Canon SX230 HS vs Panasonic XS1

Its time to take a deeper look at the Canon SX230 HS and Panasonic XS1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Canon and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the SX230 HS (12MP) and XS1 (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SX230 HS was unveiled 17 months prior to the XS1 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SX230 HS matches up vs the XS1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX230 HS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The full galleries are available at Canon SX230 HS Gallery and Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX230 HS offers exterior measurements of 106mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 223 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Panasonic XS1 has dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") having a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Contrast the Canon SX230 HS and Panasonic XS1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the SX230 HS compared to the XS1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SX230 HS and XS1 is 91 and 97 respectively.

Often, its difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specs. The graphic here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SX230 HS and XS1.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Panasonic XS1 to offer you extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older SX230 HS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.