Canon SX740 HS vs Sony a5100

Lets look much closer at the Canon SX740 HS and Sony a5100, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Canon and Sony. The image resolution of the SX740 HS (21MP) and the a5100 (24MP) is very well matched but the SX740 HS (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SX740 HS was introduced 4 years after the a5100 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX740 HS being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the SX740 HS scores vs the a5100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and Sony Alpha a5100. The whole galleries are available at Canon SX740 HS Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Canon SX740 HS comes with external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.6") with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs) while the Sony a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX740 HS and Sony a5100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the SX740 HS vs the a5100.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SX740 HS and a5100 is 88 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes merely by looking at a spec sheet. The picture below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SX740 HS and a5100.

Clearly, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SX740 HS using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony a5100 will give extra detail using its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The newer SX740 HS will have a benefit in sensor innovation.