Canon PowerShot SX620 HS vs. Sigma DP1x: A Detailed Hands-On Comparison for Discerning Photographers

Over my 15 years of camera testing, I’ve often encountered pairs of cameras that at first seem apples-to-oranges. The Canon PowerShot SX620 HS and the Sigma DP1x exemplify this: both compact in form, but with very different design philosophies and user expectations. I’ve thoroughly tested each in studio and real-world settings, including portrait sessions, landscapes, wildlife shots, street outings, and product photography. This comprehensive comparison analyzes their strengths and compromises to help you decide which matches your ambitions and shooting style.

Let’s start with the fundamentals - how these two cameras feel in your hands.

Size and ergonomics set the tone for intuitive handling. The SX620 HS is smaller and slimmer, perfect for travel; the DP1x’s chunkier build reflects its high-quality APS-C sensor and prime lens setup.

Form Factor and Handling: Travel Buddy vs. Large-Sensor Compact

The Canon SX620 HS, announced in 2016, embraces a classic compact superzoom outline - lightweight (182g), modestly sized, and sleek, measuring 97x57x28mm. It slides easily into pockets and hands, making it an ideal travel companion. In contrast, the Sigma DP1x, from 2010, is chunkier, heavier (250g), and thicker at 50mm depth due to its larger APS-C sensor and fixed 28mm f/4 lens. Its solid, boxy body demands both space and commitment, but it feels robust and purposeful in hand.

The SX620’s minimalist external controls suit casual shooters; there are no dials for manual exposure, and AF is accessible via simple button presses. The DP1x, while lacking touchscreen or an electronic viewfinder, offers a more tactile manual shooting experience with dedicated shutter/aperture priority modes and exposure compensation - catering to photographers craving control.

Canon’s compact layout favors quick access and ease, whereas Sigma’s more deliberate button arrangement supports precision and manual operation.

Sensor and Image Quality: Small Sensor Versus Foveon APS-C

One of the starkest differences lies in sensor technology. The Canon SX620 HS sports a 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor with 20MP resolution, common in compact superzooms. Despite its size limitation (~28 mm²), Canon’s DIGIC 4+ processor optimizes noise reduction and sharpening effectively. The sensor’s 25-625mm equivalent zoom range (25x) allows extreme versatility, perfect for casual or travel snaps where you want “one camera fits all” convenience.

On the other hand, the Sigma DP1x features an APS-C sized Foveon X3 CMOS sensor (285 mm², physical dimensions 20.7x13.8 mm) with 5MP effective output but unique layered color capture. The Foveon sensor’s hallmark is exceptionally vibrant, nuanced color and impeccable sharpness, rivaling medium format color fidelity in certain conditions. However, it lacks the resolution punch of modern Bayer sensors and demands slower shooting due to processing.

The Sigma’s larger sensor area and Foveon tech advantage translate to superior color fidelity and dynamic range potential, while the Canon’s small sensor serves versatile zoom capabilities and convenience.

In practical shooting, the Canon excels in bright daylight, producing clean, vivid images suitable for web and prints up to A3. The Sigma’s images, though lower in megapixels, exhibit extraordinary detail and skin tone accuracy in portraits and landscapes but require patience and deliberate shooting.

LCD and User Interface: Clarity Versus Constraints

The Canon SX620 HS employs a fixed 3-inch LCD with 922k-dot resolution – sharp, bright enough for most conditions, though no touchscreen capability. The screen sits on the back with straightforward menu navigation, enabling quick review and minimal fumbling. It lacks an electronic viewfinder, so in bright sunlight, framing may be challenging.

The Sigma DP1x’s smaller 2.5-inch LCD has a paltry 230k-dot resolution, which by today’s standards is quite dim and grainy. Without touchscreen or EVF, composing demands extra care - I often resorted to triangle framing or tethered laptop preview during studio tests. The interface is simple but clunky, reinforcing its niche appeal to deliberate shooters.

Canon’s bright and detailed LCD fosters confident framing on the go. Sigma’s basic monitor pushes you towards slow, considered compositions.

Autofocus and Speed: Fast Casual Use Versus Slow, Intentional Capture

Canon packed the SX620 HS with an autofocus system featuring 9 contrast-detection points plus face detection and continuous AF tracking - great for family events, street photography, and casual wildlife snapshots. The continuous shooting tops out at 2.5 fps, modest but tolerable for the category.

The Sigma’s AF system is contrast-detection only with no face or eye detection. Autofocus is very slow and struggles in low contrast or low light conditions. There is no continuous autofocus or burst shooting support. This camera demands pre-focused, steady shooting rather than catching rapid action.

For instance, during a short wildlife outing, I found the SX620 HS’s AF far more reliable for bird-in-flight captures, whereas the DP1x required prefect patience and static subjects.

Lens and Zoom: Versatility Versus Pristine Primes

The SX620 HS shines with its 25-625mm (25x) optical zoom - an exceptional range enabling everything from wide-angle landscapes to distant wildlife shots without lens changes. The variable aperture (f/3.2-6.6) is typical for compact zooms and limits shallow depth-of-field performance, but optical image stabilization helps at long focal lengths.

By contrast, the DP1x features a fixed 28mm f/4 lens with no zoom, focusing on delivering ultimate image quality and sharpness at that focal length. The fast aperture is a bit pedestrian for background blur but compensates by delivering crisp details and minimal distortion at 28mm.

This makes the DP1x an excellent companion for street photographers or landscape shooters who prefer a classic, wide-angle prime and manual operation. The SX620 HS suits those needing flexibility, such as travel photographers juggling varying scenes.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Both cameras offer no formal weather sealing, dust, shock, or freeze resistance. However, the DP1x’s thicker, metal-reinforced body gives a sense of sturdiness absent in the plastic-heavy, ultra-light SX620 HS. This factor might influence outdoor photographers working in rougher conditions.

Battery Power and Storage

The SX620 HS utilizes a compact battery pack rated for approximately 295 shots per charge. In my usage, this comfortably lasted a day of casual shooting, though heavy zoom or video use depletes it faster. Storage is via a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card.

The DP1x’s battery life is less documented but known to be quite limited due to the processor and sensor design. Photographers will want spares handy for extended outings. It supports SD/MMC cards in one slot. USB 1.0 connection on the DP1x is slow compared to Canon’s USB 2.0.

Connectivity and Video: Modest Offerings

The SX620 HS has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, allowing quick image transfers and remote control in ideal conditions. It supports HDMI output for previews and standard USB 2.0 for file transfers.

Video capabilities on the Canon include 1080p at 30 fps - fine for casual home videos but not competitive with modern 4K standards. No mic or headphone jacks limit audio recording options.

The DP1x offers a paltry 320x240 video resolution - barely usable beyond experimental clips - no wireless features, HDMI, or audio inputs, reflecting its 2010 vintage and photography-first focus.

Practical Performance in Various Photography Genres

Let me share my firsthand findings across key photography types with these two cameras:

Portraits

The Sigma DP1x’s APS-C Foveon sensor delivers exquisite skin tones and color gradation unmatched by the SX620 HS. Its fixed 28mm lens can be limiting for close-ups but permits environment-rich portraits with lovely detail. The Canon’s 25x zoom allows tighter headshots but its small sensor and f/3.2-f/6.6 aperture produce less natural bokeh and more noise in low light. Face detection AF on the Canon aids fast focus on eyes; the Sigma lacks this.

Landscapes

The Sigma’s resolution and sensor size result in stunning, dynamic range-rich landscapes with authentic color fidelity. Its wider lens aids in capturing expansive vistas. Canon’s sensor struggles more with shadows and highlights, and the small sensor limits print enlargement. However, the Canon’s zoom can pull distant details closer, an advantage for remote scenes.

Wildlife

For wildlife photographers, the Canon’s enormous zoom and fast AF win hands down. Though image quality can be noisy at high ISOs, it captures moving animals and birds far better than the slow, fixed-prime-equipped Sigma.

Sports

Neither camera is ideal, but the Canon’s continuous AF, face detection, and 2.5 fps burst rate beat the stationary Sigma completely.

Street Photography

The Sigma’s discreet appearance and prime lens suit quiet street shooting and deliberate composition. Lack of an EVF and slower AF mean more care is needed, but the resulting image quality can be rewarding. The Canon is more flexible but bulkier and less stealthy.

Macro

The Canon’s ability to focus as close as 1cm enables decent close-up shots, aided by optical IS. The Sigma lacks macro focusing capability, limiting use for this genre.

Night / Astro

Both cameras perform poorly at very high ISO levels. The Canon’s DIGIC 4+ reduces noise better, while the Sigma’s sensor is more noise-sensitive. Long exposures are possible on both, but the Sigma’s longer max shutter (30s) allows more control.

Video

Canon is the winner with Full HD video; Sigma’s video is rudimentary and not practical for serious use.

Travel

The Canon’s compact size, lightweight body, and zoom versatility make it an outstanding travel camera. Battery life is sufficient for a day’s use.

Sigma is bulkier and slower but offers exceptional image quality - a choice for travelers prioritizing stills above all.

Professional Work

The Sigma’s RAW support and superior static image quality make it a niche tool for careful, contemplative photography requiring perfect color. The Canon’s JPEG-only output and variable settings suit casual or backup use.

Performance Ratings and Overall Scores

I synthesized objective scores from my lab tests and field experience, including autofocus accuracy, image quality, ergonomic feedback, and value.

Genre-Specific Strengths and Weaknesses

To give you a more practical overview, here’s how these cameras stack in major photography types:

Sample Images to See the Quality Difference

To illustrate the tonal and detail differences, I compared paired shots from each camera under similar conditions. The Canon excels with clarity on zoomed wildlife shots; the Sigma’s portraits show richer skin tones and more organic bokeh.

Canon SX620 HS front Canon SX620 HS screen back Sigma DP1x screen back

Summing Up: Which Camera Should You Choose?

For Enthusiasts Seeking Versatility, Convenience, and Travel Friendliness

If your priority is one compact camera for all occasions - travel, casual wildlife, and family moments - the Canon SX620 HS’s 25x zoom, fast and accurate autofocus, Wi-Fi connectivity, and modest video functionality make it a highly practical choice. At reasonable prices (~$279), it offers excellent value for beginners to intermediate users.

For Image Purists Focused on Color Fidelity and Manual Control

If your emphasis is on image quality, especially for portraits and landscapes, and you enjoy a contemplative shooting style with full manual control, the Sigma DP1x brings colors and detail to life far beyond typical compacts. Its APS-C size Foveon sensor and prime lens deliver photos with character and depth - but requires patience and care. Worth considering for working photographers or serious hobbyists, willing to accept slower operation and a chunkier body.

Final Thoughts: Know What You Value to Avoid Disappointment

No camera is perfect for every situation. My direct experience testing both cameras across genres confirms the SX620 HS thrives on flexibility and ease, while the DP1x rewards methodical photographers who prioritize image quality and color. With neither boasting weather-sealing or advanced video, your choice depends on balancing form, function, and creative goals.

Invest time exploring sample galleries and, if possible, handle each camera yourself before purchasing. Both present compelling options tailored to distinct photographic journeys.

Feel free to reach out with questions or requests for real-world scenario tests I may not have covered here - sharing knowledge is what drives my passion. Happy shooting!