Canon SX150 IS vs Samsung TL240: A Detailed Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts

Choosing your next camera can be a daunting task, especially when faced with options like the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS and the Samsung TL240. Both models target the compact, superzoom segment but offer distinct strengths and quirks. Having spent years evaluating cameras from all categories, and running them through rigorous tests and real-world use cases - from sneaking shots at a street festival to patiently waiting for a bird in flight - I'll walk you through how these two fare head-to-head across all major photography disciplines.

Let’s dive deep into the specs, performance, and practical outcomes to help you make an informed choice that fits your style, budget, and ambitions.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Handling

Hands-on ergonomics often make or break a camera experience. You might find the best sensor and lens combo on paper, but if the handling frustrates, it won't get used much.

The Canon SX150 IS leans towards a classic compact superzoom form factor: substantial but manageable. It weighs around 306 grams and measures 113x73x46 mm. The Samsung TL240, true to its name, is more ultra-compact and svelte - at just 160 grams and a slim 104x58x20 mm - making it ideal for slipping into smaller pockets or purses.

I appreciated that the Canon’s grip is more pronounced, giving a secure hold during longer shooting sessions, especially with heavier zoom action. The Samsung TL240’s design favours portability but at the cost of a more delicate feel - something worth considering if you’re often outdoors or on the move.

The build quality for both is plastic-heavy, not unusual for their market range (budget-friendly compacts), but neither feels cheap. Neither offers environmental sealing or ruggedness, so they’re best treated with care, especially in rough weather.

Design and Controls Under the Hood

When the rubber meets the road, the design and control layout determine how quickly you can change settings and capture that decisive moment.

Canon’s SX150 IS sports a fairly traditional layout with clearly labeled dials and buttons, including dedicated modes like shutter priority and aperture priority - rare for compact cameras in this price range. This gives you more manual control, crucial for creative shooters who like flexing exposure muscles.

The Samsung TL240 opts for a minimalist approach - a touchscreen interface with limited physical buttons and no manual exposure modes. While touchscreen camping is convenient on paper, the TL240’s resistive screen (not capacitive) responds sluggishly compared to modern phones, making settings fiddling a tad frustrating.

As someone who relies on quick physical dials in street or wildlife scenarios, the Canon felt more intuitive and less frustrating under pressure.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras utilize a 1/2.3” CCD sensor measuring 6.17 x 4.55mm, delivering roughly 14 megapixels - typical for compacts of their era. On paper, this parity suggests a level playing field, but let's dissect deeper with practical implications.

CCD sensors traditionally excel in providing punchy colors and less noise at base ISO, but they fall short at higher sensitivities. Neither camera supports RAW files, which limits post-processing flexibility.

Resolution and Detail

Canon outputs images at 4320x3240 pixels, Samsung at 4334x3256 - practically tie. However, sensor-design optimizations will influence sharpness and color rendition.

In direct comparisons of landscape and macro shots, Canon’s images felt slightly sharper with better edge-to-edge detail when zoomed fully. Samsung tended to soften at telephoto ends. Likely due to different lens and signal processing pipelines.

ISO and Low Light

Samsung TL240 boasts a max native ISO of 4800 (boosted to 6400), versus Canon’s conservative max of 1600. Sounds impressive on paper. But when I pushed both into higher ISO realms indoors, Samsung’s noise became more intrusive, shifting to blotchy grain, while Canon kept noise relatively uniform though more grainy overall.

Neither camera excels in low light, as expected for small sensors, but Canon manages a slightly cleaner output at safe ISOs.

LCD Screens and User Interface

Since neither has an electronic viewfinder - a common tradeoff in budget compacts - the rear LCD becomes the sole composition method.

Samsung wins slightly on raw size and touch capability with a 3.5” 230k pixel screen, versus Canon’s fixed 3” 230k display. The touch interface allows quick navigation through menus but suffers from unresponsive touch latency, which dampened my excitement.

Canon’s screen, while smaller and non-touch, offered a bright and stable display with less lag. For composition outdoors, however, both struggled under direct sunlight - a challenge for many compacts.

Autofocus Systems: Speed and Accuracy in Action

AF performance is a dealmaker for photographing anything in motion, whether kids, sports, or wildlife.

The Canon SX150 IS uses contrast-detection AF with a single AF point. It supports face detection but no advanced eye or animal tracking. Continuous AF is absent. The maximum continuous shooting speed clocks in at a sluggish 1 FPS.

Samsung TL240 also relies on contrast-based AF without phase detection, with unspecified AF points but includes face detection (sans eye detection). Continuous AF is also missing, and continuous shooting rates are not advertised.

In real-world testing, both cameras struggled to lock focus quickly on moving subjects under challenging light. Canon edged ahead in responsiveness and focus accuracy at telephoto lengths, likely due to better-executed AF algorithms.

Photography Disciplines Explored

Let's dissect the cameras' suitability across different genres, based on practical use and feature sets.

Portrait Photography

Skin tones rendered on both cameras are serviceable but not spectacular - typical for the compact CCDs of their day. Canon’s face detection is a handy bonus, maintaining good focus on faces, though no eye AF or refined tracking capabilities.

The lens apertures max at f/3.4-5.6 (Canon) and f/3.3-5.5 (Samsung), both shallow enough for some background separation at the longest focal lengths but the small sensors sharply limit the quality of bokeh (background blur).

In short: Canon has a slight edge for portraits with face detection and manual exposure modes, making it better suited for portrait enthusiasts on a budget.

Landscape Photography

Here resolution, dynamic range, and build matter.

Neither camera sports outstanding dynamic range - small sensors and CCD tech limit highlight/shadow retention. Canon’s slightly better optics maintain edge sharpness, useful for detailed scenery shots.

Neither offers weather sealing, though Canon’s bulkier build feels more substantial in rugged outdoor use. Samsung’s ultra-compact size suits urban or holiday landscapes that emphasize portability.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Both cameras fall short for dedicated wildlife or sports shooting. Their slow autofocus, lack of advanced tracking, and meager continuous shooting rates (Canon’s 1 FPS, Samsung unspecified, likely similar or slower) limit action capture.

Still, Canon’s longer zoom range (28-336 mm equivalent) outclasses Samsung’s 31-217 mm. If you want occasional distant shots of birds or pets and don’t mind waiting for the perfect snap, Canon marginally wins here.

Street Photography

Street photography shocks me as a good test scenario for compact cams due to the need for stealth, low-light capability, and responsiveness.

Samsung TL240’s discreet shape and lighter weight make it an easy carry, plus the touchscreen interface lets you quickly scroll through shots.

But Canon’s faster AF and manual controls trump Samsung’s limiting exposure options. So your style and patience level determine which fits better here.

Macro Photography

Both cameras reach 1 cm for macro focusing - impressive on paper. Still, image stabilization and focusing precision play big roles.

Canon’s OIS (optical image stabilization) performed better in keeping shots sharp handheld. Samsung claims optical stabilization too, but less effective in my tests, especially at closer distances.

Night and Astro Photography

The clear limitation for both is sensor size and ISO performance.

Canon limits ISO to 1600, Samsung nominally shoots up to 4800. But picture quality at those levels is poor for both. Neither offers bulb mode or manual long exposure times beyond 15 seconds on Canon (8 seconds minimum on Samsung). Both have no RAW support, which is essential for astrophotography post-processing.

I’d recommend neither for serious night or astro shooters.

Video Capabilities

Canon SX150 IS records 720p HD video at 30 fps using H.264 compression - basic but functional.

Samsung TL240 also records 720p but uses Motion JPEG, resulting in larger file sizes and less efficiency. Samsung offers 15 fps recording at HD, which is unusual but mostly useless for smooth playback.

Neither has microphone or headphone jacks, limiting sound control.

Canon’s video stabilization benefits from OIS, producing steadier footage handheld.

Lens and Connectivity Ecosystems

With fixed lens compacts, the lens ecosystem is a non-factor - as you're locked into the given zoom range.

• Canon SX150 IS: 28-336 mm equivalent (12x optical zoom), f/3.4-5.6 aperture
• Samsung TL240: 31-217 mm equivalent (7x zoom), f/3.3-5.5 aperture

Canon’s higher zoom factor offers versatility for casual wildlife or travel photography, particularly appealing to enthusiasts who want more reach without lugging bulky gear.

Connectivity-wise, the Canon SX150 IS supports Eye-Fi cards for Wi-Fi data transfer, though this is outdated technology and rarely used nowadays. Samsung TL240 has no wireless features but includes HDMI output for straightforward playback on TVs. Neither camera incorporates Bluetooth or NFC.

Battery Life and Storage Considerations

• Canon SX150 IS: Uses two AA batteries, rated for about 130 shots per fill. The upside of AA batteries is easy replacement on the go, but they add bulk and weight.
• Samsung TL240: Uses a proprietary lithium-ion battery (SLB-11A), with unspecified battery life but generally better than AA setups due to efficiency and weight.

Storage-wise, Canon takes standard SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, while Samsung supports MicroSD/MicroSDHC and has internal storage - handy for spontaneous shooting when you forget a card.

Price, Value, and Who Should Buy What?

Both cameras occupy entry to mid-level price brackets - roughly $170 for Samsung TL240 and $249 for Canon SX150 IS (at time of release and typical second-hand pricing).

Which offers the best bang for your buck? That depends entirely on your needs:

• Choose Canon SX150 IS if:

  • You want more zoom reach without resorting to larger bridge cameras.
  • You value manual exposure control options for creative photography.
  • You prioritize easier handling and better autofocus accuracy.
  • You don’t mind carrying AA batteries.
  • Portrait, travel, and basic wildlife photography are your main focuses.

• Choose Samsung TL240 if:

  • Ultra-compact size and portability are paramount.
  • You prefer touchscreen navigation (if tolerating lag).
  • Video playback on TV via HDMI is a nice bonus.
  • You shoot primarily casual snapshots and want convenience over manual control.

Comprehensive Performance and Genre Scoring

To synthesize the extensive analysis, here is a quick look at how they perform across photography types and overall performance (scores based on field testing, specs, and real-world utility):

As expected, Canon leads on overall performance, especially in zoom versatility, manual control flexibility, and AF reliability. Samsung’s advantage lies purely in compactness and a slightly better ISO range, albeit with compromised image quality at high ISO.

Sample Images Showcase

Because specs and theory can only go so far, I put both cameras to the test in varied lighting conditions and subjects.

Canon SX150 IS front Canon SX150 IS screen back Samsung TL240 screen back

Look closely at the portraits and landscapes: Canon maintains better detail and less noise, but Samsung photos show punchier colors at low ISO. Both struggle with sharpness at max zoom or dim lighting. Neither's daylight images match modern budget compacts but are respectable for casual use.

Final Thoughts

The Canon SX150 IS and Samsung TL240 each have their place in the compact camera landscape, especially if the budget is tight and DSLR or mirrorless systems are off the table.

If you seek creative flexibility, a longer zoom, and a more robust shooting experience, Canon is the clear winner. Meanwhile, the Samsung TL240 offers portability and simplicity for those who value convenience and don’t want to fuss with settings.

Closing Notes for the Enthusiast Shopper

In my 15+ years shooting and testing cameras, I can attest that the best camera is the one you enjoy carrying and using regularly. Neither the SX150 IS nor the TL240 breaks new ground technologically. Still, within their modest niches, they deliver the essentials with reasonable competence.

If you're going to pick one of these for nostalgia, secondary use, or casual photography, consider your priorities (zoom and control vs size and ease of use). Should your budget stretch a bit further, consider stepping up to recent compact superzooms or entry-level mirrorless bodies with significantly better sensors and features.

That said, for those who appreciate the quirks and simplicity of these cameras, you’re in for some fun shooting moments – and sometimes, that’s exactly what photography is about.

Thanks for reading this comprehensive comparison! Feel free to ask any questions or share your experiences with these models - I’m always happy to chat all things cameras.