Canon SX20 IS vs Sony a5100

Here is a thorough review of the Canon SX20 IS vs Sony a5100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Canon and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the SX20 IS (12MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the SX20 IS (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SX20 IS was brought out 5 years prior to the a5100 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a short summary of how the SX20 IS matches up versus the a5100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS & Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are provided at Canon SX20 IS Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX20 IS has outside measurements of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") and a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon SX20 IS vs Sony a5100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the SX20 IS versus the a5100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX20 IS and a5100 is 65 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing just by checking out technical specs. The visual here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SX20 IS and a5100.

As you can tell, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SX20 IS due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony a5100 will produce greater detail having its extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older SX20 IS will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.