Canon S120 vs Canon SX500 IS

Below, we are looking at the Canon S120 and Canon SX500 IS, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Canon. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the S120 (12MP) and SX500 IS (16MP) and the S120 (1/1.7") and SX500 IS (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The S120 was brought out 16 months after the SX500 IS making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a short highlight of how the S120 matches up vs the SX500 IS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot S120 & Canon PowerShot SX500 IS. The entire galleries are available at Canon S120 Gallery & Canon SX500 IS Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Canon S120 offers outside dimensions of 100mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 217 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Canon SX500 IS has specifications of 104mm x 70mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") having a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs).

Check out the Canon S120 and Canon SX500 IS in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the S120 compared to the SX500 IS.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S120 and SX500 IS is 92 and 80 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to see the gap between sensor dimensions just by reading through specs. The picture underneath may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the S120 and SX500 IS.

All in all, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S120 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Canon SX500 IS will give you more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The younger S120 will have an edge in sensor technology.