Canon SX230 HS vs Sony A6000

Here is a thorough assessment of the Canon SX230 HS versus Sony A6000, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Canon and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the SX230 HS (12MP) and A6000 (24MP) and the SX230 HS (1/2.3") and A6000 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The SX230 HS was revealed 3 years before the A6000 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX230 HS being a Compact camera and the Sony A6000 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the SX230 HS grades versus the A6000 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX230 HS & Sony Alpha a6000. The full galleries are available at Canon SX230 HS Gallery & Sony A6000 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Canon SX230 HS enjoys physical measurements of 106mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 223 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Sony A6000 has specifications of 120mm x 67mm x 45mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 344 grams (0.76 lbs).

Compare the Canon SX230 HS versus Sony A6000 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the SX230 HS against the A6000.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the SX230 HS and A6000 is 91 and 85 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizing purely by viewing specs. The graphic below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SX230 HS and A6000.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SX230 HS having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A6000 will render greater detail because of its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The older SX230 HS will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.