Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400
65 Imaging
35 Features
40 Overall
37


83 Imaging
68 Features
88 Overall
76
Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-560mm (F2.8-5.7) lens
- 600g - 128 x 88 x 87mm
- Announced July 2010
- Succeeded the Canon SX10 IS
- Replacement is Canon SX30 IS
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 32000 (Bump to 102400)
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 403g - 120 x 67 x 50mm
- Launched January 2019

Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Overview
Let's look a bit more closely at the Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Canon and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the SX20 IS (12MP) and A6400 (24MP) and the SX20 IS (1/2.3") and A6400 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

The SX20 IS was announced 9 years prior to the A6400 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A6400 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going right into a full comparison, here is a short overview of how the SX20 IS matches up versus the A6400 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and Sony Alpha a6400. The whole galleries are viewable at Canon SX20 IS Gallery and Sony A6400 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX20 IS over the Sony A6400
SX20 IS | A6400 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Reasons to pick Sony A6400 over the Canon SX20 IS
A6400 | SX20 IS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2019 | ![]() | July 2010 | Newer by 103 months |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+692k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Canon SX20 IS and Sony A6400
SX20 IS | A6400 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | Both good for selfies |
Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Physical Comparison
If you are looking to travel with your camera, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Canon SX20 IS features external dimensions of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") having a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Sony A6400 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 50mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.0") with a weight of 403 grams (0.89 lbs).
Contrast the Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the SX20 IS and the A6400.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX20 IS and A6400 is 65 and 83 respectively.

Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading technical specs. The image here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX20 IS and A6400.
As you have seen, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SX20 IS using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A6400 will offer greater detail with its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged SX20 IS is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A6400 Specifications
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS | Sony Alpha a6400 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Canon | Sony |
Model | Canon PowerShot SX20 IS | Sony Alpha a6400 |
Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Advanced Mirrorless |
Announced | 2010-07-06 | 2019-01-15 |
Body design | SLR-like (bridge) | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Digic 4 | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 24 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 6000 x 4000 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 32000 |
Maximum boosted ISO | - | 102400 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 425 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens focal range | 28-560mm (20.0x) | - |
Maximum aperture | f/2.8-5.7 | - |
Macro focus distance | 0cm | - |
Amount of lenses | - | 121 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 2.5 inch | 3 inch |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dot | 922 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 15s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/3200s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 1.0fps | 11.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 6.80 m | 6.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Fill-in | Off, auto, on, slow sync, rear sync, redeye reduction, wireless, hi-speed sync |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/500s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 3840x2160 |
Video data format | H.264 | MPEG-4, H.264, XAVC-S |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 600 grams (1.32 pounds) | 403 grams (0.89 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 128 x 88 x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") | 120 x 67 x 50mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 83 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 24.0 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 13.6 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 1431 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 410 photographs |
Battery form | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | 4 x AA | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD / SDHC / MMC / MMC Plus / HC MMC Plus | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick DUO (UHS-I compliant) |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Cost at launch | $500 | $898 |