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Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100 Comparison

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Canon SX30 IS

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Canon SX30 IS
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Sony RX100

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony RX100
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Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon SX30 IS, which was introduced in September 2010 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3" sensor whereas Sony RX100, which was introduced in August 2012 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1" sensor. There is 23 months difference between SX30 IS and RX100 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger RX100, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon SX30 IS Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2010-09-14
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.7" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 601g. 123 x 92 x 108 mm
  • Replaced Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Compare

Sony RX100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-08-28
  • 20MP - 1" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240g. 102 x 58 x 36 mm

Canon SX30 IS was replaced by Canon PowerShot SX40 HS. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS vs Canon PowerShot SX30 IS
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Sony RX100 was replaced by Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II vs Canon PowerShot SX30 IS

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot SX30 IS over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter
1/3200s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 28mm 4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
840mm vs 100mm 740 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
35× vs 3.6x more flexible focal coverage
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 over Canon PowerShot SX30 IS
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 14 MP 42% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 1.600 1500% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 9 16 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.229k dots vs 230k dots 434% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Weight
240 g vs 601 g 361 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide
1.80 vs 2.70 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.90 vs 5.80 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
5.82µm2 vs 2.01µm2 189% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

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 Sony RX100 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). Sony RX100 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 36 mm (4 x 2.29 x 1.41″) and weighs 240 g (0.53 lb / 8.47 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100. Sony RX100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 21mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 72mm thinner than Canon SX30 IS.

Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100 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. Sony RX100 is significantly lighter (361g ) than the Canon SX30 IS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

SX30 IS
RX100
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

SX30 IS
RX100
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon PowerShot SX30 IS nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 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

Sony RX100'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, Sony RX100 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to SX30 IS.
Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100: Sensor Comparison

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, Sony RX100 has a 20.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Sony RX100's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon SX30 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 SX30 IS and RX100 sensor size comparison.

Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100 Cameras


As seen above, Sony RX100 has a 4.1x 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 vs Sony RX100 Lens Specs Comparison

Canon SX30 IS features a 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 35× zoom lens whereas Sony RX100 features a 28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 3.6x zoom lens.

Canon SX30 IS has 4mm wider coverage than the Sony RX100. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Sony RX100 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Canon SX30 IS has 740mm longer reach than the Sony RX100. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Sony RX100 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

SX30 IS
RX100
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

SX30 IS
RX100
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

SX30 IS
RX100
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

SX30 IS
RX100
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX30 IS and Sony RX100 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

AVERAGE

Sony RX100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony RX100 for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX100 for Sports Photography

POOR
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
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
25 Focus Points
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX100 for Daily Photography

GOOD
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
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
240g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
3.6X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony RX100 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS vs Sony RX100: OUR DECISION

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 Sony RX100, 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 Sony RX100 scores compare:

Canon SX30 IS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #626 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Sony RX100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #42 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #380 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony RX100 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon SX30 IS in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Canon SX30 IS
Canon SX30 IS
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Sony RX100
Sony RX100
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Sony RX100 vs Canon SX30 IS Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon PowerShot SX30 IS Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Brand Canon Sony
Announced 2010-09-14 2012-08-28
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3" 1"
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 28.07mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 25,600 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 24-840 mm (35×) 28-100 mm (3.6x)
Max Aperture F2.7-5.8 F1.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range 0cm 5cm
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 2.7" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/3200s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.80 m n/a
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080
Video Formats Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Eye-Fi Connected Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 601g 240g
Dimensions 123 x 92 x 108mm 102 x 58 x 36mm
Battery Life n/a 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 66
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.6
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 390
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