Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon SX30 IS has external dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25″) and weighs 601 g (1.32 lb / 21.20 oz) (including batteries). Sigma DP3 Merrill has external dimensions of 122 x 67 x 59 mm (4.8 x 2.64 x 2.32″) and weighs 330 g (0.73 lb / 11.64 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill. Sigma DP3 Merrill is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 1mm narrower, 25mm shorter and 24mm thinner than Canon SX30 IS.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Sigma DP3 Merrill is significantly lighter (271g ) than the Canon SX30 IS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Weight Comparison
Compact Cameras
Thickness Comparison
Compact Cameras
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither Canon PowerShot SX30 IS nor Sigma DP3 Merrill provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Sigma DP3 Merrill's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SX30 IS's 2.7" screen.
On the other hand, Canon SX30 IS sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Sigma DP3 Merrill has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to SX30 IS.
Canon SX30 IS has a 14.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Digic 4 processor. On the other hand, Sigma DP3 Merrill has a 15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual TRUE II engine processor.
Below you can see the SX30 IS and DP3 Merrill sensor size comparison.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill Cameras
As seen above, Sigma DP3 Merrill has a 13.7x Larger sensor area than Canon SX30 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.
Canon SX30 IS features a 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 35× zoom lens whereas Sigma DP3 Merrill features a 75 mm F2.8 Prime lens.
It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Canon SX30 IS's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Sigma DP3 Merrill's 75mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, DP3 Merrill's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens.
On the tele end, Canon SX30 IS has 765mm longer reach than the Sigma DP3 Merrill. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Sigma DP3 Merrill is faster at tele end.
Wide Coverage
DSLR-Like Cameras
Telezoom
Large Sensor Compact Cameras
Max Aperture at Tele
Large Sensor Compact Cameras
Max Aperture at Wide
Large Sensor Compact Cameras
In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.
Canon SX30 IS for Portrait Photography
Sigma DP3 Merrill for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Street Photography
Sigma DP3 Merrill for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
75 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Sports Photography
Sigma DP3 Merrill for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
840 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/s
Unknown Focus Points
75 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Daily Photography
Sigma DP3 Merrill for Daily Photography
35.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
601g
Body Thickness 108mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
330g
Body Thickness 84mm
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Landscape Photography
Sigma DP3 Merrill for Landscape Photography
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
75 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details
You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.
Here is a summary of how Canon SX30 IS and Sigma DP3 Merrill scores compare:
Canon SX30 IS
Ranked
#69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked
#626 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Sigma DP3 Merrill
Ranked
#54 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked
#701 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Canon SX30 IS has a higher Overall Score than the Sigma DP3 Merrill and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.
| General |
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS |
Sigma DP3 Merrill |
| Brand |
Canon |
Sigma |
| Announced |
2010-09-14 |
2013-01-08 |
| Body Type |
SLR-like (bridge) |
Large sensor compact |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CCD |
CMOS (Foveon X3) |
| Size |
1/2.3" |
APS-C |
| Dimensions |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
24 x 16 mm |
| Area |
28.07mm2 |
384.00mm2 |
| Megapixels |
14 megapixels |
15 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
4320 x 3240 |
4704 x 3136 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
1,600 ISO |
6,400 ISO |
| Min Native Light sensitivity |
80 ISO |
100 ISO |
| RAW Support |
|
|
Autofocus |
|
|
| AF Touch |
|
|
| AF Continuous |
|
|
| AF Single |
|
|
| AF Tracking |
|
|
| AF Selective |
|
|
| AF Center |
|
|
| AF Multi Area |
|
|
| AF Live View |
|
|
| AF Face Detection |
|
|
| AF Contrast Detection |
|
|
| AF Phase Detection |
|
|
| Number of Focus Points |
9 |
n/a |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
fixed lens |
| Lens Focal Range |
24-840 mm (35×) |
75 mm (1×) |
| Max Aperture |
F2.7-5.8 |
F2.8 |
| Macro Focus Range |
0cm |
n/a |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fully Articulated |
Fixed type |
| Size |
2.7" |
3" |
| Resolution |
230k dots |
920k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
Electronic |
None |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/3200s |
n/a |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Optical |
No |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Flash Range |
6.80 m |
no built-in flash |
| External Flash |
|
|
| Continuous Shooting |
1.0 fps |
4.0 fps |
| Multi-Segment |
|
|
| Average |
|
|
| Spot |
|
|
| Partial |
|
|
| AF-Area |
|
|
| Center Weighted |
|
|
| AE Bracketing |
|
|
| WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
| Max Video Resolution |
1280 x 720 |
640 x 480 |
| Video Formats |
Motion JPEG |
Motion JPEG |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
Eye-Fi Connected |
None |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
601g |
330g |
| Dimensions |
123 x 92 x 108mm |
122 x 67 x 59mm |
| Battery Life |
n/a |
n/a |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |