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Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ

Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
24
Overall
30
Canon PowerShot SD970 IS front
 
Olympus SP-610UZ front
Portability
79
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Key Specs

Canon SD970 IS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 37-185mm (F3.2-5.7) lens
  • 160g - 96 x 57 x 26mm
  • Launched February 2009
  • Additionally referred to as Digital IXUS 990 IS
Olympus SP-610UZ
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-616mm (F3.3-5.7) lens
  • 405g - 107 x 73 x 73mm
  • Introduced January 2011
  • Old Model is Olympus SP-600 UZ
  • New Model is Olympus SP-620 UZ
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Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Overview

On this page, we will be comparing the Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Canon and Olympus. The resolution of the SD970 IS (12MP) and the SP-610UZ (14MP) is pretty similar and both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SD970 IS was manufactured 22 months prior to the SP-610UZ which makes them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the SD970 IS scores against the SP-610UZ for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Canon SD970 IS over the Olympus SP-610UZ

 SD970 IS SP-610UZ 
Screen resolution461k230kSharper screen (+231k dot)

Reasons to pick Olympus SP-610UZ over the Canon SD970 IS

 SP-610UZ SD970 IS 
IntroducedJanuary 2011February 2009More modern by 22 months

Common features in the Canon SD970 IS and Olympus SP-610UZ

 SD970 IS SP-610UZ 
Focus manually Lack of manual focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch screen Lacking Touch screen

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Physical Comparison

If you are looking to carry around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Canon SD970 IS provides external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 26mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 160 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Olympus SP-610UZ has measurements of 107mm x 73mm x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") with a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs).

Contrast the Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the SD970 IS compared to the SP-610UZ.

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SD970 IS and SP-610UZ is 94 and 79 respectively.

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ top view buttons comparison

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Sensor Comparison

More often than not, its tough to envision the gap between sensor sizes only by reviewing technical specs. The picture here will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SD970 IS and SP-610UZ.

As you have seen, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Olympus SP-610UZ to offer you more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged SD970 IS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ sensor size comparison

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SD970 IS Portrait photography highlights
Olympus SP-610UZ Portrait photography highlights
26
offers face detect focusing
manual focus not available
lack of manual exposure
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
28
MP count good (14MP)
lack of manual focus
no manual exposure
no external flash support
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Street Comparison

Canon SD970 IS Street photography information
Olympus SP-610UZ Street photography information
56
image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
50
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
fixed screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Canon SD970 IS as a Sports photography camera
Olympus SP-610UZ as a Sports photography camera
25
image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second very slow (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
39
great zoom range (28-616mm 22.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
MP count good (14MP)
continuous shooting slow (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Canon SD970 IS Travel photography information
Olympus SP-610UZ Travel photography information
51
flash built-in
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (37mm)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
61
MP count good (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
relatively wide (28mm)
long zoom (616mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Canon SD970 IS
Landscape photography with Olympus SP-610UZ
32
nice screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
manual focus not available
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (37mm)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
lack of manual exposure
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
40
relatively wide (28mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
MP count good (14MP)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
no manual exposure
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
doesn't have Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon SD970 IS Vlogging info
Olympus SP-610UZ Vlogging info
27
image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detect focusing
wide angle not the best (37mm)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
screen is not selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have mic support
26
relatively wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
doesn't have microphone socket
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Canon SD970 IS vs Olympus SP-610UZ Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SD970 IS and Olympus SP-610UZ
 Canon PowerShot SD970 ISOlympus SP-610UZ
General Information
Brand Name Canon Olympus
Model Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Olympus SP-610UZ
Also called Digital IXUS 990 IS -
Type Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Superzoom
Launched 2009-02-18 2011-01-06
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor - TruePic III
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Full resolution 4000 x 3000 4288 x 3216
Max native ISO 1600 3200
Minimum native ISO 80 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points 9 11
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 37-185mm (5.0x) 28-616mm (22.0x)
Max aperture f/3.2-5.7 f/3.3-5.7
Macro focus distance 2cm 1cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 461k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 15s 4s
Maximum shutter speed 1/1600s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting rate 1.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 3.50 m 6.30 m
Flash modes Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Max video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 160 gr (0.35 lb) 405 gr (0.89 lb)
Physical dimensions 96 x 57 x 26mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") 107 x 73 x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 340 images
Type of battery - AA
Battery model NB-5L 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HD /MMCplus SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots One One
Retail price - $299