Canon SX20 IS vs Sony A99

Sony A99 advantages over Canon SX20 IS

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  35mm vs 1/2.3 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Tilt-swivel screen
  Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
  Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 5.97 vs 1.54 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• In-camera panoramas
  Yes vs No
  Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
• RAW file ability
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
• Fast startup
  ~0.70 vs 2.4 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Built-in GPS
  GPS vs None
  Geotag your photos
• Manual focus
  Yes vs No
  AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• More dots on screen
  1229k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Shoots 1080p video
  Yes vs No
  You'll want this if you shoot video
• Less shutter lag
  0.13 vs 0.54 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  24.3 vs 12.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Longer exposure
  30 vs 15 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Faster JPEG shooting
  5.9 fps vs 1.1 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/3200 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  51200 vs 3200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility