Canon S100 vs Canon SX1 IS

Following is a comprehensive analysis of the Canon S100 versus Canon SX1 IS, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are produced by Canon. The resolution of the S100 (12MP) and the SX1 IS (10MP) is very close but the S100 (1/1.7") and SX1 IS (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The S100 was brought out 2 years after the SX1 IS which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Canon S100 being a Compact camera and the Canon SX1 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief summary of how the S100 scores vs the SX1 IS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot S100 & Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon S100 Gallery & Canon SX1 IS Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and size. The Canon S100 has outer measurements of 99mm x 60mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) and the Canon SX1 IS has specifications of 128mm x 88mm x 88mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.5") accompanied by a weight of 615 grams (1.36 lbs).

Compare the Canon S100 versus Canon SX1 IS in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the S100 vs the SX1 IS.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S100 and SX1 IS is 93 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes purely by viewing technical specs. The picture below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the S100 and SX1 IS.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The S100 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Canon S100 will render greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The more recent S100 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.