Canon 170 IS vs Olympus 5010

Below is a detailed assessment of the Canon 170 IS and Olympus 5010, both Ultracompact cameras by companies Canon and Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the 170 IS (20MP) and 5010 (14MP) but they use the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The 170 IS was launched 5 years later than the 5010 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Ultracompact).

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the 170 IS grades versus the 5010 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot ELPH 170 IS and Olympus Stylus 5010. The complete galleries are available at Canon 170 IS Gallery and Olympus 5010 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Canon 170 IS enjoys outer measurements of 100mm x 58mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Olympus 5010 has sizing of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Canon 170 IS and Olympus 5010 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the 170 IS versus the 5010.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 170 IS and 5010 is 95 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through technical specs. The visual below might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the 170 IS and 5010.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You should expect to see the Canon 170 IS to result in extra detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern 170 IS provides an edge in sensor innovation.