Canon PowerShot SX20 IS vs Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS was introduced in July 2010 and Canon PowerShot SX40 HS was introduced in September 2011. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX20 IS over Canon PowerShot SX40 HS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX40 HS over Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a 2.50" screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon PowerShot SX40 HS has a 2.70" screen with 230k dot resolution. Both have Fully Articulated screens. Fully articulated screen makes cameras selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

Viewfinder

Cameras have built-in Electronic viewfinders. magnification and magnification.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS features a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 28.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 1,600. Canon PowerShot SX40 HS features a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3840 x 2160, 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 with 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios. Canon PowerShot SX40 HS can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 2248, 4000 x 2664, 2992 x 2992, 2816 x 2112, 2816 x 1880, 2816 x 1584, 2112 x 2112, 1920 x 1080, 1600 x 1200, 1600 x 1064, 1200 x 1200, 640 x 480, 640 x 424, 640 x 360, 480 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in [y] image stabilization.

Bluetooth on Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Both cameras have HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS comes with 4 x AA battery pack and Canon PowerShot SX40 HS comes with NB-10L battery pack with battery life of 380 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a single SD /SDHC / MMC / MMC Plus / HC MMC Plus card slot. Canon PowerShot SX40 HS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/3200 sec on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, and up to 1/3200 sec on Canon PowerShot SX40 HS. Canon PowerShot SX20 IS can shoot continuously up to 0.7 fps. Canon PowerShot SX40 HS can shoot continuously up to 10.3 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 6.80 m on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and 7.00 m on Canon PowerShot SX40 HS. They also accept external flash which can be connected via [n] to Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/500 sec on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and 1/2000 sec on Canon PowerShot SX40 HS.

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS body has dimensions of 128 x 88 x 87 mm (5.04 x 3.46 x 3.43") and Canon PowerShot SX40 HS body has dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25") and they both weigh 600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz).

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

128 mm

88 mm

123 mm

92 mm

88 mm

92 mm