Canon PowerShot SX70 HS vs Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS and the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 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 SX70 HS was introduced in September 2018 and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS was introduced in July 2010. 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 SX70 HS over Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX20 IS over Canon PowerShot SX70 HS.

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 SX70 HS has a 3.0" screen with 922k dot resolution and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a 2.50" 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

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. Canon PowerShot SX70 HS has 100% coverage magnification and magnification.

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS features a 20.3 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 28.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200. 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 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 1,600.

Canon PowerShot SX70 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 SX70 HS is equipped with DIGIC 8 processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution. 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 SX20 IS has an image stabilization.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon PowerShot SX70 HS

Canon PowerShot SX70 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.

Bluetooth on Canon PowerShot SX70 HS

Canon PowerShot SX70 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. Canon PowerShot SX70 HS has a Micro HDMI and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has an HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS comes with LP-E12 battery pack with battery life of 325 shots and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS comes with 4 x AA battery pack.

External Storage Slots

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I supported) card slot. Canon PowerShot SX20 IS has a single SD /SDHC / MMC / MMC Plus / HC MMC Plus card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/2000 sec on Canon PowerShot SX70 HS, and up to 1/3200 sec on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. Canon PowerShot SX70 HS can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Canon PowerShot SX20 IS can shoot continuously up to 0.7 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m at Auto ISO on Canon PowerShot SX70 HS and 6.80 m on Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. 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 SX70 HS body has dimensions of 127 x 91 x 117 mm (5.0 x 3.58 x 4.61") and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS body has dimensions of 128 x 88 x 87 mm (5.04 x 3.46 x 3.43"). Canon PowerShot SX70 HS weighs 608 g (1.34 lb / 21.45 oz) and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS weighs 600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz).

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

127 mm

91 mm

128 mm

88 mm

91 mm

88 mm

117 mm

87 mm