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 A99 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 A99 has external dimensions of 147 x 111 x 78 mm (5.79 x 4.37 x 3.07″) and weighs 812 g (1.79 lb / 28.64 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX30 IS and Sony A99. Canon SX30 IS is 24mm narrower and 19mm shorter than Sony A99 but it is also 30mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon SX30 IS has a built-in lens but Sony A99 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A99, its thickness will increase significantly.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Sony A99 Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Sony A99 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.
Canon SX30 IS is significantly lighter (211g ) than the Sony A99 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A99, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather sealed body of A99, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to SX30 IS.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Sony A99's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SX30 IS's 2.7" screen.
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 A99 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A99's sensor provides 10MP 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 A99 sensor size comparison.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Sony A99 Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Sony A99 Cameras
As seen above, Sony A99 has a 30.4x 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.
In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX30 IS and Sony A99 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
Sony A99 for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Street Photography
Sony A99 for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Sports Photography
Sony A99 for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
11 Cross Type Focus sensors
19 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Daily Photography
Sony A99 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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
812g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Landscape Photography
Sony A99 for Landscape Photography
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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
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 Sony A99, 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 A99 scores compare:
Canon SX30 IS
Ranked
#69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked
#626 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Sony A99
Ranked
#17 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked
#68 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Sony A99 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon SX30 IS in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon SX30 IS. Otherwise, Sony A99 is the better camera overall.
| General |
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS |
Sony SLT-A99 |
| Brand |
Canon |
Sony |
| Announced |
2010-09-14 |
2012-12-12 |
| Body Type |
SLR-like (bridge) |
Mid-size SLR |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CCD |
CMOS |
| Size |
1/2.3" |
Full frame |
| Dimensions |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
35.8 x 23.8 mm |
| Area |
28.07mm2 |
852.04mm2 |
| Megapixels |
14 megapixels |
24 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
4320 x 3240 |
6000 x 4000 |
| 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 |
19 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens Focal Range |
24-840 mm (35×) |
no lens |
| Max Aperture |
F2.7-5.8 |
no lens |
| Macro Focus Range |
0cm |
no lens |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fully Articulated |
Fully Articulated |
| Size |
2.7" |
3" |
| Resolution |
230k dots |
1,229k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
Electronic |
Electronic |
| Viewfinder Resolution |
n/a |
2,359k dots |
| Viewfinder Coverage |
n/a |
100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification |
n/a |
0.71x |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/3200s |
1/8000s |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Optical |
Sensor-shift |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Flash Range |
6.80 m |
no built-in flash |
| Max Flash Sync |
n/a |
1/250s |
| 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, H.264 |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
Eye-Fi Connected |
None |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
601g |
812g |
| Dimensions |
123 x 92 x 108mm |
147 x 111 x 78mm |
| Battery Life |
n/a |
500 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
BuiltIn |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
| DxO Overall Score |
not tested |
89 |
| DxO Color Depth |
not tested |
25.0 |
| DxO Dynamic Range |
not tested |
14.0 |
| DxO Low Light ISO |
not tested |
1555 |
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |