Canon SX540 HS vs Sony A6100

Here is a complete assessment of the Canon SX540 HS vs Sony A6100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Canon and Sony. The image resolution of the SX540 HS (20MP) and the A6100 (24MP) is pretty close but the SX540 HS (1/2.3") and A6100 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SX540 HS was announced 4 years earlier than the A6100 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX540 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A6100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the SX540 HS matches up against the A6100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX540 HS & Sony Alpha a6100. The whole galleries are provided at Canon SX540 HS Gallery & Sony A6100 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Canon SX540 HS offers physical dimensions of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") and a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs) whilst the Sony A6100 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs).

Contrast the Canon SX540 HS vs Sony A6100 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the SX540 HS versus the A6100.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SX540 HS and A6100 is 69 and 81 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The visual underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SX540 HS and A6100.

As you have seen, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SX540 HS with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A6100 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older SX540 HS will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.