Canon SX540 HS vs Sony RX10 Comparison

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Canon SX540 HS

20 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Sony RX10

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

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Canon SX540 HS vs Sony RX10 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Bridge cameras from Canon and Sony. Canon SX540 HS was introduced to market in January 2016 and Sony RX10 was launched in March 2014. There is 22 months difference between SX540 HS and RX10 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger SX540 HS, especially in sensor tech.

Both cameras have 20.0MP sensors but Canon SX540 HS's sensor is 1/2.3-inch sized whereas Sony RX10 has a 1-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon SX540 HS Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-01-05

20MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

24-1200 mm F3.4-6.5 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

5.9 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

442g. 120 x 82 x 92 mm

Sony RX10 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-03-20

20MP - 1-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 80-25600)

24-200 mm F2.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

10 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

813g. 129 x 88 x 102 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Sony RX10 was replaced by Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II vs Canon PowerShot SX540 HS

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot SX540 HS over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

Weight	442 g vs 813 g	371 g lighter
Focal Length - Tele	1200mm vs 200mm	1000 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	50× vs 8.3×	more flexible focal coverage
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 over Canon PowerShot SX540 HS

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	12.800 vs 3.200	300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	1.290k dots vs 461k dots	179% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/3200s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 5.9fps	4.1 fps faster
Battery Life	420 shots vs 205 shots	215 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.40	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	2.80 vs 6.50	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	10.2m vs 5.5m	4.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	5.82µm² vs 1.39µm²	318% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Built-in ND Filter	3.0-stops vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light

Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot SX540 HS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	20 MP vs 20 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 24mm	Very good wide angle coverage
Focal Length - Tele	1200mm vs 200mm	Very good Telezoom
NFC Connection	Yes vs Yes	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot SX540 HS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

Canon SX540 HS vs Sony RX10: 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 SX540 HS and Sony RX10 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon SX540 HS has external dimensions of 120 x 82 x 92 mm (4.72 x 3.23 x 3.62″) and weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz) (including batteries). Sony RX10 has external dimensions of 129 x 88 x 102 mm (5.08 x 3.46 x 4.02″) and weighs 813 g (1.79 lb / 28.68 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10. Canon SX540 HS is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 6mm shorter and 10mm thinner than Sony RX10.

Comparison image of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10.

Comparison image of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10.

Top View Comparison image of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon SX540 HS is significantly lighter (371g ) than the Sony RX10 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

SX540 HS

RX10

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

SX540 HS

RX10

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of RX10, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to SX540 HS.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Sony RX10 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Canon SX540 HS has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to RX10.

Canon SX540 HS vs Sony RX10: Sensor Comparison

Both Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon SX540 HS's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Sony RX10's sensor is 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ).

Since Sony RX10's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon SX540 HS.

Below you can see the SX540 HS and RX10 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 Cameras

As seen above, Sony RX10 has a 4.1x Larger sensor area than Canon SX540 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.

Canon SX540 HS vs Sony RX10 Lens Specs Comparison

Canon SX540 HS features a 24-1200 mm F3.4-6.5 50× zoom lens whereas Sony RX10 features a 24-200 mm F2.8 8.3× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 24mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.80, Sony RX10 is faster than Canon SX540 HS at this focal length. On the tele end, Canon SX540 HS has 1000mm longer reach than the Sony RX10. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Sony RX10 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

SX540 HS

RX10

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

SX540 HS

RX10

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

SX540 HS

RX10

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

SX540 HS

RX10

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

What types of Photography are Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX540 HS and Sony RX10 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 SX540 HS for Portrait Photography

POOR

Sony RX10 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon SX540 HS for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony RX10 for Street Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon SX540 HS for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX10 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Wireless Connection
1200 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.9fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 205 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
200 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
Read the details

Canon SX540 HS for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX10 for Daily Photography

GOOD

50.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
442g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
8.3X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
813g
Body Thickness 102mm
Read the details

Canon SX540 HS for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony RX10 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
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
Environmental Sealings
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details

Canon SX540 HS vs Sony RX10: 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 SX540 HS and Sony RX10, 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 SX540 HS and Sony RX10 scores compare:

Canon SX540 HS

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #52 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #561 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Sony RX10

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #9 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #184 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Sony RX10 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon SX540 HS in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon SX540 HS. Otherwise, Sony RX10 is the better camera overall.

Sony RX10 vs Canon SX540 HS Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon PowerShot SX540 HS	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10
Brand	Canon	Sony
Announced	2016-01-05	2014-03-20
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)	SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area	28.07mm²	116.16mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	125 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	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	n/a	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-1200 mm (50×)	24-200 mm (8.3×)
Max Aperture	F3.4-6.5	F2.8
Macro Focus Range	0cm	n/a
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Tilting
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	461k dots	1,290k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/3200s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.50 m (at Auto ISO)	10.20 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.9 fps	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	442g	813g
Dimensions	120 x 82 x 92mm	129 x 88 x 102mm
Battery Life	205 shots	420 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	69
DxO Color Depth	not tested	22.9
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.6
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	474
	Report a correction	Report a correction