Canon SX1 IS vs Sony A37

Below is a extended assessment of the Canon SX1 IS vs Sony A37, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Canon and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the SX1 IS (10MP) and A37 (16MP) and the SX1 IS (1/2.3") and A37 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SX1 IS was brought out 4 years earlier than the A37 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX1 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the SX1 IS scores against the A37 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX1 IS & Sony SLT-A37. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon SX1 IS Gallery & Sony A37 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Canon SX1 IS has external dimensions of 128mm x 88mm x 88mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.5") along with a weight of 615 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Sony A37 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

See the Canon SX1 IS vs Sony A37 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is a front view scale comparison of the SX1 IS and the A37.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SX1 IS and A37 is 64 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX1 IS and A37.

Clearly, both of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SX1 IS due to its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A37 will provide you with more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The older SX1 IS will be behind in sensor technology.