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Canon A490 vs Sony S950

Portability
93
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23
Canon PowerShot A490 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 front
Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
17
Overall
26

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Key Specs

Canon A490
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
  • 175g - 94 x 62 x 31mm
  • Revealed January 2010
Sony S950
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Introduced February 2009
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Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Overview

Following is a extensive analysis of the Canon A490 versus Sony S950, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Canon and Sony. The image resolution of the A490 (10MP) and the S950 (10MP) is pretty similar and they possess the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The A490 was revealed 11 months after the S950 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the A490 scores against the S950 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Canon A490 over the Sony S950

 A490 S950 
IntroducedJanuary 2010February 2009More modern by 11 months

Reasons to pick Sony S950 over the Canon A490

 S950 A490 
Manual focus Dial exact focus
Screen dimension2.7"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.2")
Screen resolution230k115kCrisper screen (+115k dot)

Common features in the Canon A490 and Sony S950

 A490 S950 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither has Touch friendly screen

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Physical Comparison

When you are looking to carry around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Canon A490 has outer measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) while the Sony S950 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Canon A490 versus Sony S950 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the A490 against the S950.

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the A490 and S950 is 93 and 94 respectively.

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 top view buttons comparison

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizes simply by going over specs. The picture here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the A490 and S950.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the exact same megapixels and you should expect similar quality of pictures although you may want to take the production date of the products into consideration. The fresher A490 should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 sensor size comparison

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon A490 Portrait photography details
Sony S950 Portrait photography details
19
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not possible
no external flash support
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
26
focusing manually
no manual control
external flash not possible
sensor resolution low (10MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Canon A490 Street photography highlights
Sony S950 Street photography highlights
46
screen is fixed
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
56
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen does not articulate
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Canon A490
Sports photography with Sony S950
16
low fps (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (10MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
24
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
max fps very slow (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Canon A490 Travel photography advice
Sony S950 Travel photography advice
50
built-in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (37mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
50
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse function
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon A490 Landscape photography advice
Sony S950 Landscape photography advice
22
focusing manually not possible
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (37mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
screen is small (2.5 inches)
manual mode not possible
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (10MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
31
focusing manually
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
no manual control
sensor resolution low (10MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
lack of Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon A490 Vlogging advice
Sony S950 Vlogging advice
21
wide angle not fantastic (37mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pixels)
doesn't have mic socket
9
no video recording
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Canon A490 vs Sony S950 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A490 and Sony S950
 Canon PowerShot A490Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950
General Information
Brand Name Canon Sony
Model Canon PowerShot A490 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950
Type Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2010-01-05 2009-02-17
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 1600 3200
Lowest native ISO 80 80
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 5 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 37-122mm (3.3x) 33-132mm (4.0x)
Highest aperture f/3.0-5.8 f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus range 1cm 10cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 2.5 inches 2.7 inches
Display resolution 115 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 15s 2s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed 1.0 frames per second 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 3.00 m 3.50 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) -
Maximum video resolution 640x480 None
Video format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
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 seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 175g (0.39 pounds) 167g (0.37 pounds)
Dimensions 94 x 62 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery model 2 x AA -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom, Face) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Retail pricing $99 $130