Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20
65 Imaging
36 Features
55 Overall
43


90 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37
Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.8" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-1200mm (F3.4-6.5) lens
- 595g - 123 x 87 x 106mm
- Introduced January 2013
- Replaced the Canon SX40 HS
- Updated by Canon SX60 HS
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-560mm (F3.1-4.8) lens
- 235g - 111 x 61 x 38mm
- Launched January 2012

Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Overview
The following is a in depth analysis of the Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by brands Canon and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the SX50 HS (12MP) and VS20 (16MP) but they feature the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

The SX50 HS was announced 12 months after the VS20 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Canon SX50 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.
Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SX50 HS scores against the VS20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX50 HS and Pentax Optio VS20. The whole galleries are provided at Canon SX50 HS Gallery and Pentax VS20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX50 HS over the Pentax VS20
SX50 HS | VS20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2013 | ![]() | January 2012 | Newer by 12 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 461k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+1k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Canon SX50 HS
VS20 | SX50 HS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.8" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Common features in the Canon SX50 HS and Pentax VS20
SX50 HS | VS20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither comes with Touch friendly screen |
Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX50 HS comes with outer measurements of 123mm x 87mm x 106mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 4.2") and a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs) while the Pentax VS20 has dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).
Compare the Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the SX50 HS against the VS20.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX50 HS and VS20 is 65 and 90 respectively.

Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by going through specs. The picture here will help give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SX50 HS and VS20.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Pentax VS20 to provide greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The newer SX50 HS will have an edge in sensor technology.

Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX50 HS vs Pentax VS20 Specifications
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS | Pentax Optio VS20 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Canon | Pentax |
Model type | Canon PowerShot SX50 HS | Pentax Optio VS20 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Introduced | 2013-01-15 | 2012-01-25 |
Body design | SLR-like (bridge) | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Digic 5 | - |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4608 x 3456 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 24-1200mm (50.0x) | 28-560mm (20.0x) |
Maximum aperture | f/3.4-6.5 | f/3.1-4.8 |
Macro focusing range | 0cm | 3cm |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 2.8 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 461 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display technology | - | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder resolution | 202 thousand dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 15 secs | 4 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/2500 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 2.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 5.50 m | 2.80 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Second Curtain | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/2000 secs | - |
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 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 595 grams (1.31 pounds) | 235 grams (0.52 pounds) |
Dimensions | 123 x 87 x 106mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 4.2") | 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 47 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 20.3 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.2 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 179 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 315 shots | - |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | NB-10L | D-LI122 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at release | $429 | $106 |