Canon SX160 IS vs Pentax MX-1

Here is a complete analysis of the Canon SX160 IS versus Pentax MX-1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Canon and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the SX160 IS (16MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the SX160 IS (1/2.3") and MX-1 (1/1.7") posses different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The SX160 IS was manufactured at a similar time to the MX-1 so they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple summation of how the SX160 IS grades against the MX-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX160 IS & Pentax MX-1. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon SX160 IS Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX160 IS offers outside measurements of 111mm x 73mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.9" x 1.7") and a weight of 291 grams (0.64 lbs) while the Pentax MX-1 has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon SX160 IS versus Pentax MX-1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the SX160 IS and the MX-1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX160 IS and MX-1 is 86 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading through specs. The photograph here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SX160 IS and MX-1.

All in all, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SX160 IS due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Canon SX160 IS will give greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively.