Clicky

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20

Portability
69
Imaging
41
Features
48
Overall
43
Canon PowerShot SX530 HS front
 
Pentax Optio VS20 front
Portability
90
Imaging
39
Features
35
Overall
37

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Key Specs

Canon SX530 HS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1200mm (F3.4-6.5) lens
  • 442g - 120 x 82 x 92mm
  • Introduced January 2015
  • Previous Model is Canon SX520 HS
Pentax VS20
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-560mm (F3.1-4.8) lens
  • 235g - 111 x 61 x 38mm
  • Announced January 2012
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Overview

In this article, we will be analyzing the Canon SX530 HS and Pentax VS20, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by rivals Canon and Pentax. The image resolution of the SX530 HS (16MP) and the VS20 (16MP) is pretty close and they possess the same exact sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SX530 HS was launched 2 years after the VS20 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Canon SX530 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick view of how the SX530 HS grades vs the VS20 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing
	
	

Reasons to pick Canon SX530 HS over the Pentax VS20

 SX530 HS VS20 
AnnouncedJanuary 2015January 2012More modern by 36 months
Screen resolution461k460kSharper screen (+1k dot)

Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Canon SX530 HS

 VS20 SX530 HS 

Common features in the Canon SX530 HS and Pentax VS20

 SX530 HS VS20 
Focus manually Very accurate focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen dimensions
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch screen Neither has Touch screen

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Physical Comparison

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX530 HS has outer dimensions of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") with a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs) whilst the Pentax VS20 has dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Check the Canon SX530 HS and Pentax VS20 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the SX530 HS against the VS20.

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SX530 HS and VS20 is 69 and 90 respectively.

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 top view buttons comparison

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is very hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes only by viewing technical specs. The picture underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX530 HS and VS20.

As you have seen, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing and the exact same megapixels so you can expect comparable quality of files though you should take the age of the cameras into account. The younger SX530 HS should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 sensor size comparison

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SX530 HS Portrait photography information
Pentax VS20 Portrait photography information
44
manual focus
resolution is good (16MP)
includes face detection focus
external flash not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
36
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
lack of manual mode
external flash not possible
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Street Comparison

Canon SX530 HS Street photography factors
Pentax VS20 Street photography factors
47
has image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
61
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition (235g)
screen does not articulate
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Sports Comparison

Canon SX530 HS Sports photography highlights
Pentax VS20 Sports photography highlights
51
excellent zoom range (24-1200mm 50.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
includes tracking autofocus
sensor has phase detect auto focus
max frames per second low (1.6 frames per second)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
low battery pack (210 per charge)
44
great zoom range (28-560mm 20.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
includes tracking focus
max frames per second low (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Travel Comparison

Canon SX530 HS Travel photography features
Pentax VS20 Travel photography features
55
resolution is good (16MP)
flash built-in
quite wide (24mm)
very long reach (1200mm)
lack of Timelapse mode
low battery pack (210 shots)
does not feature selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f3.4)
68
lighter than competition (235g)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
has built in flash
reasonably wide (28mm)
great zoom (560mm)
missing Timelapse function
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Canon SX530 HS
Landscape photography with Pentax VS20
46
manual focus
quite wide (24mm)
screen is a good size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16MP)
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.4)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
low battery pack (210 shots)
lack of Timelapse mode
47
focusing manually
reasonably wide (28mm)
screen size is good (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
lack of manual mode
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
missing Timelapse function
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX530 HS as a Vlogging camera
Pentax VS20 as a Vlogging camera
29
quite wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
slow max aperture (f3.4)
does not feature selfie friendly display
lack of external microphone port
30
reasonably wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition (235 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
missing microphone support
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Canon SX530 HS vs Pentax VS20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SX530 HS and Pentax VS20
 Canon PowerShot SX530 HSPentax Optio VS20
General Information
Brand Name Canon Pentax
Model Canon PowerShot SX530 HS Pentax Optio VS20
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2015-01-06 2012-01-25
Physical type SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor Information
Processor DIGIC 4+ -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Maximum native ISO 3200 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 9 3
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 24-1200mm (50.0x) 28-560mm (20.0x)
Maximum aperture f/3.4-6.5 f/3.1-4.8
Macro focus range 0cm 3cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.9
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 461k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 15s 4s
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000s 1/2500s
Continuous shooting rate 1.6 frames per sec 1.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 5.50 m 2.80 m
Flash modes Auto, on, off, slow synchro Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 442 gr (0.97 pounds) 235 gr (0.52 pounds)
Dimensions 120 x 82 x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around 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 -
Battery style Battery Pack -
Battery model NB-6LH D-LI122
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Launch cost $379 $106