Canon PowerShot SX20 IS vs Canon PowerShot SX700 HS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and the Canon PowerShot SX700 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 SX700 HS was introduced in February 2014. 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 SX700 HS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX700 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" Fully Articulated screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has a 3.0" Fixed screen with 922k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Canon PowerShot SX20 IS selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

Electronic Viewfinder on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Canon PowerShot SX700 HS.

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 SX700 HS features a 16.1 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 SX700 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 SX700 HS is equipped with DIGIC 6 processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4608 x 3072, 4608 x 2592, 3456 x 3456, 3264 x 2448, 3264 x 2176, 3264 x 1832, 2448 x 2448, 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.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon PowerShot SX700 HS

Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC

Cameras have 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. Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has an HDMI and Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS comes with 4 x AA battery pack and Canon PowerShot SX700 HS comes with NB-6LH battery pack with battery life of 250 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a single SD /SDHC / MMC / MMC Plus / HC MMC Plus card slot. Canon PowerShot SX700 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 SX700 HS. Canon PowerShot SX20 IS can shoot continuously up to 0.7 fps. Canon PowerShot SX700 HS can shoot continuously up to 8.5 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 6.80 m on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and 3.50 m on Canon PowerShot SX700 HS. Canon PowerShot SX20 IS also accepts external flash which can be connected via [n]. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/500 sec on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.

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 SX700 HS body has dimensions of 113 x 66 x 35 mm (4.45 x 2.6 x 1.38"). Canon PowerShot SX20 IS weighs 600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz) and Canon PowerShot SX700 HS weighs 269 g (0.59 lb / 9.49 oz).

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Canon PowerShot SX700 HS

128 mm

88 mm

113 mm

66 mm

88 mm

66 mm