Canon SD990 IS vs Canon SX710 HS

On this page, we are reviewing the Canon SD990 IS versus Canon SX710 HS, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both manufactured by Canon. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the SD990 IS (15MP) and SX710 HS (20MP) and the SD990 IS (1/1.7") and SX710 HS (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The SD990 IS was manufactured 7 years earlier than the SX710 HS and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Canon SD990 IS being a Ultracompact camera and the Canon SX710 HS being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summation of how the SD990 IS scores versus the SX710 HS in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SD990 IS and Canon PowerShot SX710 HS. The entire galleries are available at Canon SD990 IS Gallery and Canon SX710 HS Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Canon SD990 IS provides exterior dimensions of 98mm x 62mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Canon SX710 HS has proportions of 113mm x 66mm x 35mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.4") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

See the Canon SD990 IS versus Canon SX710 HS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the SD990 IS vs the SX710 HS.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SD990 IS and SX710 HS is 92 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor sizing simply by seeing a spec sheet. The visual underneath should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SD990 IS and SX710 HS.

As you can see, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SD990 IS because of its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Canon SX710 HS will produce more detail due to its extra 5MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older SD990 IS will be behind in sensor innovation.