Canon SX40 HS vs Sony a3500

In this write-up, we are looking at the Canon SX40 HS and Sony a3500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Canon and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the SX40 HS (12MP) and a3500 (20MP) and the SX40 HS (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SX40 HS was announced 3 years prior to the a3500 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Canon SX40 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the SX40 HS scores vs the a3500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX40 HS & Sony Alpha a3500. The whole galleries are viewable at Canon SX40 HS Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon SX40 HS has physical dimensions of 123mm x 92mm x 108mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 4.3") with a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Sony a3500 has measurements of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Check the Canon SX40 HS and Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the SX40 HS vs the a3500.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX40 HS and a3500 is 64 and 69 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to see the difference between sensor measurements purely by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph underneath may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SX40 HS and a3500.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SX40 HS using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony a3500 will resolve more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older SX40 HS is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.