Clicky

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57

Portability
90
Imaging
36
Features
40
Overall
37
Canon PowerShot SX210 IS front
 
Sony SLT-A57 front
Portability
64
Imaging
57
Features
85
Overall
68

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Key Specs

Canon SX210 IS
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-392mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 220g - 103 x 61 x 38mm
  • Revealed June 2010
  • Replaced the Canon SX200 IS
  • Successor is Canon SX230 HS
Sony A57
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Increase to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 618g - 132 x 98 x 81mm
  • Introduced September 2012
  • Earlier Model is Sony A55
  • Renewed by Sony A58
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Overview

Let's take a closer look at the Canon SX210 IS and Sony A57, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Canon and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SX210 IS (14MP) and the A57 (16MP) is pretty close but the SX210 IS (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) feature different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SX210 IS was revealed 3 years prior to the A57 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Canon SX210 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short summary of how the SX210 IS matches up versus the A57 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

				

Reasons to pick Canon SX210 IS over the Sony A57

 SX210 IS A57 

Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Canon SX210 IS

 A57 SX210 IS 
IntroducedSeptember 2012June 2010More recent by 27 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution921k230kSharper screen (+691k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Canon SX210 IS and Sony A57

 SX210 IS A57 
Manual focus More precise focus
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen size
Touch screen Lack of Touch screen

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Canon SX210 IS comes with outside measurements of 103mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 220 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has measurements of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Examine the Canon SX210 IS and Sony A57 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the SX210 IS and the A57.

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SX210 IS and A57 is 90 and 64 respectively.

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 top view buttons comparison

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements just by viewing technical specs. The visual here may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SX210 IS and A57.

As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX210 IS having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A57 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older SX210 IS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 sensor size comparison

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SX210 IS Portrait photography information
Sony A57 Portrait photography information
37
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
external flash not possible
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
74
focusing manually
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
has face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Street Comparison

Canon SX210 IS Street photography highlights
Sony A57 Street photography highlights
60
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (220g)
no moving screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
75
fully articulated screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Sports Comparison

Canon SX210 IS Sports photography factors
Sony A57 Sports photography factors
43
incredible zoom range (28-392mm 14.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
78
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
has tracking focus
has phase detect autofocus
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Travel Comparison

Canon SX210 IS Travel photography factors
Sony A57 Travel photography factors
68
lighter than competition in class (220 grams)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
rather wide (28mm)
very long zoom (392mm)
missing Time Lapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
67
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
selfie friendly screen
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Landscape Comparison

Canon SX210 IS Landscape photography factors
Sony A57 Landscape photography factors
48
has manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
missing Time Lapse function
72
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX210 IS Vlogging advice
Sony A57 Vlogging advice
30
rather wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (220g)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
missing external mic socket
77
selfie friendly screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has mic support
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Canon SX210 IS vs Sony A57 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SX210 IS and Sony A57
 Canon PowerShot SX210 ISSony SLT-A57
General Information
Brand Name Canon Sony
Model type Canon PowerShot SX210 IS Sony SLT-A57
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2010-06-16 2012-09-13
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip 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 surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4320 x 3240 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 1600 16000
Highest boosted ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 80 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 9 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 28-392mm (14.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.1-5.9 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Total lenses - 143
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 230k dots 921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen technology - Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 15 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/3200 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 1.0 frames per second 12.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.50 m 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow Syncro, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 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 Eye-Fi Connected 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 proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 220 gr (0.49 pounds) 618 gr (1.36 pounds)
Dimensions 103 x 61 x 38mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 75
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 785
Other
Battery life - 550 images
Battery style - Battery Pack
Battery ID NB-5L NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 sec or 10 sec, Custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/MMCplus HC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Price at launch $226 $1,000