Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A7S and Canon SD1200 IS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Canon SD1200 IS has external dimensions of 86 x 55 x 22 mm (3.39 x 2.17 x 0.87″) and weighs 160 g (0.35 lb / 5.64 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A7S and the Canon SD1200 IS. Canon SD1200 IS is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 41mm narrower, 39mm shorter and 26mm thinner than Sony A7S. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon SD1200 IS has a built-in lens but Sony A7S doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7S, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Sony A7S and Canon SD1200 IS.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Canon SD1200 IS is significantly lighter (329g ) than the Sony A7S 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 A7S, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the A7S has a big advantage over the SD1200 IS which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Sony A7S's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SD1200 IS's 2.5" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Sony A7S LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Canon SD1200 IS has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.