Canon SX20 IS vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

The following is a complete review of the Canon SX20 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Canon and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the SX20 IS (12MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is relatively similar but the SX20 IS (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The SX20 IS was brought out 3 years before the DP3 Merrill which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the SX20 IS scores vs the DP3 Merrill with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill. The entire galleries are available at Canon SX20 IS Gallery and Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Canon SX20 IS offers exterior measurements of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") having a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Sigma DP3 Merrill has proportions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") and a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX20 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the SX20 IS against the DP3 Merrill.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SX20 IS and DP3 Merrill is 65 and 83 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading specifications. The pic below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SX20 IS and DP3 Merrill.

To sum up, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SX20 IS because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will deliver greater detail having its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged SX20 IS is going to be behind in sensor technology.