Canon A3100 IS vs Sony HX80

On this page, we will be evaluating the Canon A3100 IS and Sony HX80, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Canon and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the A3100 IS (12MP) and HX80 (18MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The A3100 IS was manufactured 7 years before the HX80 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the A3100 IS scores versus the HX80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot A3100 IS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon A3100 IS Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Canon A3100 IS provides external measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 28mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Sony HX80 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

See the Canon A3100 IS and Sony HX80 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at the time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the A3100 IS compared to the HX80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the A3100 IS and HX80 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizing only by going over specs. The graphic underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the A3100 IS and HX80.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You should expect the Sony HX80 to offer extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older A3100 IS is going to be behind in sensor innovation.