Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57
65 Imaging
34 Features
40 Overall
36
64 Imaging
56 Features
85 Overall
67
Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-560mm (F2.8-5.7) lens
- 600g - 128 x 88 x 87mm
- Launched July 2010
- Superseded the Canon SX10 IS
- Updated by Canon SX30 IS
(Full Review)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57 Overview
Here is a complete analysis of the Canon SX20 IS versus Sony A57, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Canon and Sony. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the SX20 IS (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the SX20 IS (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe SX20 IS was revealed 3 years before the A57 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the SX20 IS grades versus the A57 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Photography Glossary Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS & Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are viewable at Canon SX20 IS Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX20 IS over the Sony A57
| SX20 IS | A57 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Canon SX20 IS
| A57 | SX20 IS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | September 2012 | July 2010 | Fresher by 26 months | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 921k | 230k | Crisper screen (+691k dot) |
Common features in the Canon SX20 IS and Sony A57
| SX20 IS | A57 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial precise focus | |||
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated screen | |
| Selfie screen | Both good for selfies | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Neither features Touch friendly screen |
Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Canon SX20 IS enjoys outside dimensions 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 Sony A57 has measurements of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).
See the Canon SX20 IS versus Sony A57 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the SX20 IS versus the A57.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the SX20 IS and A57 is 65 and 64 respectively.
Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Often, its tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing just by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SX20 IS and A57.
Clearly, the two cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SX20 IS with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh tougher and the Sony A57 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older SX20 IS is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.
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Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A57 Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SX20 IS | Sony SLT-A57 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Canon | Sony |
| Model | Canon PowerShot SX20 IS | Sony SLT-A57 |
| Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2010-07-06 | 2012-09-13 |
| Physical type | SLR-like (bridge) | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Digic 4 | - |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 16000 |
| Highest enhanced ISO | - | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 80 | 100 |
| RAW files | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 15 |
| Cross focus points | - | 3 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens focal range | 28-560mm (20.0x) | - |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8-5.7 | - |
| Macro focus range | 0cm | - |
| Number of lenses | - | 143 |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated |
| Screen size | 2.5" | 3" |
| Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 921 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | - | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440 thousand dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.7x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/3200 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 1.0fps | 12.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 6.80 m | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/500 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 600 gr (1.32 lb) | 618 gr (1.36 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 128 x 88 x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") | 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | 75 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 13.0 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 785 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 550 photos |
| Form of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | 4 x AA | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD / SDHC / MMC / MMC Plus / HC MMC Plus | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Pricing at release | $500 | $1,000 |