Clicky

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690

Portability
69
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Canon PowerShot SX520 HS front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690 front
Portability
95
Imaging
39
Features
32
Overall
36

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Key Specs

Canon SX520 HS
(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
  • Announced July 2014
  • Replaced the Canon SX510 HS
  • Refreshed by Canon SX530 HS
Sony W690
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 142g - 94 x 56 x 22mm
  • Launched February 2012
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Overview

Below, we will be reviewing the Canon SX520 HS and Sony W690, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Canon and Sony. The image resolution of the SX520 HS (16MP) and the W690 (16MP) is pretty close and they use the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The SX520 HS was brought out 2 years later than the W690 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the SX520 HS matches up against the W690 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
	
	

Reasons to pick Canon SX520 HS over the Sony W690

 SX520 HS W690 
LaunchedJuly 2014February 2012Fresher by 30 months
Focus manually Very accurate focusing
Screen resolution461k230kClearer screen (+231k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony W690 over the Canon SX520 HS

 W690 SX520 HS 

Common features in the Canon SX520 HS and Sony W690

 SX520 HS W690 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen sizing
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch screen Absent Touch screen

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Physical Comparison

If you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon SX520 HS comes with exterior dimensions of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") and a weight of 441 grams (0.97 lbs) and the Sony W690 has measurements of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check the Canon SX520 HS and Sony W690 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the SX520 HS versus the W690.

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the SX520 HS and W690 is 69 and 95 respectively.

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 top view buttons comparison

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, its tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The photograph below may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SX520 HS and W690.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same exact MP therefore you can expect comparable quality of files however you need to consider the age of the cameras into account. The younger SX520 HS provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 sensor size comparison

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Portrait photography information
Sony W690 Portrait photography information
44
manual focus
MP count decent (16MP)
includes face detect focus
external flash not possible
very small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
34
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
provides face detect focusing
lack of manual focus
manual exposure not possible
cannot use external flash
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Street photography with Canon SX520 HS
Street photography with Sony W690
46
has image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Canon SX520 HS
Sports photography with Sony W690
45
incredible zoom range (24-1008mm 42.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
slow continuous shooting (2.0 fps)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery pack (210 per charge)
has no phase detect auto focus
40
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (16MP)
provides tracking focus
continuous shooting slow (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Travel Comparison

Canon SX520 HS as a Travel photography camera
Sony W690 as a Travel photography camera
55
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
pretty wide (24mm)
great zoom (1008mm)
doesn't have Timelapse function
bad battery pack (210 CIPA)
screen isn't selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.4)
68
megapixel count good (16MP)
has built in flash
decently wide (25mm)
very long zoom (250mm)
missing Timelapse mode
does not contain selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f3.3)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Landscape Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Landscape photography information
Sony W690 Landscape photography information
45
manual focus
pretty wide (24mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.4)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
bad battery pack (210 shots)
doesn't have Timelapse function
43
decently wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (16MP)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
manual exposure not possible
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
missing Timelapse mode
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Vlogging information
Sony W690 Vlogging information
29
pretty wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
slow maximum aperture (f3.4)
screen isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have microphone socket
31
decently wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detect focusing
slow max aperture (f3.3)
does not contain selfie friendly display
video quality not great (1280 x 720 resolution)
missing microphone port
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Canon SX520 HS vs Sony W690 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SX520 HS and Sony W690
 Canon PowerShot SX520 HSSony Cyber-shot DSC-W690
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Sony
Model Canon PowerShot SX520 HS Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2014-07-29 2012-02-28
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Digic 4+ BIONZ
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 3200 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 9 -
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 24-1008mm (42.0x) 25-250mm (10.0x)
Max aperture f/3.4-6.0 f/3.3-5.9
Macro focus distance 0cm 5cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of display 461 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech - ClearPhoto TFT LCD display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 15s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed 2.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 5.50 m 3.30 m
Flash options Auto, on, off, slow synchro Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 441 gr (0.97 lbs) 142 gr (0.31 lbs)
Dimensions 120 x 82 x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") 94 x 56 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 210 photos 220 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NB-6LH NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Retail cost $219 $297