Clicky

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7

Portability
91
Imaging
35
Features
43
Overall
38
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 front
Portability
95
Imaging
37
Features
41
Overall
38

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Key Specs

Canon SX230 HS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-392mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 223g - 106 x 62 x 33mm
  • Released July 2011
  • Replaced the Canon SX210 IS
  • Successor is Canon SX240 HS
Panasonic SZ7
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 133g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
  • Revealed January 2012
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Overview

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Canon and Panasonic. The resolution of the SX230 HS (12MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is relatively well matched and they enjoy the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The SX230 HS was revealed 5 months earlier than the SZ7 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple summary of how the SX230 HS scores against the SZ7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
	
	

Reasons to pick Canon SX230 HS over the Panasonic SZ7

 SX230 HS SZ7 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Screen resolution461k460kSharper screen (+1k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ7 over the Canon SX230 HS

 SZ7 SX230 HS 

Common features in the Canon SX230 HS and Panasonic SZ7

 SX230 HS SZ7 
RevealedJuly 2011January 2012Similar age
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen measurements
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither features Touch friendly screen

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX230 HS enjoys outside measurements of 106mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 223 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ7 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the SX230 HS and the SZ7.

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX230 HS and SZ7 is 91 and 95 respectively.

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 top view buttons comparison

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specs. The picture here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SX230 HS and SZ7.

All in all, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Panasonic SZ7 to give you greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively.

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 sensor size comparison

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Canon SX230 HS
Portrait photography with Panasonic SZ7
34
has manual focus
has face detection focus
cannot use external flash
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
33
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
includes face detect focus
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Street Comparison

Canon SX230 HS Street photography information
Panasonic SZ7 Street photography information
60
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition (223g)
no moving screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
63
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (133 grams)
screen is fixed
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Sports Comparison

Canon SX230 HS as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic SZ7 as a Sports photography camera
36
great zoom range (28-392mm 14.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
has tracking autofocus
max fps very slow (3.0 frames per second)
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery power (210 CIPA)
does not have phase detect auto focus
43
image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
includes tracking focus
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Canon SX230 HS
Travel photography with Panasonic SZ7
61
lighter than competition (223 grams)
flash built-in
quite wide (28mm)
great reach (392mm)
does not have Timelapse mode
bad battery power (210 per charge)
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
70
lighter than competition in class (133g)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
pretty wide (25mm)
great zoom (250mm)
lack of Time Lapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Canon SX230 HS
Landscape photography with Panasonic SZ7
41
has manual focus
quite wide (28mm)
good sized screen (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
low megapixels (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
bad battery power (210 per charge)
does not have Timelapse mode
42
pretty wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
focusing manually not possible
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
manual exposure not possible
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
lack of Time Lapse function
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX230 HS Vlogging features
Panasonic SZ7 Vlogging features
34
quite wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition (223g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have external microphone support
35
pretty wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition in class (133g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of mic port
Photography Glossary

Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic SZ7 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SX230 HS and Panasonic SZ7
 Canon PowerShot SX230 HSPanasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Panasonic
Model Canon PowerShot SX230 HS Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Released 2011-07-19 2012-01-09
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4000 x 3000 4320 x 3240
Max native ISO 3200 6400
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 9 23
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 28-392mm (14.0x) 25-250mm (10.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.1-5.9 f/3.1-5.9
Macro focus distance 5cm 4cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.9
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 461 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology PureColor II TG TFT LCD TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 15 seconds 8 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/3200 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 3.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 3.50 m 5.60 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (24fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 240 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 223g (0.49 lbs) 133g (0.29 lbs)
Dimensions 106 x 62 x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 210 photos 220 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NB-5L -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Price at release $399 $199