Canon SX400 IS vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Lets take a closer look at the Canon SX400 IS versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Canon and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the SX400 IS (16MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is very well matched but the SX400 IS (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The SX400 IS was brought out 2 years later than the SD1 Merrill and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX400 IS being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summation of how the SX400 IS scores vs the SD1 Merrill in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX400 IS and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are available at Canon SX400 IS Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Canon SX400 IS features outside dimensions of 104mm x 69mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.7" x 3.1") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX400 IS versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the SX400 IS and the SD1 Merrill.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX400 IS and SD1 Merrill is 81 and 57 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements merely by checking a spec sheet. The visual below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX400 IS and SD1 Merrill.

Clearly, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX400 IS featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Canon SX400 IS will give greater detail having its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos way more aggressively. The more modern SX400 IS will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.