Canon SX40 HS features a 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 35× zoom lens whereas Canon SX20 IS features a 28-560 mm F2.8-5.7 20× zoom lens.
Canon SX40 HS has 4mm wider coverage than the Canon SX20 IS. At f2.70, it is also faster at widest end.
On the tele end, Canon SX40 HS has 280mm longer reach than the Canon SX20 IS. However, with a max aperture of f5.70, Canon SX20 IS is faster at tele end.
Wide Coverage
DSLR-Like Cameras
Telezoom
DSLR-Like Cameras
Max Aperture at Tele
DSLR-Like Cameras
Max Aperture at Wide
DSLR-Like Cameras
In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX40 HS and Canon SX20 IS 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 SX40 HS for Portrait Photography
Canon SX20 IS for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Canon SX40 HS for Street Photography
Canon SX20 IS for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 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
Canon SX40 HS for Sports Photography
Canon SX20 IS for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
840 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
560 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: f5.70
Read the details
Canon SX40 HS for Daily Photography
Canon SX20 IS 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
600g
Body Thickness 108mm
Read the details
20.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
600g
Body Thickness 87mm
Read the details
Canon SX40 HS for Landscape Photography
Canon SX20 IS for Landscape Photography
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
You may have already made your decision regarding which camera best suits your needs and budget. However, if you're curious about how we rated the Canon SX40 HS and the Canon SX20 IS, below you'll find their scores across five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 SX40 HS and Canon SX20 IS scores compare:
Canon SX40 HS
Ranked
#45 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked
#593 out of 1282 in all Cameras
Canon SX20 IS
Ranked
#69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked
#704 out of 1282 in all Cameras
Canon SX40 HS has a higher Overall Score than the Canon SX20 IS and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.
General |
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS |
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS |
Brand |
Canon |
Canon |
Announced |
2011-09-15 |
2010-07-06 |
Body Type |
SLR-like (bridge) |
SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor |
|
|
Type |
BSI-CMOS |
CCD |
Size |
1/2.3-inch |
1/2.3-inch |
Dimensions |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
Area |
28.07mm2 |
28.07mm2 |
Megapixels |
12 megapixels |
12 megapixels |
Max Resolution |
4000 x 3000 |
4000 x 3000 |
Max Native Light sensitivity |
3,200 ISO |
1,600 ISO |
Min Native Light sensitivity |
100 ISO |
80 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 |
9 |
Lens |
|
|
Manual Focus |
|
|
Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
fixed lens |
Lens Focal Range |
24-840 mm (35×) |
28-560 mm (20×) |
Max Aperture |
F2.7-5.8 |
F2.8-5.7 |
Macro Focus Range |
0cm |
0cm |
Screen |
|
|
Type |
Fully Articulated |
Fully Articulated |
Size |
2.70" |
2.50" |
Resolution |
230k dots |
230k dots |
Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
Viewfinder |
Electronic |
Electronic |
Photography Features |
|
|
Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/3200s |
1/3200s |
Shutter Priority |
|
|
Aperture Priority |
|
|
Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
Custom White Balance |
|
|
Built-in Image Stabilization |
Optical |
Optical |
Built-in Flash |
|
|
Flash Range |
7.00 m |
6.80 m |
Max Flash Sync |
1/2000s |
1/500s |
External Flash |
|
|
Continuous Shooting |
10.0 fps |
1.0 fps |
Multi-Segment Metering |
|
|
Average Metering |
|
|
Spot Metering |
|
|
Partial Metering |
|
|
AF-Area Metering |
|
|
Center Weighted Metering |
|
|
AE Bracketing |
|
|
WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
Max Video Resolution |
1920 x 1080 |
1280 x 720 |
Video Formats |
MPEG-4, H.264 |
H.264 |
Microphone Port |
|
|
Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
Wireless Connectivity |
Eye-Fi Connected |
None |
HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
Environmental Sealing |
|
|
Weight |
600g |
600g |
Dimensions |
123 x 92 x 108mm |
128 x 88 x 87mm |
Battery Life |
380 shots |
n/a |
Other Features |
|
|
Timelapse Recording |
|
|
GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |