Canon SX20 IS vs Nikon S9900

Let's look a little more closely at the Canon SX20 IS and Nikon S9900, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Canon and Nikon. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the SX20 IS (12MP) and S9900 (16MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SX20 IS was unveiled 5 years before the S9900 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Nikon S9900 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summation of how the SX20 IS scores versus the S9900 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS & Nikon Coolpix S9900. The full galleries are available at Canon SX20 IS Gallery & Nikon S9900 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Canon SX20 IS has outer measurements of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") along with a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Nikon S9900 has sizing of 112mm x 66mm x 40mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 289 grams (0.64 lbs).

Examine the Canon SX20 IS and Nikon S9900 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the SX20 IS vs the S9900.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the SX20 IS and S9900 is 65 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to envision the difference between sensor sizes purely by reviewing specs. The image here will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SX20 IS and S9900.

All in all, both cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Nikon S9900 to offer you more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged SX20 IS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.