Compact Camera Showdown: Canon SX120 IS vs Sony HX80 in 2024

When considering compact cameras today, many photographers still appreciate the convenience and creative control these pocket-friendly shooters provide. The Canon PowerShot SX120 IS, launched back in 2009, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80, released in 2016, represent distinct eras of "travel zoom" compacts. Having extensively tested both across various photography disciplines, I'll walk you through a detailed, practical comparison to help determine which - if either - has a place in your bag today.

We’ll analyze sensor technology, optics, autofocus, ergonomics, and real-world imaging across genres from portraits to astrophotography, so whether you're an enthusiast looking for a lightweight companion or a pro scouting a backup, the strengths and weaknesses become crystal clear.

Handling and Ergonomics: Past Meets Present in Compact Design

Size and handling are crucial in superzoom compacts since they are designed for portability balanced with extended focal ranges. Here, the Canon SX120 IS weighs 285g and measures a somewhat chunky 111x71x45mm, owing largely to its early fixed lens and battery setup powered by two AA cells. By contrast, the Sony HX80 feels decidedly sleeker and lighter at 245g with a 102x58x36mm footprint - a difference you notice immediately in hand and pocket comfort.

The Canon’s bulkier shape gives it a more substantial grip and a traditional "point and shoot" feel with physical buttons only, but lacks an articulated screen, limiting shooting angles. The Sony upgrades usability considerably with a tilting 3" screen at 921k dots, which is sharper and more versatile for waist-level or selfie-style framing - also helpful for street photography and vlogging.

Both have fixed lenses, but the Canon uses a manual focus ring, a welcome tactile feature that is unfortunately missing on the Sony’s mostly autofocus-driven setup. No touchscreen here, but Sony’s physical control layout benefits from intuitive dials and a pop-up electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage, absent on the Canon - a massive advantage in bright conditions.

Control-wise, the Canon's buttons are straightforward but sparse; for example, no AF point selection or video toggles, making it feel basic. The Sony HX80, thanks to modern design, offers exposure compensation, customizable buttons, and quick access menus that enhance workflow.

In sum, the Sony HX80 is ergonomically the more refined, compact, and user-friendly camera, especially for dynamic shooting environments. The Canon SX120 IS, while still comfortable in hand, shows its age with a dated grip, fixed screen, and limited control surface.

Sensor and Image Quality: Technology Leap & Resolution Wars

Moving onto image quality, the Canon SX120 IS is equipped with a 1/2.5" CCD sensor delivering 10MP resolution. This sensor size measures approximately 5.744 x 4.308mm with a 24.74mm² area. In contrast, Sony’s HX80 features a slightly larger 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor at 18MP (6.17 x 4.55mm, 28.07mm²).

The Sony’s backside-illuminated CMOS technology offers superior light gathering and efficiency over the Canon’s older CCD sensor, translating into better low-light performance and higher ISO usability (ISO 80-3200 native, expandable to 12800). The Canon caps out at ISO 1600, quickly losing detail and introducing noise beyond ISO 400 in practical use.

Resolution-wise, Sony's 18MP sensor captures more intricate detail, useful for landscape work or cropping, although the improvement isn’t just about pixel count; the sensor's dynamic range and color rendering are notably better on the HX80. The Canon’s limited 10MP resolution, typical for its time, yields softer images that restrict cropping latitude and fine texture reproduction.

I ran comparative ISO tests shooting standardized targets and everyday scenes up to ISO 800. The Sony HX80 produced cleaner images with more detail retention, especially in shadow areas - crucial for night and street photographers who rely on ISO versatility. The Canon struggles above ISO 200, revealing its vintage sensor technology constraints.

Both cameras include an anti-aliasing filter which slightly softens fine details to minimize moiré, but Sony’s 18MP sensor resolves enough to compensate.

Lens and Zoom Flexibility: Optical Reach and Aperture Tradeoffs

Superzoom compacts hinge on lens versatility. The Canon SX120 IS sports a 10x zoom extending from 36mm to 360mm equivalent focal length, with a reasonably bright aperture range of f/2.8-4.3. Meanwhile, the Sony HX80 boasts a whopping 30x zoom from 24mm wide-angle to 720mm telephoto but with a slower maximum aperture of f/3.5-6.4.

This difference highlights a classic tradeoff: Canon’s faster lens aperture improves low-light capability and bokeh quality at the expense of zoom reach, while Sony prioritizes reach with compromises on aperture speed.

For landscape and indoor portraiture, the Canon’s brighter wide aperture allows cleaner backgrounds and better subject separation, though you sacrifice significant reach. The Sony’s ultra-telephoto end is a boon for wildlife photographers and travel shooters capturing distant subjects, enabled further by its 10fps continuous burst.

Macro focusing distance also tells a story: Canon impresses with a remarkable 1cm macro focusing range, enabling close-ups nearly flat on a subject - a boon for flower and insect photographers. Sony’s 5cm minimum focus distance is still usable but less intimate in macro detail.

Both rely on optical image stabilization - critical for handheld superzoom shooting - and in the field, both performed reliably, reducing shake; however, Sony’s newer stabilization algorithms felt superior especially at long focal lengths.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Modern Smarts vs. Basic Contrast

In 2024, autofocus performance remains a critical factor for capturing decisive moments in fast-paced genres like wildlife or sports. The Canon SX120 IS offers contrast-detection autofocus only, with single-shot AF and no tracking or face detection functions. This results in sluggish focus speeds and occasional hunting, notably in low contrast or low light.

Sony's HX80, leveraging the Bionz X processor, provides hybrid contrast AF, continuous AF, and face detection - an essential feature that boosts accuracy and speed. It also includes multi-area, center-weighted, and selective AF modes, plus AF tracking to follow moving subjects.

From my hands-on testing, the Sony autofocus system is notably faster and more reliable for moving subjects. Burst shooting at 10fps complements this excellent AF with a greater chance of nailing sharp wildlife or sports shots, a feature the Canon lacks altogether (max 1fps).

Portrait shooters benefit from Sony’s eye AF, providing precise focus on subjects’ eyes, which Canon cannot attempt - making Sony better suited for tight portraits where sharp focus impacts image quality greatly.

Screen and Viewfinder: The Window to Your World

The rear LCD and viewfinder experience ties directly into usage comfort. The Canon SX120 IS has a fixed, non-touch 3" LCD with a modest 230k-dot resolution, making it harder to evaluate details or focus point placement outdoors. No viewfinder is offered, which hampers shooting in bright daylight.

Conversely, the Sony HX80 features a sharper 921k-dot tilting LCD as well as a pop-up electronic viewfinder (EVF) with full 100% frame coverage. The EVF is a game-changer in bright outdoor conditions, enabling precise composition without glare issues. The tilt screen's articulation is helpful for low, high, or vlog-style shooting.

For street photography, this flexible display and EVF synergy give Sony the edge, while Canon users must rely solely on the screen, which becomes problematic in sunlight.

Video Capabilities: From VGA to Full HD

Video recording has become a critical feature for many photographers. Canon SX120 IS shoots only at VGA resolution (640 x 480) up to 30fps, encoded in Motion JPEG - a rather archaic format even by 2009 standards.

The Sony HX80, however, captures Full HD 1080p video at up to 60fps with AVCHD, MPEG-4, and XAVC S codecs. This produces far cleaner, smoother footage suitable for casual video work and small projects. The absence of microphone/headphone jacks limits audio control but isn’t unexpected in this class.

Despite no 4K or advanced video functions, Sony's video quality and frame rate support clearly outstrip the Canon by a large margin, an important consideration for multimedia-minded creatives.

Battery and Storage: Fresh Cells vs. Proprietary Packs

The Canon SX120 IS uses two readily available AA batteries, making it convenient in remote areas where recharging is impossible. However, AA batteries add bulk and weight, and battery life is typically shorter compared to dedicated lithium-ion packs.

Sony’s HX80 depends on the compact NP-BX1 lithium-ion battery, offering approximately 390 shots per charge - respectable for daily use. USB charging adds convenience for travel, though spare batteries are advisable on longer shoots.

Both cameras use a single memory card slot, compatible with SD/SDHC cards (Sony adds Memory Stick Pro Duo support), simplifying storage.

Connectivity and Workflow Integration: Modern Conveniences

Connectivity features affect sharing and workflow, especially for social media or rapid image transfer. The Canon SX120 IS has no wireless connectivity or HDMI ports, limiting immediacy.

Sony counters with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, enabling quick pairing with mobile devices for remote control and image transfer - features that align with today’s on-the-go shooters.

Sony also offers HDMI output for monitoring or direct playback on larger screens, absent on the Canon.

Image Samples and Performance Summary: The Proof in the Pixels

Having covered specifications and features, real-world imaging tells the full story.

Canon SX120 IS screen back Sony HX80 front Sony HX80 screen back

The Canon SX120 IS produces decent JPEGs in good light, with reasonable color and acceptable sharpness at base ISO. Portrait skin tones are natural but lack the nuanced rendering afforded by modern sensors. Bokeh is competent, benefiting from the F2.8 aperture at the wide end but rapid diffraction kicks in at smaller apertures. In low light or night scenes, noise levels spike quickly, and autofocus hunting frustrates.

Sony’s HX80 yields crisper images with richer tonal gradation and improved dynamic range. Portraits benefit from better eye detection AF and more background blur options through lens reach and sensor quality. Telephoto shots show superior detail retention, with a faster burst allowing action capture. Street and travel images come out cleaner at high ISOs, while landscapes display more depth and detail.

Sports and wildlife photographers will appreciate HX80’s autofocus and frame rate - Canon simply can’t keep up. Macro shots benefit from Canon’s shorter closest focusing distance, though Sony compensates with better image quality overall.

Comprehensive Performance Ratings and Genre Suitability

Let's sum it all up with an overall and genre-specific rating based on extensive testing.

Final Verdict: Who Should Pick Which?

If you have an old Canon SX120 IS lying around or come across one cheaply, it can still provide decent snapshots, especially in well-lit conditions, and macro enthusiasts will appreciate the close focusing. Its manual focus ring and AA battery system are unique perks in the compact sector.

However, for nearly double the price, the Sony HX80 offers a significantly more versatile, modern package. It excels in image quality, zoom range, autofocus, video capabilities, and interface ergonomics. These advantages make it the clear choice for travel, wildlife, street, and general photography needs for contemporary users.

Recommendations:

• For casual snapshot users or macro close-ups on a budget: Canon SX120 IS remains a workable if basic option.
• For travel enthusiasts, amateur wildlife photographers, and video hobbyists needing a compact, feature-rich performer: Sony HX80 is the wise upgrade.
• For professionals seeking a lightweight backup or advanced video in a compact form: Sony HX80’s manual controls and EVF make it fit for purpose.

In closing, while both cameras target the superzoom compact niche, the Sony HX80’s substantial technological leaps since the Canon’s era place it firmly ahead in today’s marketplace - a classic example of how sensor and processing improvements redefine user experience over even seven years.

I hope this detailed comparison helps you cut through specs and marketing jargon to make an empowered choice about your next compact shooter. Reach out with specific use cases or questions - happy to dive deeper based on your photography goals!