Canon A490 vs Fujifilm HS50 EXR

In this write-up, we are matching up the Canon A490 vs Fujifilm HS50 EXR, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Canon and FujiFilm. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the A490 (10MP) and Fujifilm HS50 EXR (16MP) and the A490 (1/2.3") and Fujifilm HS50 EXR (1/2") come with different sensor sizes.

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The A490 was released 4 years prior to the Fujifilm HS50 EXR and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Canon A490 being a Compact camera and the Fujifilm HS50 EXR being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a short summation of how the A490 matches up versus the Fujifilm HS50 EXR when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot A490 and Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR. The complete galleries are viewable at Canon A490 Gallery and Fujifilm HS50 EXR Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon A490 offers external measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Fujifilm HS50 EXR has measurements of 135mm x 101mm x 146mm (5.3" x 4.0" x 5.7") and a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs).

See the Canon A490 vs Fujifilm HS50 EXR in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the A490 vs the Fujifilm HS50 EXR.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A490 and Fujifilm HS50 EXR is 93 and 54 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizing merely by looking at technical specs. The graphic below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the A490 and Fujifilm HS50 EXR.

As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A490 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Fujifilm HS50 EXR will resolve greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The older A490 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.