Canon ELPH 520 HS vs Canon SD990 IS

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Canon ELPH 520 HS vs Canon SD990 IS, both Ultracompact cameras and both of them are created by Canon. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the ELPH 520 HS (10MP) and SD990 IS (15MP) and the ELPH 520 HS (1/2.3") and SD990 IS (1/1.7") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The ELPH 520 HS was introduced 3 years later than the SD990 IS and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Ultracompact).

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a short view of how the ELPH 520 HS grades vs the SD990 IS when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon ELPH 520 HS & Canon PowerShot SD990 IS. The whole galleries are provided at Canon ELPH 520 HS Gallery & Canon SD990 IS Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Canon ELPH 520 HS comes with exterior dimensions of 87mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.4" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Canon SD990 IS has dimensions of 98mm x 62mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Canon ELPH 520 HS vs Canon SD990 IS in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the ELPH 520 HS compared to the SD990 IS.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the ELPH 520 HS and SD990 IS is 96 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ELPH 520 HS and SD990 IS.

Clearly, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ELPH 520 HS using its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Canon SD990 IS will result in extra detail using its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern ELPH 520 HS is going to have an edge in sensor tech.