Canon PowerShot SX30 IS vs Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and the Canon PowerShot SX50 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 SX30 IS was introduced in September 2010 and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS was introduced in January 2013. 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 SX30 IS over Canon PowerShot SX50 HS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX50 HS over Canon PowerShot SX30 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 SX30 IS has a 2.70" screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS has a 2.80" screen with 461k dot resolution. Both have Fully Articulated screens. Fully articulated screen makes cameras selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

Viewfinder

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS has a built-in Electronic viewfinderCanon PowerShot SX50 HS has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 202k dot resolution. magnification and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS has 100% coverage magnification.

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS features a 14.1 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 SX50 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 80 - 6,400.

Canon PowerShot SX50 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 SX30 IS is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4320 x 3240 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3744 x 2104, 3072 x 2304, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 with 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS is equipped with DIGIC 5 processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 3000, 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, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Image Stabilization

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

Bluetooth on Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Canon PowerShot SX50 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.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon PowerShot SX30 IS has an HDMI and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS comes with NB-7L battery pack and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS comes with NB-10L battery pack with battery life of 315 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus card slot. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/3200 sec on Canon PowerShot SX30 IS, and up to 1/2000 sec on Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. Canon PowerShot SX30 IS can shoot continuously up to 0.6 fps. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS can shoot continuously up to 2.2 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 6.80 m on Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and 5.50 m on Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Shoe Mount. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/2000 sec on Canon PowerShot SX50 HS.

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS body has dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25") and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS body has dimensions of 123 x 87 x 106 mm (4.84 x 3.43 x 4.17"). Canon PowerShot SX30 IS weighs 601 g (1.32 lb / 21.20 oz) and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS weighs 595 g (1.31 lb / 20.99 oz).

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

123 mm

92 mm

123 mm

87 mm