Canon PowerShot SX540 HS vs. Canon PowerShot SX420 IS
Comparison
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Canon PowerShot SX540 HS | Canon PowerShot SX420 IS | ||||
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Megapixels
20.30
20.00
Max. image resolution
5184 x 3888
5152 x 3864
Sensor
Sensor type
CMOS
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3" (~ 6.16 x 4.62 mm)
1/2.3" (~ 6.16 x 4.62 mm)
Sensor size comparison
Sensor size is generally a good indicator of the quality of the camera.
Sensors can vary greatly in size. As a general rule, the bigger the
sensor, the better the image quality.
Bigger sensors are more effective because they have more surface area to capture light. An important factor when comparing digital cameras is also camera generation. Generally, newer sensors will outperform the older.
Learn more about sensor sizes »
Bigger sensors are more effective because they have more surface area to capture light. An important factor when comparing digital cameras is also camera generation. Generally, newer sensors will outperform the older.
Learn more about sensor sizes »
Actual sensor size
Note: Actual size is set to screen → change »
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Canon PowerShot SX540 HS | Canon PowerShot SX420 IS |
Surface area:
28.46 mm² | vs | 28.46 mm² |
Difference: 0 mm² (0%)
SX540 HS and SX420 IS sensors are the same size.
Pixel pitch tells you the distance from the center of one pixel (photosite) to the center of the next. It tells you how close the pixels are to each other.
The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range.
The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range.
Pixel or photosite area affects how much light per pixel can be gathered.
The larger it is the more light can be collected by a single pixel.
Larger pixels have the potential to collect more photons, resulting in greater dynamic range, while smaller pixels provide higher resolutions (more detail) for a given sensor size.
Larger pixels have the potential to collect more photons, resulting in greater dynamic range, while smaller pixels provide higher resolutions (more detail) for a given sensor size.
Relative pixel sizes:
vs
Pixel area difference: 0 µm² (0%)
Canon SX540 HS and Canon SX420 IS have the same pixel area.
Pixel density tells you how many million pixels fit or would fit in one
square cm of the sensor.
Higher pixel density means smaller pixels and lower pixel density means larger pixels.
Higher pixel density means smaller pixels and lower pixel density means larger pixels.
To learn about the accuracy of these numbers,
click here.
Specs
Canon SX540 HS
Canon SX420 IS
Total megapixels
21.10
20.50
Effective megapixels
20.30
20.00
Optical zoom
50x
42x
Digital zoom
Yes
Yes
ISO sensitivity
Auto, 80-3200
Auto, 100-1600
RAW
Manual focus
Normal focus range
5 cm
5 cm
Macro focus range
Focal length (35mm equiv.)
24 - 1200 mm
24 - 1008 mm
Aperture priority
Yes
No
Max. aperture
f3.4 - f6.5
f3.5 - f6.6
Metering
Multi, Center-weighted, Spot
Multi, Center-weighted, Spot
Exposure compensation
±2 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
±2 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
Shutter priority
Yes
No
Min. shutter speed
15 sec
15 sec
Max. shutter speed
1/2000 sec
1/4000 sec
Built-in flash
External flash
Viewfinder
None
None
White balance presets
5
5
Screen size
3"
3"
Screen resolution
461,000 dots
230,400 dots
Video capture
Max. video resolution
1920x1080 (60p/30p)
1280x720 (25p)
Storage types
SD/SDHC/SDXC
SD/SDHC/SDXC
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI
Wireless
GPS
Battery
NB-6LH lithium-ion battery
NB-11LH Lithium-ion battery
Weight
442 g
325 g
Dimensions
120 x 81.7 x 91.9 mm
104.4 x 69.1 x 85.1 mm
Year
2016
2016
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Diagonal
Diagonal is calculated by the use of Pythagorean theorem:
where w = sensor width and h = sensor height
Diagonal = √ | w² + h² |
Canon SX540 HS diagonal
The diagonal of SX540 HS sensor is not 1/2.3 or 0.43" (11 mm) as you might expect, but approximately two thirds of
that value - 7.7 mm. If you want to know why, see
sensor sizes.
w = 6.16 mm
h = 4.62 mm
w = 6.16 mm
h = 4.62 mm
Diagonal = √ | 6.16² + 4.62² | = 7.70 mm |
Canon SX420 IS diagonal
The diagonal of SX420 IS sensor is not 1/2.3 or 0.43" (11 mm) as you might expect, but approximately two thirds of
that value - 7.7 mm. If you want to know why, see
sensor sizes.
w = 6.16 mm
h = 4.62 mm
w = 6.16 mm
h = 4.62 mm
Diagonal = √ | 6.16² + 4.62² | = 7.70 mm |
Surface area
Surface area is calculated by multiplying the width and the height of a sensor.
SX540 HS sensor area
Width = 6.16 mm
Height = 4.62 mm
Surface area = 6.16 × 4.62 = 28.46 mm²
Height = 4.62 mm
Surface area = 6.16 × 4.62 = 28.46 mm²
SX420 IS sensor area
Width = 6.16 mm
Height = 4.62 mm
Surface area = 6.16 × 4.62 = 28.46 mm²
Height = 4.62 mm
Surface area = 6.16 × 4.62 = 28.46 mm²
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch is the distance from the center of one pixel to the center of the
next measured in micrometers (µm). It can be calculated with the following formula:
Pixel pitch = | sensor width in mm | × 1000 |
sensor resolution width in pixels |
SX540 HS pixel pitch
Sensor width = 6.16 mm
Sensor resolution width = 5196 pixels
Sensor resolution width = 5196 pixels
Pixel pitch = | 6.16 | × 1000 | = 1.19 µm |
5196 |
SX420 IS pixel pitch
Sensor width = 6.16 mm
Sensor resolution width = 5158 pixels
Sensor resolution width = 5158 pixels
Pixel pitch = | 6.16 | × 1000 | = 1.19 µm |
5158 |
Pixel area
The area of one pixel can be calculated by simply squaring the pixel pitch:
You could also divide sensor surface area with effective megapixels:
Pixel area = pixel pitch²
You could also divide sensor surface area with effective megapixels:
Pixel area = | sensor surface area in mm² |
effective megapixels |
SX540 HS pixel area
Pixel pitch = 1.19 µm
Pixel area = 1.19² = 1.42 µm²
Pixel area = 1.19² = 1.42 µm²
SX420 IS pixel area
Pixel pitch = 1.19 µm
Pixel area = 1.19² = 1.42 µm²
Pixel area = 1.19² = 1.42 µm²
Pixel density
Pixel density can be calculated with the following formula:
One could also use this formula:
Pixel density = ( | sensor resolution width in pixels | )² / 1000000 |
sensor width in cm |
One could also use this formula:
Pixel density = | effective megapixels × 1000000 | / 10000 |
sensor surface area in mm² |
SX540 HS pixel density
Sensor resolution width = 5196 pixels
Sensor width = 0.616 cm
Pixel density = (5196 / 0.616)² / 1000000 = 71.15 MP/cm²
Sensor width = 0.616 cm
Pixel density = (5196 / 0.616)² / 1000000 = 71.15 MP/cm²
SX420 IS pixel density
Sensor resolution width = 5158 pixels
Sensor width = 0.616 cm
Pixel density = (5158 / 0.616)² / 1000000 = 70.11 MP/cm²
Sensor width = 0.616 cm
Pixel density = (5158 / 0.616)² / 1000000 = 70.11 MP/cm²
Sensor resolution
Sensor resolution is calculated from sensor size and effective megapixels. It's slightly higher
than maximum (not interpolated) image resolution which is usually stated on camera specifications.
Sensor resolution is used in pixel pitch, pixel area, and pixel density formula.
For sake of simplicity, we're going to calculate it in 3 stages.
1. First we need to find the ratio between horizontal and vertical length by dividing the former with the latter (aspect ratio). It's usually 1.33 (4:3) or 1.5 (3:2), but not always.
2. With the ratio (r) known we can calculate the X from the formula below, where X is a vertical number of pixels:
3. To get sensor resolution we then multiply X with the corresponding ratio:
Resolution horizontal: X × r
Resolution vertical: X
1. First we need to find the ratio between horizontal and vertical length by dividing the former with the latter (aspect ratio). It's usually 1.33 (4:3) or 1.5 (3:2), but not always.
2. With the ratio (r) known we can calculate the X from the formula below, where X is a vertical number of pixels:
(X × r) × X = effective megapixels × 1000000 → |
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Resolution horizontal: X × r
Resolution vertical: X
SX540 HS sensor resolution
Sensor width = 6.16 mm
Sensor height = 4.62 mm
Effective megapixels = 20.30
Resolution horizontal: X × r = 3907 × 1.33 = 5196
Resolution vertical: X = 3907
Sensor resolution = 5196 x 3907
Sensor height = 4.62 mm
Effective megapixels = 20.30
r = 6.16/4.62 = 1.33 |
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Resolution vertical: X = 3907
Sensor resolution = 5196 x 3907
SX420 IS sensor resolution
Sensor width = 6.16 mm
Sensor height = 4.62 mm
Effective megapixels = 20.00
Resolution horizontal: X × r = 3878 × 1.33 = 5158
Resolution vertical: X = 3878
Sensor resolution = 5158 x 3878
Sensor height = 4.62 mm
Effective megapixels = 20.00
r = 6.16/4.62 = 1.33 |
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Resolution vertical: X = 3878
Sensor resolution = 5158 x 3878
Crop factor
Crop factor or focal length multiplier is calculated by dividing the diagonal
of 35 mm film (43.27 mm) with the diagonal of the sensor.
Crop factor = | 43.27 mm |
sensor diagonal in mm |
SX540 HS crop factor
Sensor diagonal in mm = 7.70 mm
Crop factor = | 43.27 | = 5.62 |
7.70 |
SX420 IS crop factor
Sensor diagonal in mm = 7.70 mm
Crop factor = | 43.27 | = 5.62 |
7.70 |
35 mm equivalent aperture
Equivalent aperture (in 135 film terms) is calculated by multiplying lens aperture
with crop factor (a.k.a. focal length multiplier).
SX540 HS equivalent aperture
Crop factor = 5.62
Aperture = f3.4 - f6.5
35-mm equivalent aperture = (f3.4 - f6.5) × 5.62 = f19.1 - f36.5
Aperture = f3.4 - f6.5
35-mm equivalent aperture = (f3.4 - f6.5) × 5.62 = f19.1 - f36.5
SX420 IS equivalent aperture
Crop factor = 5.62
Aperture = f3.5 - f6.6
35-mm equivalent aperture = (f3.5 - f6.6) × 5.62 = f19.7 - f37.1
Aperture = f3.5 - f6.6
35-mm equivalent aperture = (f3.5 - f6.6) × 5.62 = f19.7 - f37.1
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