Canon SX120 IS vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

On this page, we are comparing the Canon SX120 IS versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Canon and Sigma. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and SD1 Merrill (15MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The SX120 IS was launched 3 years prior to the SD1 Merrill and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX120 IS being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SX120 IS grades against the SD1 Merrill for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The complete galleries are available at Canon SX120 IS Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon SX120 IS features external measurements of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") with a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has measurements of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

See the Canon SX120 IS versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the SX120 IS compared to the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX120 IS and SD1 Merrill is 87 and 57 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements purely by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SX120 IS and SD1 Merrill.

As you can see, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SX120 IS due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will show greater detail utilizing its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older SX120 IS will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.