Canon SX210 IS vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Its time to look more closely at the Canon SX210 IS versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Canon and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the SX210 IS (14MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is fairly similar but the SX210 IS (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The SX210 IS was unveiled 22 months earlier than the SD1 Merrill making them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX210 IS being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the SX210 IS scores against the SD1 Merrill in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX210 IS and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX210 IS Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Canon SX210 IS offers external dimensions of 103mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 220 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Analyze the Canon SX210 IS versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the SX210 IS versus the SD1 Merrill.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX210 IS and SD1 Merrill is 90 and 57 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading technical specs. The pic below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX210 IS and SD1 Merrill.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SX210 IS with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will deliver greater detail having an extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged SX210 IS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.