Sony Alpha 7R vs Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha 7R and the Canon PowerShot SX230 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.

Sony Alpha 7R was introduced in February 2014 and Canon PowerShot SX230 HS was introduced in July 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 Sony Alpha 7R over Canon PowerShot SX230 HS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX230 HS over Sony Alpha 7R.

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

Sony Alpha 7R and Canon PowerShot SX230 HS have 3.0" screens with 1,230k dot and 461k dot resolutions respectively. Sony Alpha 7R has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has a Fixed screen

Electronic Viewfinder on Sony Alpha 7R

Sony Alpha 7R has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,359k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 0.71x magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Canon PowerShot SX230 HS.

Sony Alpha 7R features a 36 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 24 mm and a total area of 861.6 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600. Canon PowerShot SX230 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 SX230 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.

Sony Alpha 7R is equipped with BIONZ X processor and can take pictures up to 7360 x 4912 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 7360 x 4144, 4800 x 3200, 4800 x 2704, 3680 x 2072, 2400 x 1600 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Canon PowerShot SX230 HS is equipped with DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology 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, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

No Low-Pass Filter on Sony Alpha 7R

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Sony Alpha 7R. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has an image stabilization.

Built-in GPS on Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony Alpha 7R

Sony Alpha 7R 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 on Sony Alpha 7R

Sony Alpha 7R 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. Sony Alpha 7R has a Micro HDMI and Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony Alpha 7R comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 340 shots and Canon PowerShot SX230 HS comes with NB-5L battery pack with battery life of 210 shots.

External Storage Slots

Sony Alpha 7R has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot. Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus card slot.

Shutter

Sony Alpha 7R has Electronically controlled Vertical-traverse Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Sony Alpha 7R, and up to 1/3200 sec on Canon PowerShot SX230 HS. Sony Alpha 7R can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps. Canon PowerShot SX230 HS can shoot continuously up to 3.2 fps.

Flash

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS has a built-in flash with maximum range of 3.50 m. Sony Alpha 7R has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha 7R.

Sony Alpha 7R body has dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89") and Canon PowerShot SX230 HS body has dimensions of 106 x 62 x 33 mm (4.17 x 2.44 x 1.3"). Sony Alpha 7R weighs 465 g (1.03 lb / 16.40 oz) and Canon PowerShot SX230 HS weighs 223 g (0.49 lb / 7.87 oz).

Sony Alpha 7R

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

127 mm

94 mm

106 mm

62 mm

94 mm

62 mm