Canon SX230 HS vs Sony WX500

Here is a in-depth review of the Canon SX230 HS versus Sony WX500, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Canon and Sony. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the SX230 HS (12MP) and WX500 (18MP) but they use the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SX230 HS was launched 4 years prior to the WX500 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a concise summation of how the SX230 HS grades versus the WX500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX230 HS & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The complete galleries are available at Canon SX230 HS Gallery & Sony WX500 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Canon SX230 HS enjoys outer dimensions of 106mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 223 grams (0.49 lbs) while the Sony WX500 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

See the Canon SX230 HS versus Sony WX500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view scale comparison of the SX230 HS compared to the WX500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX230 HS and WX500 is 91 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizing just by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SX230 HS and WX500.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Sony WX500 to deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The older SX230 HS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.