Canon S90 vs Sony HX20V

Its time to look more closely at the Canon S90 and Sony HX20V, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Canon and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the S90 (10MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the S90 (1/1.7") and HX20V (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The S90 was unveiled 3 years before the HX20V which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a brief summation of how the S90 scores vs the HX20V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot S90 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The full galleries are provided at Canon S90 Gallery and Sony HX20V Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Canon S90 enjoys external dimensions of 100mm x 58mm x 31mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2") having a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) and the Sony HX20V has measurements of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") having a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Canon S90 and Sony HX20V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the S90 and the HX20V.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the S90 and HX20V is 92 and 90 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching specifications. The image here will give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S90 and HX20V.

Plainly, both cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S90 with its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony HX20V will render more detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged S90 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.