Canon SX120 IS vs Canon SX520 HS

Following is a extensive analysis of the Canon SX120 IS vs Canon SX520 HS, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Canon. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and SX520 HS (16MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and SX520 HS (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

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The SX120 IS was unveiled 6 years prior to the SX520 HS which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the SX120 IS scores against the SX520 HS for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS and Canon PowerShot SX520 HS. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX120 IS Gallery and Canon SX520 HS Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Canon SX120 IS comes with physical dimensions of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) whilst the Canon SX520 HS has measurements of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") with a weight of 441 grams (0.97 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon SX120 IS vs Canon SX520 HS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the SX120 IS against the SX520 HS.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SX120 IS and SX520 HS is 87 and 69 respectively.

Usually, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes just by looking through technical specs. The pic here may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SX120 IS and SX520 HS.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SX120 IS using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Canon SX520 HS will render extra detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SX120 IS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.