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Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230

Portability
92
Imaging
38
Features
23
Overall
32
Canon PowerShot SD990 IS front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 front
Portability
69
Imaging
50
Features
40
Overall
46

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Key Specs

Canon SD990 IS
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 36-133mm (F2.8-5.8) lens
  • 205g - 98 x 62 x 28mm
  • Announced September 2008
  • Additionally Known as Digital IXUS 980 IS
Sony A230
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 490g - 128 x 97 x 68mm
  • Announced May 2009
  • Superseded the Sony A200
  • Updated by Sony A290
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Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Overview

On this page, we will be matching up the Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Canon and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the SD990 IS (15MP) and A230 (10MP) and the SD990 IS (1/1.7") and A230 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The SD990 IS was revealed 8 months before the A230 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Canon SD990 IS being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the SD990 IS grades against the A230 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Canon SD990 IS over the Sony A230

 SD990 IS A230 

Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Canon SD990 IS

 A230 SD990 IS 
AnnouncedMay 2009September 2008More modern by 8 months
Manually focus More exact focus
Screen dimensions2.7"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.2")

Common features in the Canon SD990 IS and Sony A230

 SD990 IS A230 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen resolution230k230kSame screen resolution
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither features Touch friendly screen

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Canon SD990 IS enjoys external measurements of 98mm x 62mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony A230 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the SD990 IS versus the A230.

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SD990 IS and A230 is 92 and 69 respectively.

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 top view buttons comparison

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The pic underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SD990 IS and A230.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SD990 IS using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Canon SD990 IS will give you greater detail because of its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged SD990 IS is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 sensor size comparison

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SD990 IS Portrait photography info
Sony A230 Portrait photography info
37
flash sync speed is above average (1/500 seconds)
MP count good (15 megapixels)
includes face detection autofocus
lack of manual focus
lack of manual exposure
external flash not possible
tiny sensor size (1/1.7")
lack of RAW support
54
has manual focus
sensor size is good (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
does not have liveview
MP count low (10MP)
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Canon SD990 IS
Street photography with Sony A230
54
has image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
tiny sensor size (1/1.7")
lack of RAW support
heavier than competition (205g)
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
no articulating screen
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Sports Comparison

Canon SD990 IS as a Sports photography camera
Sony A230 as a Sports photography camera
35
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (15 megapixels)
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
tiny sensor size (1/1.7")
lack of phase detect autofocus
46
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
comes with phase detect auto focus
does not have liveview
slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
MP count low (10MP)
bad battery power (230 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Canon SD990 IS as a Travel photography camera
Sony A230 as a Travel photography camera
57
MP count good (15MP)
flash built-in
heavier than competition (205 grams)
does not feature selfie friendly display
wide angle not good (36mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
45
flash built-in
doesn't have Timelapse recording
bad battery power (230 per charge)
MP count low (10 megapixels)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Canon SD990 IS
Landscape photography with Sony A230
34
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (15 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (36mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.5 inches)
lack of manual exposure
tiny sensor size (1/1.7")
lack of RAW support
51
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
screen is small (2.7 inch)
does not have liveview
MP count low (10MP)
bad battery power (230 CIPA)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Canon SD990 IS
Vlogging with Sony A230
27
has image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection autofocus
wide angle not good (36mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not feature selfie friendly display
low video resolution (640 x 480 pxls)
lack of external mic port
heavier than competition (205g)
9
lack of video recording
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Canon SD990 IS vs Sony A230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SD990 IS and Sony A230
 Canon PowerShot SD990 ISSony Alpha DSLR-A230
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Sony
Model type Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
Also Known as Digital IXUS 980 IS -
Type Ultracompact Entry-Level DSLR
Announced 2008-09-17 2009-05-18
Physical type Ultracompact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/1.7" APS-C
Sensor measurements 7.44 x 5.58mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor area 41.5mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 15 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4416 x 3312 3872 x 2592
Max native ISO 1600 3200
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points - 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 36-133mm (3.7x) -
Max aperture f/2.8-5.8 -
Macro focusing range 5cm -
Number of lenses - 143
Crop factor 4.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen sizing 2.5 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of screen 230k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (tunnel) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 15 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/1600 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 1.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 4.60 m 10.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Slow, Manual (Red Eye On/Off) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/500 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps), 160 x 120 (15 fps) -
Max video resolution 640x480 None
Video format Motion JPEG -
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
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 205 gr (0.45 lb) 490 gr (1.08 lb)
Physical dimensions 98 x 62 x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 63
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.3
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 531
Other
Battery life - 230 images
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID NB-5L NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD/SDHC/MMC card SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots One One
Cost at launch - $569