Canon SX40 HS vs Canon SX720 HS

On this page, we will be looking at the Canon SX40 HS and Canon SX720 HS, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and they are both offered by Canon. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the SX40 HS (12MP) and SX720 HS (20.3MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SX40 HS was unveiled 5 years earlier than the SX720 HS which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Canon SX40 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Canon SX720 HS being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the SX40 HS grades against the SX720 HS for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX40 HS and Canon PowerShot SX720 HS. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX40 HS Gallery and Canon SX720 HS Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Canon SX40 HS has got physical measurements of 123mm x 92mm x 108mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 4.3") accompanied by a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) while the Canon SX720 HS has measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs).

Look at the Canon SX40 HS and Canon SX720 HS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the SX40 HS versus the SX720 HS.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SX40 HS and SX720 HS is 64 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through specifications. The picture here will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SX40 HS and SX720 HS.

Plainly, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Canon SX720 HS to show more detail having an extra 8.3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged SX40 HS will be behind in sensor innovation.