Canon SX160 IS

Canon SX160 IS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially revealed on June of 2013. It includes a 16 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4608 x 3456.

Canon brought out this model as a way to upgrade the earlier Canon SX150 IS (Read Full Comparison) and subsequently brought out the fresher Canon SX170 IS (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to upgrade this camera.

The SX160 IS is ranked #98 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all around #615 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can try our Advanced camera filter to get camera results based on your customized factors.

Below is a diagram of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

The Canon SX160 IS is part of a family of digital cameras. You can view the complete range below.

You can check the SX160 IS from several angles in the gallery below.

Below is a shortlist of benefits and drawbacks of the Canon SX160 IS based on features that are typically seen as necessary in a digital camera.

The Canon SX160 IS houses the Digic 4 processor chip. The size of the sensor on the Canon SX160 IS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization since the latter may cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 16 megapixels and features a standard ISO range of 100 to 1600. Sadly, RAW photos are not saved so the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The picture below displays the SX160 IS's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The SX160 IS sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

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To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Canon SX160 IS weighs 0.64 lbs (291g or 10.26 ounces) and the measurement of the camera is 111mm x 73mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.9" x 1.7"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g and the Canon SX160 IS is lighter when compared to its rivals.

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Below is a visual of the Canon SX160 IS alongside a soda to help you have a sense of its scale.

The top view below will show the button arrangement on the SX160 IS.

The SX160 IS houses a fixed lens featuring a focal range of 28-448mm giving it a 16.0 x zoom which is outstanding and is going to allow you to zoom right in.

At the widest 28mm, it will have an aperture of f3.5 which is rather slow and not great in low light conditions and you might find it difficult to capture good bokeh. You will also have to boost the ISO setting causing noisy shots. At the tele end, 448mm is excellent zoom and comes to f5.9 which is very slow and you will need to go with slower shutter speeds.

The SX160 IS has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes

Cameras that have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can send images and in some cases adjust settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.

Several applications even enable a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it can easily be hooked up to an external display. The majority of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB port.

The highest video resolution on the Canon SX160 IS is 1280 x 720 and it can shoot in H.264 file format. 720p is awful by today's standards. You really should go for at least FUll HD resolution for video. The camera doesn't include a mic and headphone socket so you get little control over your sound. It is perhaps a better idea to buy a different camera should you want better sound in your videos.

Canon SX160 IS doesn't include weather sealing so rainy conditions might affect the camera.

The Canon SX160 IS includes a 3" fixed display screen supporting a resolution of 230k dots.

Please note that the display offers no touch support.

Photography Glossary

The View Finder specs regarding Canon SX160 IS are the following:

• ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and hard to view, viewfinders will be very useful.

Canon SX160 IS continuous shooting speed is 1.0 fps. The max shutter speed is 1/3200 seconds.

Canon SX160 IS boasts only built in flash without external flash ability. The max flash sync speed is 1/2000 seconds.

Canon SX160 IS boasts just Contrast Based Auto Focus and lacks Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and accurate when compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera includes Face detection which is valuable for people photography.

It also boasts Tracking Auto Focus for moving things. Canon SX160 IS features manual focusing in case it is needed during low light scenarios or you want more precise control on focusing.

The battery power (2 x AA) for the Canon SX160 IS is made to last for 380 photographs with respect to the CIPA standards which is above standard in comparison to its category. The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR comes with the highest (600) battery life within this type of cameras.

Listed below is a listing of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
SX160 IS vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
SX160 IS vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
SX160 IS vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
SX160 IS vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
SX160 IS vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following chart provides a analysis of the Canon SX160 IS for specific categories of photography. To learn more, have a look at the specific section below.

The Canon SX160 IS has a rating of 46 which is modest, and means the camera is relatively suitable to use for portrait photography. Shooting portraits leans greatly towards sensor specs, support for RAW photos plus the flexibility to use external lighting.

Having a reasonable points total of 59, the Canon SX160 IS is somewhat appropriate for street photography. A decent street photography camera comes with a perfect balance of image quality and portability.

A moderate sports photography score of 51 indicates the Canon SX160 IS is fairly appropriate for shooting sports. A camera should have great autofocus plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

Size is really critical in choosing a travel camera. Over-all, the Canon SX160 IS gets a very good 69 for a travel camera which makes it a respectable option to take with you on your trips.

If you find yourself planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the most essential factor will no doubt be image quality. The Canon SX160 IS at it's modest rating of 51 as a landscape camera is relatively acceptable within the current marketplace.

A vlogging camera should posses a moving display screen, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering every thing, the Canon SX160 IS is not suitable as a vlog camera as it delivers a bad rating of 31.

If you need replacements to the SX160 IS, below is a selection of the top placed cameras that fall within the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram just below offers you a bird's eye view of the SX160 IS versus it's highest rated competitors mentioned earlier.

Following are several cameras you may take a look at as alternative options. To read a thorough comparison, just click on the "compare" link.