Canon SX520 vs Sony WX800

The Canon PowerShot SX520 HS and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX800 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in July 2014 and October 2018. Both the SX520 and the WX800 are fixed lens compact cameras that are equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 18 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon SX520		Sony WX800
Fixed lens compact camera		Fixed lens compact camera
24-1008mm f/3.4-6		24-720mm f/3.5-6.4
15.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		18 MP – 1/2.3" sensor
1080/30p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-3,200		ISO 80-3,200 (80 - 6,400)
No viewfinder, LCD framing		No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0" LCD – 461k dots		3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Tilting touchscreen
1.6 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
210 shots per battery charge		370 shots per battery charge
120 x 82 x 92 mm, 441 g		102 x 58 x 36 mm, 233 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon PowerShot SX520 HS and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX800? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon SX520 and the Sony WX800. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The WX800 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the SX520 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony WX800 is considerably smaller (40 percent) than the Canon SX520. Moreover, the WX800 is substantially lighter (47 percent) than the SX520. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the SX520 nor the WX800 are weather-sealed.

Concerning battery life, the SX520 gets 210 shots out of its Canon NB-6LH battery, while the WX800 can take 370 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-BX1 power pack. The power pack in the WX800 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon SX520	120 mm	82 mm	92 mm	441 g	210	n	Jul 2014	399	ebay.com
2.		Sony WX800	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	233 g	370	n	Oct 2018	399	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1200D	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
4.		Canon 1300D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
5.		Canon 4000D	129 mm	102 mm	77 mm	436 g	500	n	Feb 2018	399	amazon.com
6.		Canon G9 X Mark II	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	206 g	235	n	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX60	128 mm	93 mm	114 mm	650 g	340	n	Sep 2014	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon SX510	104 mm	70 mm	80 mm	349 g	250	n	Aug 2013	249	ebay.com
9.		Canon SX530	120 mm	82 mm	92 mm	442 g	210	n	Jan 2015	429	ebay.com
10.		Canon SX540	120 mm	82 mm	92 mm	442 g	205	n	Jan 2016	399	ebay.com
11.		Canon SX700	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	250	n	Feb 2014	349	ebay.com
12.		Canon SX710	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	230	n	Jan 2015	349	ebay.com
13.		Nikon B600	122 mm	82 mm	99 mm	500 g	280	n	Jan 2019	349	ebay.com
14.		Sony HX80	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	390	n	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
15.		Sony HX90V	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	360	n	Apr 2015	429	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX95	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	242 g	370	n	Aug 2018	429	ebay.com
17.		Sony HX99	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	242 g	370	n	Aug 2018	449	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a 1/2.3-inch sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 5.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the smaller-sensor digicams that favor affordability and compact design. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the WX800 offers a higher resolution of 18 megapixels, compared with 15.9 MP of the SX520. This megapixels advantage translates into a 6 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the WX800 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 1.25μm versus 1.33μm for the SX520). However, it should be noted that the WX800 is much more recent (by 4 years and 2 months) than the SX520, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony WX800 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the WX800 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 24.5 x 18.4 inches or 62.2 x 46.6 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 19.6 x 14.7 inches or 49.7 x 37.3 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 16.3 x 12.2 inches or 41.5 x 31.1 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon SX520 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon PowerShot SX520 HS has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX800 are ISO 80 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-6400.

In terms of underlying technology, the SX520 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the WX800 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon SX520	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.1	11.5	672	46
2.		Sony WX800	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.2	1070	51
3.		Canon 1200D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
4.		Canon 1300D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
5.		Canon 4000D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.4	695	63
6.		Canon G9 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.9	12.5	522	65
7.		Canon SX60	1/2.3	14.2	4608	3072	1080/60p	19.2	10.8	127	39
8.		Canon SX510	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/24p	20.0	11.3	586	45
9.		Canon SX530	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.2	11.6	712	47
10.		Canon SX540	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.3	11.7	806	48
11.		Canon SX700	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.1	11.4	629	45
12.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	712	47
13.		Nikon B600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
14.		Sony HX80	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.4	11.8	822	48
15.		Sony HX90V	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	738	47
16.		Sony HX95	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1057	51
17.		Sony HX99	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1058	51
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the WX800 provides a better video resolution than the SX520. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The SX520 and the WX800 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon SX520 and Sony WX800 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon SX520	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/2000s	1.6/s	Y	Y
2.		Sony WX800	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon 1200D	optical	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 1300D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 4000D	optical	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon G9 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	8.2/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX60	922	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	n	1/2000s	6.4/s	Y	Y
8.		Canon SX510	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/1600s	3.8/s	Y	Y
9.		Canon SX530	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/2000s	1.6/s	Y	Y
10.		Canon SX540	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
11.		Canon SX700	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	8.5/s	Y	Y
12.		Canon SX710	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	6.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Nikon B600	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony HX80	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony HX90V	638	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony HX95	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony HX99	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The WX800 has a touchscreen, while the SX520 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

Both the SX520 and the WX800 have zoom lenses built in. The SX520 has a 24-1008mm f/3.4-6 optic and the WX800 offers a 24-720mm f/3.5-6.4 (focal lengths in full frame equivalent terms). Hence, the Canon and Sony provide the same view at the wide-angle end, but the Sony has less tele-photo reach at the long end. The SX520 offers the faster maximum aperture.

The SX520 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the WX800 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon PowerShot SX520 HS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX800 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon SX520	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Sony WX800	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon 1200D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 1300D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon 4000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon G9 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX60	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon SX510	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Canon SX530	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon SX540	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon SX700	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon SX710	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Nikon B600	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Sony HX80	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony HX90V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony HX95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony HX99	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the WX800 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the SX520 does not provide wifi capability.

Both the SX520 and the WX800 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The SX520 was replaced by the Canon SX530, while the WX800 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the SX520 and WX800 can be found, respectively, in the Canon SX520 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony WX800 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Canon SX520 better than the Sony WX800 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon PowerShot SX520 HS:

• Better light gathering: Has a lens with a wider maximum aperture (f/3.4 vs f/3.5).
• More tele-reach: Has a longer tele-lens for perspective compression and subject magnification.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in July 2014).

Advantages of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX800:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (18 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 6%.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/30p).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (922k vs 461k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 1.6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (102x58mm vs 120x82mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 208g or 47 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (370 versus 210) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 2 months of technical progress since the SX520 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the WX800 is the clear winner of the contest (14 : 3 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon SX520 and the Sony WX800 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the SX520 and the WX800 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon SX520	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2014	399	ebay.com
2.		Sony WX800	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	399	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1200D	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
4.		Canon 1300D	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
5.		Canon 4000D	2.5/5	o	3/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	399	amazon.com
6.		Canon G9 X Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX60	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon SX510	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2013	249	ebay.com
9.		Canon SX530	..	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jan 2015	429	ebay.com
10.		Canon SX540	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jan 2016	399	ebay.com
11.		Canon SX700	..	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2014	349	ebay.com
12.		Canon SX710	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2015	349	ebay.com
13.		Nikon B600	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	349	ebay.com
14.		Sony HX80	..	..	..	..	..	..	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
15.		Sony HX90V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	429	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX95	..	..	..	..	..	..	Aug 2018	429	ebay.com
17.		Sony HX99	..	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	449	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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