Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120
95 Imaging
45 Features
29 Overall
38


96 Imaging
37 Features
24 Overall
31
Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-300mm (F3.6-7.0) lens
- 141g - 100 x 58 x 23mm
- Released January 2015
- Also Known as IXUS 170
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 1280 x 720 video
- 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
- 120g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
- Released January 2011

Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Overview
Let's look a bit more in depth at the Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120, both Ultracompact cameras by competitors Canon and Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the 170 IS (20MP) and VG-120 (14MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

The 170 IS was announced 4 years after the VG-120 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature the same body design (Ultracompact).
Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the 170 IS matches up versus the VG-120 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot ELPH 170 IS and Olympus VG-120. The whole galleries are viewable at Canon 170 IS Gallery and Olympus VG-120 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 170 IS over the Olympus VG-120
170 IS | VG-120 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | January 2015 | ![]() | January 2011 | Newer by 49 months |
Reasons to pick Olympus VG-120 over the Canon 170 IS
VG-120 | 170 IS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Common features in the Canon 170 IS and Olympus VG-120
170 IS | VG-120 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Lack of manual focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | The same screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither features Touch screen |
Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon 170 IS enjoys external dimensions of 100mm x 58mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Olympus VG-120 has dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs).
See the Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the 170 IS against the VG-120.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 170 IS and VG-120 is 95 and 96 respectively.

Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions purely by viewing technical specs. The picture here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the 170 IS and VG-120.
As you can tell, the 2 cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You should count on the Canon 170 IS to result in greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The more recent 170 IS should have an edge in sensor innovation.

Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 170 IS vs Olympus VG-120 Specifications
Canon PowerShot ELPH 170 IS | Olympus VG-120 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Canon | Olympus |
Model type | Canon PowerShot ELPH 170 IS | Olympus VG-120 |
Also referred to as | IXUS 170 | - |
Class | Ultracompact | Ultracompact |
Released | 2015-01-06 | 2011-01-06 |
Body design | Ultracompact | Ultracompact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | DIGIC 4+ | TruePic III |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3 |
Highest Possible resolution | 5152 x 3864 | 4288 x 3216 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 9 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 25-300mm (12.0x) | 26-130mm (5.0x) |
Maximum aperture | f/3.6-7.0 | f/2.8-6.5 |
Macro focusing distance | 1cm | 7cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 2.7 inch | 3 inch |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display technology | - | TFT Color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 15 secs | 4 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 0.8 frames/s | - |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 4.00 m | 4.40 m |
Flash modes | Auto, on, off, slow synchro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (25p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 141g (0.31 lbs) | 120g (0.26 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 100 x 58 x 23mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.9") | 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 200 photos | 160 photos |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | NB-11L/LH | LI-70B |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail cost | $149 | $190 |