Canon SX50 HS has a
12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor. On the other hand, Canon 1200D has a
18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 4 processor.
Canon 1200D's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon SX50 HS'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 SX50 HS and 1200D sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX50 HS and Canon 1200D Cameras
As seen above, Canon 1200D has a 11.8x Larger sensor area than Canon SX50 HS. 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.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon SX50 HS and Canon 1200D sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 1200D has a better overall score of 63, 16 points higher compared to SX50 HS's score of 47.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon SX50 HS
47
20.3 bits
11.2 Evs
179 ISO
Canon 1200D
63
21.9 bits
11.3 Evs
724 ISO
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 SX50 HS
or the
Canon 1200D ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1/2.3-inch versus APS-C),
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.
