Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48
80 Imaging
39 Features
40 Overall
39


95 Imaging
34 Features
21 Overall
28
Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-720mm (F3.4-5.8) lens
- 341g - 104 x 70 x 80mm
- Released August 2012
- Later Model is Canon SX510 HS
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200 (Boost to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 25-125mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 150g - 95 x 53 x 22mm
- Announced January 2009
- Additionally Known as Lumix DMC-FX40

Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Overview
Let's look a little more in depth at the Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Canon and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the SX500 IS (16MP) and FX48 (12MP) but they use the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

The SX500 IS was released 3 years later than the FX48 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick view of how the SX500 IS scores versus the FX48 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX500 IS & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48. The complete galleries are available at Canon SX500 IS Gallery & Panasonic FX48 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX500 IS over the Panasonic FX48
SX500 IS | FX48 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | August 2012 | ![]() | January 2009 | More recent by 44 months |
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 461k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+231k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FX48 over the Canon SX500 IS
FX48 | SX500 IS |
---|
Common features in the Canon SX500 IS and Panasonic FX48
SX500 IS | FX48 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither contains Touch friendly display |
Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Canon SX500 IS has got external measurements of 104mm x 70mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") and a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FX48 has measurements of 95mm x 53mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.9") and a weight of 150 grams (0.33 lbs).
Analyze the Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the SX500 IS compared to the FX48.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX500 IS and FX48 is 80 and 95 respectively.

Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through specs. The photograph below will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SX500 IS and FX48.
As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Canon SX500 IS to provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The younger SX500 IS will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX500 IS vs Panasonic FX48 Specifications
Canon PowerShot SX500 IS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Canon | Panasonic |
Model type | Canon PowerShot SX500 IS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 |
Alternative name | - | Lumix DMC-FX40 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
Released | 2012-08-21 | 2009-01-27 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Digic 4 | - |
Sensor type | CCD | 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 | 16 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 1 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 24-720mm (30.0x) | 25-125mm (5.0x) |
Max aperture | f/3.4-5.8 | f/2.8-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | 1cm | 5cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 2.5 inches |
Resolution of screen | 461k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 15 seconds | 60 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/1600 seconds | 1/3000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 1.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 5.00 m | 6.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/1600 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 640x480 |
Video format | H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 341g (0.75 lb) | 150g (0.33 lb) |
Dimensions | 104 x 70 x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") | 95 x 53 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 195 pictures | - |
Battery format | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | NB-6L | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch cost | $299 | $325 |