Canon SX20 IS

Canon SX20 IS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially introduced on July of 2010. The camera has a 12MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a max resolution of 4000 x 3000.

Canon brought out this model in an effort to update the previous Canon SX10 IS (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards brought out the newer Canon SX30 IS (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to replace this model.

The SX20 IS stands at #188 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & over-all #855 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should check our Advanced camera search to see camera results based on your customized requirements.

Here is a diagram of various factors used in the rating system.

The Canon SX20 IS is part of a family of cameras. You can read the full list underneath.

You can look at the SX20 IS from different angles in the gallery here.

Here is a collection of good and bad points of the Canon SX20 IS based on criterias which are often considered necessary in a digital camera.

The Canon SX20 IS features the Digic 4 processor. The specification of the sensor in the Canon SX20 IS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4000 x 3000 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera has Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is superior than digital stabilization as the latter might lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 12 megapixels and has a standard ISO range of 80 - 1600. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath displays the SX20 IS's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The SX20 IS sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is pointed out in green.

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To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Canon SX20 IS weighs in at 1.32 lb (600 gr / 21.16 ounces) & the physical size of the camera is 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr so the Canon SX20 IS is heavier as compared with its rivals.

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Here is a picture of the Canon SX20 IS besides a softdrink so you're able to get a sense of its size.

The top view just below will highlight the button layout on the SX20 IS.

The SX20 IS features a built in lens having a focal range of 28-560mm giving it a 20.0 x zoom which is huge and will allow you to zoom all the way in.

At it's widest 28mm, the lens has an aperture of f2.8 and that's really sluggish and not very good for low light situations and you might struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You might also need to boost your ISO producing noisy images. With the long end, 560mm is excellent zoom and comes to f5.7 which is fairly slow and you would have to choose slower shutter speeds.

The SX20 IS has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that contain NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You can transfer files and at times change settings with no need to connect straight with the camera.

Certain apps also allow a Liveview and hit the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external monitor. Many cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack using the USB port.

The max video quality in the Canon SX20 IS is 1280 x 720 and you can record in H.264 file format. 720p is awful for today's standards. You should really aim for a minimum 1080p quality for decent video. The body does not have a microphone or headphone socket which means that you have absolutely no control over the audio. It is perhaps best to order another model if you want decent audio for your videos.

There is no environment sealing in the Canon SX20 IS so you have to be careful in wet or dusty conditions.

The Canon SX20 IS has a 2.5 inch fully articulated display having a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

The screen is selfie friendly for self portraits and even group shots when required. Unfortunately the display isn't a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder details for Canon SX20 IS are the following:

• ViewFinder Electronic

Viewfinders can be rather helpful during sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to see.

Canon SX20 IS has the capability to shoot continuously at 1.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/3200s.

Canon SX20 IS has both in-built flash together with external flash support. The maximum flash sync is 1/500s.

Canon SX20 IS has only Contrast Detect Autofocus & does not have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more faster & precise as compared with Contrast Detect focusing.

It has 9 focus points to pick from. Canon SX20 IS features manual focus if needed during low light situations or you need to have more exact focus control.

The usual Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR comes with the maximum (600) battery life within this range of cameras.

Following is a list of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras having the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
SX20 IS vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
SX20 IS vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
SX20 IS vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
SX20 IS vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
SX20 IS vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following chart displays a summary of the Canon SX20 IS for various styles of photography. To view more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Canon SX20 IS receives a rating of 37 which is low, and means the camera is simply not acceptable for portrait photography. Shooting portrait images favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support in addition to the ability to work with external flash.

With a moderate rating of 49, the Canon SX20 IS is somewhat suited for street photography. A decent street photography camera provides a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.

A low sports photography points tally of 34 means the Canon SX20 IS is simply not acceptable for shooting sports. A camera must have good autofocus plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is super crucial in buying a travel camera. Over-all, the Canon SX20 IS gets a moderate 53 for a travelling camera which makes it fairly appropriate to buy for your vacations.

For anybody looking to buy a camera for landscape photographs, the most important aspect is going to be image quality. The Canon SX20 IS with it's low rating of 35 as a landscape camera is simply not acceptable within the current market.

A camera for vlogging preferably should come with a moving screen, mic port and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things into account, the Canon SX20 IS is reasonably adequate for vlogging as it comes to a moderate rating of 50.

If you are shopping for alternatives to the SX20 IS, here is a range of the top rated cameras which fall under the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph down below shows you an overview of the SX20 IS versus it's highest ranked competitors suggested previously.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might view as alternate options. To check out a extensive comparison, simply click the "compare" link.