Canon SX540 HS vs Nikon S9500

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Canon SX540 HS and Nikon S9500, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by brands Canon and Nikon. The image resolution of the SX540 HS (20MP) and the S9500 (18MP) is fairly comparable and both cameras have the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SX540 HS was introduced 2 years after the S9500 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX540 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Nikon S9500 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the SX540 HS matches up vs the S9500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX540 HS and Nikon Coolpix S9500. The whole galleries are provided at Canon SX540 HS Gallery and Nikon S9500 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon SX540 HS features outside dimensions of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") having a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs) while the Nikon S9500 has measurements of 110mm x 60mm x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs).

Look at the Canon SX540 HS and Nikon S9500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the SX540 HS compared to the S9500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the SX540 HS and S9500 is 69 and 92 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by checking out specs. The picture below should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX540 HS and S9500.

As you can plainly see, both cameras feature the identical sensor size but different megapixels. You should anticipate the Canon SX540 HS to provide greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher SX540 HS should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.