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Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III

Portability
80
Imaging
39
Features
40
Overall
39
Canon PowerShot SX500 IS front
 
Sony Alpha A7S III front
Portability
61
Imaging
65
Features
92
Overall
75

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Key Specs

Canon SX500 IS
(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
  • Launched August 2012
  • Renewed by Canon SX510 HS
Sony A7S III
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 80 - 102400 (Expand to 409600)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 699g - 129 x 97 x 81mm
  • Launched July 2020
  • Replaced the Sony A7S II
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Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Overview

Below is a extended review of the Canon SX500 IS versus Sony A7S III, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Canon and Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the SX500 IS (16MP) and A7S III (12MP) and the SX500 IS (1/2.3") and A7S III (Full frame) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SX500 IS was introduced 9 years prior to the A7S III and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Canon SX500 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony A7S III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the SX500 IS grades versus the A7S III when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Canon SX500 IS over the Sony A7S III

 SX500 IS A7S III 

Reasons to pick Sony A7S III over the Canon SX500 IS

 A7S III SX500 IS 
LaunchedJuly 2020August 2012More recent by 96 months
Screen typeFully articulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1440k461kSharper screen (+979k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Canon SX500 IS and Sony A7S III

 SX500 IS A7S III 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Canon SX500 IS offers outer measurements of 104mm x 70mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") having a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Sony A7S III has proportions of 129mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 699 grams (1.54 lbs).

Check the Canon SX500 IS versus Sony A7S III in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the SX500 IS against the A7S III.

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX500 IS and A7S III is 80 and 61 respectively.

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III top view buttons comparison

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing technical specs. The visual below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SX500 IS and A7S III.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX500 IS having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Canon SX500 IS will render greater detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older SX500 IS will be behind in sensor technology.

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III sensor size comparison

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Canon SX500 IS
Portrait photography with Sony A7S III
46
manual focus
high flash sync speed (1/1,600 seconds)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
includes face detect focusing
can't use external flash
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
71
you can focus manually
large sensor size (Full frame)
includes face detect focus
delivers RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Canon SX500 IS as a Street photography camera
Sony A7S III as a Street photography camera
51
image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
76
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
large sensor size (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
includes focus by touch
weather proofing
very good high ISO (102,400)
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Sports Comparison

Canon SX500 IS Sports photography factors
Sony A7S III Sports photography factors
44
great zoom range (24-720mm 30.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
max frames per second low (1.0 frames/s)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
bad battery power (195 per charge)
lack of phase detect AF
76
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
large sensor size (Full frame)
includes tracking focus
weather proofing
good battery life (600 CIPA)
has phase detect auto focus
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
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Travel Comparison

Canon SX500 IS Travel photography features
Sony A7S III Travel photography features
59
resolution is good (16MP)
has built in flash
fairly wide (24mm)
long reach (720mm)
does not have Time Lapse mode
bad battery power (195 shots)
display is not selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.4)
70
good battery life (600 per charge)
weather proofing
supports bluetooth
includes focus by touch
selfie friendly screen
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Canon SX500 IS
Landscape photography with Sony A7S III
46
manual focus
fairly wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16MP)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.4)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
bad battery power (195 per charge)
does not have Time Lapse mode
77
you can focus manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
large sensor size (Full frame)
very good high ISO (102,400)
delivers RAW files
weather proofing
good battery life (600 CIPA)
has double storage slots
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX500 IS Vlogging factors
Sony A7S III Vlogging factors
28
fairly wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focusing
slow max aperture (f3.4)
display is not selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have mic socket
77
selfie friendly screen
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detect focus
high quality video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
has mic port
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Canon SX500 IS vs Sony A7S III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SX500 IS and Sony A7S III
 Canon PowerShot SX500 ISSony Alpha A7S III
General Information
Company Canon Sony
Model Canon PowerShot SX500 IS Sony Alpha A7S III
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Pro Mirrorless
Launched 2012-08-21 2020-07-21
Body design Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Digic 4 Bionz XR
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4240 x 2832
Highest native ISO 1600 102400
Highest enhanced ISO - 409600
Min native ISO 80 80
RAW images
Min enhanced ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 1 759
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Sony E
Lens focal range 24-720mm (30.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.4-5.8 -
Macro focus range 1cm -
Available lenses - 121
Crop factor 5.8 1
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Fully articulated
Screen size 3" 3"
Screen resolution 461 thousand dot 1,440 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 9,440 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.91x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 15 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/1600 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 1.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 5.00 m no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync no built-in flash
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest 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) 3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Highest video resolution 1280x720 3840x2160
Video data format H.264 MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 341g (0.75 lb) 699g (1.54 lb)
Physical dimensions 104 x 70 x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") 129 x 97 x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 85
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.6
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.3
DXO Low light score not tested 2993
Other
Battery life 195 images 600 images
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NB-6L NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots
Storage slots One 2
Launch pricing $299 $3,499