Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II
69 Imaging
39 Features
44 Overall
41
68 Imaging
74 Features
84 Overall
78
Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-1008mm (F3.4-6.0) lens
- 441g - 120 x 82 x 92mm
- Released July 2014
- Replaced the Canon SX510 HS
- Replacement is Canon SX530 HS
(Full Review)
- 42MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600 (Expand to 102400)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 625g - 127 x 96 x 60mm
- Announced June 2015
- Older Model is Sony A7R
- Successor is Sony A7R III
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Overview
On this page, we are looking at the Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Canon and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the SX520 HS (16MP) and A7R II (42MP) and the SX520 HS (1/2.3") and A7R II (Full frame) offer different sensor measurements.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe SX520 HS was unveiled 10 months before the A7R II so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX520 HS being a Compact camera and the Sony A7R II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick view of how the SX520 HS grades versus the A7R II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Photography Glossary Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX520 HS & Sony Alpha A7R II. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX520 HS Gallery & Sony A7R II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX520 HS over the Sony A7R II
| SX520 HS | A7R II |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony A7R II over the Canon SX520 HS
| A7R II | SX520 HS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | June 2015 | July 2014 | Fresher by 10 months | |
| Display type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting display | |
| Display resolution | 1229k | 461k | Sharper display (+768k dot) |
Common features in the Canon SX520 HS and Sony A7R II
| SX520 HS | A7R II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial precise focus | |||
| Display dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal display measurements | |
| Selfie screen | Lack of selfie screen | |||
| Touch display | Lack of Touch display |
Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to carry your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Canon SX520 HS has got external dimensions of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") having a weight of 441 grams (0.97 lbs) whilst the Sony A7R II has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") along with a weight of 625 grams (1.38 lbs).
See the Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the SX520 HS compared to the A7R II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SX520 HS and A7R II is 69 and 68 respectively.
Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is very hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizing only by going through specifications. The visual here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SX520 HS and A7R II.
To sum up, both of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SX520 HS using its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A7R II will show greater detail having an extra 26MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos more aggressively. The older SX520 HS will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.
Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Screen and ViewFinder
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsStreet Comparison
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banSports Comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideTravel Comparison
Mastering Nature Photography with a Digital Microscope CameraLandscape Comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsVlogging Comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month
Canon SX520 HS vs Sony A7R II Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SX520 HS | Sony Alpha A7R II | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Canon | Sony |
| Model type | Canon PowerShot SX520 HS | Sony Alpha A7R II |
| Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Pro Mirrorless |
| Released | 2014-07-29 | 2015-06-10 |
| Physical type | Compact | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Digic 4+ | Bionz X |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | Full frame |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 861.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 42 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 7974 x 5316 |
| Max native ISO | 3200 | 25600 |
| Max boosted ISO | - | 102400 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW format | ||
| Min boosted ISO | - | 50 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Total focus points | 9 | 399 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | fixed lens | Sony E |
| Lens zoom range | 24-1008mm (42.0x) | - |
| Max aperture | f/3.4-6.0 | - |
| Macro focusing distance | 0cm | - |
| Number of lenses | - | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of display | 461k dots | 1,229k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359k dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.78x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 15 secs | 30 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 2.0fps | 5.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 5.50 m | no built-in flash |
| Flash settings | Auto, on, off, slow synchro | no built-in flash |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
| Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 441 gr (0.97 pounds) | 625 gr (1.38 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 120 x 82 x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") | 127 x 96 x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | 98 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 26.0 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 13.9 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 3434 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 210 photos | 290 photos |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | NB-6LH | NP-FW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) |
| Time lapse shooting | With downloadable app | |
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail pricing | $219 | $2,913 |