Canon SD960 IS vs Sony A57

On this page, we are looking at the Canon SD960 IS versus Sony A57, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Canon and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the SD960 IS (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the SD960 IS (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The SD960 IS was unveiled 4 years before the A57 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SD960 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the SD960 IS matches up vs the A57 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SD960 IS & Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are available at Canon SD960 IS Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Canon SD960 IS has external measurements of 98mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.1" x 0.9") and a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has sizing of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Canon SD960 IS versus Sony A57 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the SD960 IS versus the A57.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SD960 IS and A57 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by going through technical specs. The visual underneath will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SD960 IS and A57.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SD960 IS with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A57 will produce more detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older SD960 IS will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.