice. I'm living in India and thus the new models like Rebel T3 aren't yet available, so I'm confined to these two models only. My budget is less than 40K INR. Can you suggest me a good camera for that range?

Thanks,
Amit

[FootLoose]

Hi Amit, welcome to CinC. The Canon 600D IS the Rebel T3i. Two different names, but the same camera. I know because I have a 600D, and the manual calls 600D / Rebel T3i.

[inkista]

Amit, with a lower budget like that, I'd actually recommend that you consider purchasing a used camera rather than a new one, so you'll still have cash left over for lenses. Unlike a P&S camera, a dSLR camera is a system, and the body is only half of the camera--the other (and more permanent) half are your lenses and lenses are probably where most of your money will eventually go. Camera bodies are digital electronics. Like computers and cellphones, they come and go rather quickly. dSLR gear can get extraordinarily expensive, so you really do need to consider if a dSLR system is best-suited to your needs. There are a lot of other options around these days.

Between a Sony Alpha and a Canon EOS camera, if they're around the same price and age, chances are good there won't be a whole lot to choose between the two of them, features and image-quality wise. The main two differences between them are going to be the size of the systems (both native and via 3rd-party support--for example, flash gear for Sony Alpha has fewer choices than Canon or Nikon), and the fact that the A57 is an SLT camera, not an SLR. What this means is that the mirrorbox mechanism in the A57 is different from that in SLRs--the viewfinder on the newer Sony Alpha's is electronic--it's a small video screen. An electronic viewfinder has all the pros of liveview on the LCD: exposure can be simulated, information can be overlaid, the view can be magnified at will, etc. But it has the cons of being a small video screen: there's a refresh rate, colors may not be true, there can be a delay at the data feed from the sensor. SLRs use glass and mirrors/prisms to relay the light coming in through the taking lens up into the viewfinder. You're seeing the light coming from the scene. With an SLT's electronic viewfinder (EVF), you're seeing the data on the sensor. Which you'll prefer can be a matter of personal taste. I use both a camera with an EVF (a micro four-thirds camera, the Panasonic DMC-G3) and Canon dSLRs, and I like them both. But they're very different.

Another camera you may want to consider is the Nikon D5100.

[AB26]

Hi Amit,

How much do you know about photography?

There are advantages and disadvantages using both cameras, the A57 and the 600D/T3i.
If you are going to shoot lots of fast moving objects, like in FAST action shots, go for the Canon.

If you are a rookie in photography, there is no beter tool to learn all the tricks of the trade than a Sony SLT camera. The Sony will teach you all the tricks that users of other cameras take years to master. With the Sony you will be shooting full Manual mode in a very short time. The reason I say this is because the Sony displays exactly what the image you are about to capture will look like, on the LCD. You can see how the image changes as you change settings.

With the Sony you will never get incorrect exposure, even as a rookie. If you get the exposure wrong you only have yourself to blame.

I will highly recommend a Sony SLT camera to anybody wishing to learn more about photography than the average amateur will ever know.

Look carefully at both cameras and determine exactly what your goal will be in photography. Make sure what kind of backup you will have in India on both cameras. It will most probably take years before you will start adding to your kit if you get an 18-55mm lens and a 55-200mm lens with the camera.

PS: I shoot both Nikon (D200) and Sony. My Sony is a DSC HX100V. An amazing little camera. The only problem with it is the sensor size.

I admire the Nikon for what it can do but love the Sony for what it can teach me.

[lorenzobix]

two links that could be useful
http://www.dpreview.com/products/can.../canon_eos600d
http://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/slrs/sony_slta57

[amitsinghmiet]

My bad. The model for which I was confused was Sony Alpha 58 and not Alpha 57. I just want to know which one is better. Is it Canon 600D or Sony Alpha 58?

[Adrian]

Amit - people have given you an answer. In summary they have said that these cameras have equal capabilities. Hence you should choose the one you feel is most comfortable.

In your shoes, I would choose the Canon. Not because it is better, but because you are more likely to have access to new and second hand lenses and accessories in the future, and because Canon equipment is relatively easy to sell if you wish to upgrade later.

If you want someone to choose for you, here is your answer: buy the Canon.

[lorenzobix]

As Adrian said the two model are almost the same. And let me say, you can not ask simply wich one is better because you should ask...better in what? af speed? dinamic range? high iso noise? fine details? capability?
to give an unique reply, buy canon because it's more main stream and you'll find more ( a lot more compared to sony) used lenses and accessories, and because also the new things are less expensive even than nikon. of course, you do not get the dedicate zeiss lens that sony has, but if it's your first experience with a dslr, you will not even think about that.

[alimac]

I went through this process myself about 8 months ago, having narrowed my choices down to the Canon 600D, the Sony Alpha 57 and the Nikon D5100. After a lot of reading, asking questions and playing with cameras, I went for the Canon, but there wasn't a huge amount in it. One thing that did sway me away from the Sony was the advice of a colleague in my local camera club who pointed out that there is more likely to be good quality second hand gear available for Canon (and to a lesser extent Nikon) due to their larger market share. (and he is a Pentax shooter, so go figure)