Canon SX120 IS vs Sony A3000

Below, we will be comparing the Canon SX120 IS and Sony A3000, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Canon and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and A3000 (20MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and A3000 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SX120 IS was unveiled 5 years earlier than the A3000 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX120 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SX120 IS grades vs the A3000 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS and Sony Alpha A3000. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX120 IS Gallery and Sony A3000 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX120 IS features physical dimensions of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") and a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) while the Sony A3000 has dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Contrast the Canon SX120 IS and Sony A3000 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the SX120 IS against the A3000.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX120 IS and A3000 is 87 and 69 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to visualize the gap in sensor measurements just by viewing specifications. The graphic here should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SX120 IS and A3000.

Plainly, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX120 IS using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A3000 will result in greater detail having an extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The older SX120 IS will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.