Canon SX120 IS vs Canon SX420 IS

Its time to look more closely at the Canon SX120 IS vs Canon SX420 IS, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are produced by Canon. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and SX420 IS (20MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and SX420 IS (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

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The SX120 IS was brought out 7 years earlier than the SX420 IS and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX120 IS being a Compact camera and the Canon SX420 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the SX120 IS scores vs the SX420 IS in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS and Canon PowerShot SX420 IS. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon SX120 IS Gallery and Canon SX420 IS Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and size. The Canon SX120 IS enjoys outer dimensions of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") having a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) while the Canon SX420 IS has specifications of 104mm x 69mm x 85mm (4.1" x 2.7" x 3.3") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon SX120 IS vs Canon SX420 IS in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the SX120 IS against the SX420 IS.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the SX120 IS and SX420 IS is 87 and 80 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The visual here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX120 IS and SX420 IS.

As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SX120 IS due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Canon SX420 IS will resolve extra detail having its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The older SX120 IS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.