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Canon A490 vs Sony T900

Portability
93
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23
Canon PowerShot A490 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 front
Portability
96
Imaging
35
Features
30
Overall
33

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 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 T900
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 35-140mm (F3.5-10.0) lens
  • 143g - 98 x 58 x 16mm
  • Announced February 2009
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Canon A490 vs Sony T900 Overview

Lets look more closely at the Canon A490 vs Sony T900, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Canon and Sony. The resolution of the A490 (10MP) and the T900 (12MP) is fairly similar and both cameras have the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The A490 was introduced 11 months after the T900 so they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Canon A490 being a Compact camera and the Sony T900 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summation of how the A490 scores versus the T900 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Canon A490 over the Sony T900

 A490 T900 
AnnouncedJanuary 2010February 2009Newer by 11 months

Reasons to pick Sony T900 over the Canon A490

 T900 A490 
Manual focus Very accurate focus
Display dimensions3.5"2.5"Larger display (+1")
Display resolution922k115kClearer display (+807k dot)
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Common features in the Canon A490 and Sony T900

 A490 T900 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen No selfie screen

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to travel with your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Canon A490 offers external 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 Sony T900 has specifications of 98mm x 58mm x 16mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.6") and a weight of 143 grams (0.32 lbs).

See the Canon A490 vs Sony T900 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the A490 and the T900.

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A490 and T900 is 93 and 96 respectively.

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 top view buttons comparison

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it can be hard to picture the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading a spec sheet. The image here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the A490 and T900.

Clearly, both of those cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You can anticipate the Sony T900 to offer you greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The newer A490 should have a benefit in sensor tech.

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 sensor size comparison

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A490 vs Sony T900 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon A490 Portrait photography info
Sony T900 Portrait photography info
19
no manual focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
low resolution (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
27
has manual focus
no manual control
no external flash support
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Street Comparison

Canon A490 as a Street photography camera
Sony T900 as a Street photography camera
46
fixed screen
no image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Canon A490 Sports photography factors
Sony T900 Sports photography factors
16
max fps low (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
low resolution (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no phase detect autofocus
24
built in image stabilization (Optical)
max shutter speed is low (1/1,000 seconds)
slow fps (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority
MP count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Canon A490 as a Travel photography camera
Sony T900 as a Travel photography camera
50
has built in flash
no Time Lapse function
low resolution (10 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (37mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
52
has built in flash
no Time Lapse function
MP count low (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (35mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon A490 Landscape photography highlights
Sony T900 Landscape photography highlights
22
no manual focus
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (37mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
screen is small (2.5 inch)
no manual control
no image stabilization
low resolution (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
no Time Lapse function
37
has manual focus
lovely big screen (3.5")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (35mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
no Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Canon A490
Vlogging with Sony T900
21
wide angle not the best (37mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
no mic support
28
screen is touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not good (35mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external mic support
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Canon A490 vs Sony T900 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A490 and Sony T900
 Canon PowerShot A490Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900
General Information
Company Canon Sony
Model Canon PowerShot A490 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900
Type Small Sensor Compact Ultracompact
Revealed 2010-01-05 2009-02-17
Physical type Compact Ultracompact
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 surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixels 12 megapixels
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
Minimum native ISO 80 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points 5 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 37-122mm (3.3x) 35-140mm (4.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.0-5.8 f/3.5-10.0
Macro focus distance 1cm -
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 2.5 inch 3.5 inch
Resolution of display 115k dots 922k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 15 secs 2 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/1000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 1.0 frames per second 2.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 3.00 m 2.90 m (Auto ISO)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB 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) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 640x480 1280x720
Video data format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 175g (0.39 lbs) 143g (0.32 lbs)
Physical dimensions 94 x 62 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") 98 x 58 x 16mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.6")
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 feature
Storage type SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Cost at release $99 $300