Canon SX120 IS has a
10.0MP 1/2.5-inch (5.744 x 4.308 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Digic 4 processor. On the other hand, Canon A2500 has a
16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor .
Canon A2500's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon SX120 IS's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the SX120 IS and A2500 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX120 IS and Canon A2500 Cameras
As seen above, Canon A2500 has a 1.1x Larger sensor area than Canon SX120 IS. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Canon SX120 IS
or the
Canon A2500 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1/2.5-inch versus 1/2.3-inch),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.