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Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS

Portability
93
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23
Canon PowerShot A490 front
 
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS front
Portability
65
Imaging
35
Features
40
Overall
37

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Key Specs

Canon A490
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
  • 175g - 94 x 62 x 31mm
  • Released January 2010
Canon SX20 IS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-560mm (F2.8-5.7) lens
  • 600g - 128 x 88 x 87mm
  • Released July 2010
  • Replaced the Canon SX10 IS
  • Successor is Canon SX30 IS
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Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Overview

Lets take a deeper look at the Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Canon. The image resolution of the A490 (10MP) and the SX20 IS (12MP) is relatively well matched and both cameras posses the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The A490 was revealed 6 months earlier than the SX20 IS which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras feature different body design with the Canon A490 being a Compact camera and the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the A490 scores versus the SX20 IS with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Canon A490 over the Canon SX20 IS

 A490 SX20 IS 

Reasons to pick Canon SX20 IS over the Canon A490

 SX20 IS A490 
Focus manually Dial exact focus
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution230k115kSharper screen (+115k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Canon A490 and Canon SX20 IS

 A490 SX20 IS 
ReleasedJanuary 2010July 2010Similar generation
Screen size2.5"2.5"Same screen measurement
Touch screen No Touch screen

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Physical Comparison

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Canon A490 provides outside measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Canon SX20 IS has sizing of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") having a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs).

Examine the Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the A490 compared to the SX20 IS.

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability score of the A490 and SX20 IS is 93 and 65 respectively.

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS top view buttons comparison

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Sensor Comparison

In many cases, its difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading through specifications. The visual underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the A490 and SX20 IS.

Plainly, each of these cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You should count on the Canon SX20 IS to resolve extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively.

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS sensor size comparison

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Canon A490
Portrait photography with Canon SX20 IS
19
lack of manual focus
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
37
manual focus
great flash sync speed (1/500s)
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Canon A490 as a Street photography camera
Canon SX20 IS as a Street photography camera
46
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
49
screen articulates
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
more heavy than others in class (600g)
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Sports Comparison

Canon A490 as a Sports photography camera
Canon SX20 IS as a Sports photography camera
16
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (10MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
34
incredible zoom range (28-560mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Canon A490 as a Travel photography camera
Canon SX20 IS as a Travel photography camera
50
built-in flash
missing Timelapse recording
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (37mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
53
has built in flash
selfie friendly display
rather wide (28mm)
long reach (560mm)
does not have Timelapse recording
more heavy than others in class (600 grams)
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon A490 Landscape photography info
Canon SX20 IS Landscape photography info
22
lack of manual focus
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (37mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
small screen (2.5 inches)
manual exposure not possible
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (10MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
missing Timelapse recording
35
manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.5 inch)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon A490 Vlogging information
Canon SX20 IS Vlogging information
21
wide angle not good (37mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pixels)
missing microphone socket
50
rather wide (28mm)
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Optical)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have microphone socket
more heavy than others in class (600 grams)
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Canon A490 vs Canon SX20 IS Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A490 and Canon SX20 IS
 Canon PowerShot A490Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
General Information
Company Canon Canon
Model type Canon PowerShot A490 Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
Class Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2010-01-05 2010-07-06
Physical type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Digic 4
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 1600 1600
Min native ISO 80 80
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 5 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 37-122mm (3.3x) 28-560mm (20.0x)
Max aperture f/3.0-5.8 f/2.8-5.7
Macro focusing range 1cm 0cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen diagonal 2.5 inches 2.5 inches
Resolution of screen 115k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Features
Min shutter speed 15s 15s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/3200s
Continuous shutter rate 1.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.00 m 6.80 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Fill-in
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/500s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Maximum video resolution 640x480 1280x720
Video format Motion JPEG H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 175 gr (0.39 lb) 600 gr (1.32 lb)
Physical dimensions 94 x 62 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") 128 x 88 x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery ID 2 x AA 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom, Face) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus SD / SDHC / MMC / MMC Plus / HC MMC Plus
Card slots Single Single
Launch pricing $99 $500