Canon SX400 IS vs Canon XC10

Below is a extensive overview of the Canon SX400 IS versus Canon XC10, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Canon. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the SX400 IS (16MP) and XC10 (12MP) and the SX400 IS (1/2.3") and XC10 (1") have different sensor dimensions.

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The SX400 IS was introduced 8 months earlier than the XC10 and they are both of a similar age. Both cameras have different body design with the Canon SX400 IS being a Compact camera and the Canon XC10 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SX400 IS matches up against the XC10 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX400 IS & Canon XC10. The whole galleries are viewable at Canon SX400 IS Gallery & Canon XC10 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon SX400 IS has exterior dimensions of 104mm x 69mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.7" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Canon XC10 has measurements of 125mm x 102mm x 122mm (4.9" x 4.0" x 4.8") with a weight of 1040 grams (2.29 lbs).

See the Canon SX400 IS versus Canon XC10 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the SX400 IS versus the XC10.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SX400 IS and XC10 is 81 and 54 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX400 IS and XC10.

Clearly, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX400 IS using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Canon SX400 IS will give you more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older SX400 IS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.