What is the pixel pitch of the Canon SX50?

The Canon PowerShot SX50 HS provides 12 megapixels from a 1/2.3-inch sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 1.53µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Canon SX50 measures 6.17mm in width and 4.55mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 28 mm². Moreover, the SX50 has 4 000 horizontal pixels and 3 000 vertical pixels, for a total of 12 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (28 mm²) to the MP count (12 000 000).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon SX50 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon SX50	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/24p	20.3	11.2	179	47
2.		Canon G1 X	1.5-inch	14.2	4352	3264	1080/24p	21.7	10.8	644	60
3.		Canon G15	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/24p	19.9	11.5	165	46
4.		Canon G16	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	21.0	11.7	230	54
5.		Canon S120	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	21.3	11.9	246	56
6.		Canon SX10	1/2.3	10.0	3648	2736	480/30p	19.0	10.3	144	35
7.		Canon SX20	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	19.2	10.5	225	37
8.		Canon SX30	1/2.3	14.0	4320	3240	720/30p	19.4	10.7	320	39
9.		Canon SX40	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/24p	19.6	10.9	409	41
10.		Canon SX60	1/2.3	14.2	4608	3072	1080/60p	19.2	10.8	127	39
11.		Panasonic FZ150	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	19.4	10.9	132	40
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Canon SX50 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the SX50 was initially launched in September 2012 at a price of $429.

Check SX50 offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

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