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Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV

Portability
96
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29
Canon PowerShot SD940 IS front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV front
Portability
89
Imaging
52
Features
79
Overall
62

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Key Specs

Canon SD940 IS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-112mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 120g - 89 x 55 x 20mm
  • Released August 2009
  • Alternate Name is Digital IXUS 120 IS
Sony RX100 IV
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 298g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Announced June 2015
  • Replaced the Sony RX100 III
  • New Model is Sony RX100 V
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Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Overview

In this article, we are contrasting the Canon SD940 IS and Sony RX100 IV, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Canon and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the SD940 IS (12MP) and RX100 IV (20MP) and the SD940 IS (1/2.3") and RX100 IV (1") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SD940 IS was launched 6 years before the RX100 IV which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Canon SD940 IS being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple overview of how the SD940 IS scores vs the RX100 IV in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Canon SD940 IS over the Sony RX100 IV

 SD940 IS RX100 IV 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 IV over the Canon SD940 IS

 RX100 IV SD940 IS 
AnnouncedJune 2015August 2009Newer by 70 months
Focus manually Dial precise focusing
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1229k230kSharper display (+999k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Canon SD940 IS and Sony RX100 IV

 SD940 IS RX100 IV 
Touch friendly display No Touch friendly display

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Canon SD940 IS offers exterior measurements of 89mm x 55mm x 20mm (3.5" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Sony RX100 IV has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") having a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

Check the Canon SD940 IS and Sony RX100 IV in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the SD940 IS vs the RX100 IV.

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SD940 IS and RX100 IV is 96 and 89 respectively.

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV top view buttons comparison

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture underneath may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SD940 IS and RX100 IV.

As you can see, the 2 cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SD940 IS because of its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Sony RX100 IV will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged SD940 IS will be behind in sensor innovation.

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV sensor size comparison

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SD940 IS as a Portrait photography camera
Sony RX100 IV as a Portrait photography camera
21
no manual focus
no manual exposure
external flash not possible
low megapixels (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
65
has manual focus
high flash sync (1/2,000 seconds)
sensor resolution is decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
features face detection focus
supports RAW formats
can't use external flash
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Street Comparison

Canon SD940 IS Street photography info
Sony RX100 IV Street photography info
57
image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
85
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is nice (1")
supports RAW formats
lighter than competition (298g)
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Sports Comparison

Canon SD940 IS Sports photography highlights
Sony RX100 IV Sports photography highlights
25
image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second very slow (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
68
silent shooting (1/32,000s)
fast continuous shooting (16.0 frames/s)
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
features tracking autofocus
lacks phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Canon SD940 IS Travel photography features
Sony RX100 IV Travel photography features
58
built-in flash
reasonably wide (28mm)
no Time Lapse function
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
slow max aperture (f2.8)
86
lighter than competition (298g)
sensor resolution is decent (20MP)
built-in flash
selfie friendly screen
reasonably wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon SD940 IS Landscape photography info
Sony RX100 IV Landscape photography info
32
reasonably wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
no manual exposure
low megapixels (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
no Time Lapse function
74
has manual focus
reasonably wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
supports RAW formats
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon SD940 IS as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX100 IV as a Vlogging camera
29
reasonably wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
no mic port
81
reasonably wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
selfie friendly screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focus
video res high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
lighter than competition (298g)
does not have external microphone support
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Canon SD940 IS vs Sony RX100 IV Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SD940 IS and Sony RX100 IV
 Canon PowerShot SD940 ISSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
General Information
Brand Name Canon Sony
Model type Canon PowerShot SD940 IS Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Other name Digital IXUS 120 IS -
Type Ultracompact Large Sensor Compact
Released 2009-08-19 2015-06-10
Physical type Ultracompact Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Chip Digic 4 Bionz X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 5472 x 3648
Highest native ISO 1600 12800
Highest enhanced ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 80 125
RAW data
Minimum enhanced ISO - 80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 9 25
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-112mm (4.0x) 24-70mm (2.9x)
Largest aperture f/2.8-5.9 f/1.8-2.8
Macro focusing distance 3cm 5cm
Crop factor 5.8 2.7
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.7 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230k dots 1,229k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.59x
Features
Min shutter speed 15s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/1500s 1/2000s
Max silent shutter speed - 1/32000s
Continuous shutter rate 1.0 frames/s 16.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 4.00 m -
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync -
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 3840x2160
Video file format H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 120 grams (0.26 pounds) 298 grams (0.66 pounds)
Dimensions 89 x 55 x 20mm (3.5" x 2.2" x 0.8") 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 70
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.9
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 562
Other
Battery life - 280 photos
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID NB-4L NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face) Yes
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Type of storage SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Cost at release $299 $898