Canon SX120 IS vs Sony a5100

Let's take a deeper look at the Canon SX120 IS vs Sony a5100, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Canon and Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and a5100 (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

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The SX120 IS was released 6 years before the a5100 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX120 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SX120 IS scores vs the a5100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS and Sony Alpha a5100. The complete galleries are provided at Canon SX120 IS Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Canon SX120 IS features outside measurements of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") with a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has measurements of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Canon SX120 IS vs Sony a5100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the SX120 IS against the a5100.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SX120 IS and a5100 is 87 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by going through specs. The photograph underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SX120 IS and a5100.

All in all, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SX120 IS because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Sony a5100 will show greater detail as a result of its extra 14MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older SX120 IS will be behind in sensor tech.