Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520
91 Imaging
36 Features
44 Overall
39


66 Imaging
42 Features
51 Overall
45
Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-500mm (F3.5-6.8) lens
- 224g - 106 x 61 x 33mm
- Released February 2012
- Succeeded the Canon SX230 HS
- Successor is Canon SX260 HS
(Full Review)
- 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-1000mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
- 550g - 125 x 84 x 102mm
- Released January 2013
- Earlier Model is Nikon P510
- Replacement is Nikon P530

Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Overview
Lets look much closer at the Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Canon and Nikon. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the SX240 HS (12MP) and P520 (18MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

The SX240 HS was manufactured 11 months prior to the P520 which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Canon SX240 HS being a Compact camera and the Nikon P520 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SX240 HS matches up vs the P520 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX240 HS & Nikon Coolpix P520. The entire galleries are available at Canon SX240 HS Gallery & Nikon P520 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX240 HS over the Nikon P520
SX240 HS | P520 |
---|
Reasons to pick Nikon P520 over the Canon SX240 HS
P520 | SX240 HS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | January 2013 | ![]() | February 2012 | More recent by 11 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen dimensions | 3.2" | ![]() | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 461k | Crisper screen (+460k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Canon SX240 HS and Nikon P520
SX240 HS | P520 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More exact focusing | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly screen |
Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and size. The Canon SX240 HS enjoys external dimensions of 106mm x 61mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Nikon P520 has specifications of 125mm x 84mm x 102mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 4.0") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs).
Take a look at the Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SX240 HS compared to the P520.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SX240 HS and P520 is 91 and 66 respectively.

Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SX240 HS and P520.
As you can see, both the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same megapixels. You can expect the Nikon P520 to provide greater detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older SX240 HS will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX240 HS vs Nikon P520 Specifications
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS | Nikon Coolpix P520 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Canon | Nikon |
Model | Canon PowerShot SX240 HS | Nikon Coolpix P520 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Released | 2012-02-07 | 2013-01-29 |
Body design | Compact | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Digic 5 | - |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.16 x 4.62mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 28.5mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 18MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | - |
Full resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4896 x 3672 |
Max native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 25-500mm (20.0x) | 24-1000mm (41.7x) |
Max aperture | f/3.5-6.8 | f/3.0-5.9 |
Macro focus range | 5cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Screen diagonal | 3" | 3.2" |
Resolution of screen | 461k dot | 921k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | PureColor II TFT LCD | TFT-LCD with Anti-reflection coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Electronic |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 15 secs | 8 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/3200 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 2.0fps | 7.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 3.50 m | - |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | - |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 240 (240 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | H.264 | - |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Optional |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | none |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 224 gr (0.49 pounds) | 550 gr (1.21 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 106 x 61 x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") | 125 x 84 x 102mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 4.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around 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 | 230 images | 200 images |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | NB-6L | EN-EL5 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | - |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Launch cost | $0 | $380 |