Canon SX500 IS vs Zeiss ZX1

Below, we are looking at the Canon SX500 IS versus Zeiss ZX1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Canon and Zeiss. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the SX500 IS (16MP) and ZX1 (37MP) and the SX500 IS (1/2.3") and ZX1 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The SX500 IS was revealed 7 years prior to the ZX1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX500 IS being a Compact camera and the Zeiss ZX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short highlight of how the SX500 IS matches up vs the ZX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX500 IS & Zeiss ZX1. The full galleries are available at Canon SX500 IS Gallery & Zeiss ZX1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Canon SX500 IS comes with outer measurements of 104mm x 70mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs) and the Zeiss ZX1 has sizing of 142mm x 93mm x 46mm (5.6" x 3.7" x 1.8") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX500 IS versus Zeiss ZX1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the SX500 IS versus the ZX1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SX500 IS and ZX1 is 80 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements just by viewing technical specs. The graphic underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SX500 IS and ZX1.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX500 IS with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Zeiss ZX1 will result in extra detail because of its extra 21 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The older SX500 IS will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.