Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20
92 Imaging
52 Features
66 Overall
57


90 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37
Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 125 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-84mm (F2-4.9) lens
- 206g - 98 x 58 x 31mm
- Announced January 2017
- Superseded the Canon G9 X
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-560mm (F3.1-4.8) lens
- 235g - 111 x 61 x 38mm
- Released January 2012

Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Overview
On this page, we will be contrasting the Canon G9 X II and Pentax VS20, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Canon and Pentax. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the G9 X II (20MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the G9 X II (1") and VS20 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

The G9 X II was launched 5 years later than the VS20 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).
Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the G9 X II scores against the VS20 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II & Pentax Optio VS20. The complete galleries are available at Canon G9 X II Gallery & Pentax VS20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon G9 X II over the Pentax VS20
G9 X II | VS20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | January 2017 | ![]() | January 2012 | Fresher by 61 months |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+580k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Canon G9 X II
VS20 | G9 X II |
---|
Common features in the Canon G9 X II and Pentax VS20
G9 X II | VS20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen |
Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Physical Comparison
For those who are going to carry your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Canon G9 X II has got exterior measurements of 98mm x 58mm x 31mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2") along with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Pentax VS20 has sizing of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).
Analyze the Canon G9 X II and Pentax VS20 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at the time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the G9 X II vs the VS20.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the G9 X II and VS20 is 92 and 90 respectively.

Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Sensor Comparison
Generally, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The visual below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the G9 X II and VS20.
As you have seen, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The G9 X II because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Canon G9 X II will render more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more recent G9 X II should have an edge in sensor innovation.

Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon G9 X II vs Pentax VS20 Specifications
Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II | Pentax Optio VS20 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Canon | Pentax |
Model type | Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II | Pentax Optio VS20 |
Class | Large Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Announced | 2017-01-04 | 2012-01-25 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | DIGIC 7 | - |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 13.2 x 8.8mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 116.2mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20MP | 16MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 5472 x 3648 | 4608 x 3456 |
Highest native ISO | 12800 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 125 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 28-84mm (3.0x) | 28-560mm (20.0x) |
Largest aperture | f/2-4.9 | f/3.1-4.8 |
Macro focusing range | 5cm | 3cm |
Focal length multiplier | 2.7 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 1,040 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Display technology | - | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30s | 4s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/2500s |
Continuous shooting rate | 8.2 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 6.00 m (at Auto ISO) | 2.80 m |
Flash settings | Auto, on, slow synchro, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 35 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
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 | 206 grams (0.45 pounds) | 235 grams (0.52 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 98 x 58 x 31mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2") | 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 65 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.9 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.5 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 522 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 235 images | - |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | - | D-LI122 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail pricing | $530 | $106 |