Canon SD970 IS vs Panasonic GX85

Its time to look closer at the Canon SD970 IS vs Panasonic GX85, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Canon and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the SD970 IS (12MP) and GX85 (16MP) and the SD970 IS (1/2.3") and GX85 (Four Thirds) feature different sensor sizing.

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The SD970 IS was unveiled 8 years prior to the GX85 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Canon SD970 IS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX85 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SD970 IS grades versus the GX85 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SD970 IS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85. The full galleries are available at Canon SD970 IS Gallery and Panasonic GX85 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Canon SD970 IS enjoys outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 26mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 160 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Panasonic GX85 has dimensions of 122mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Analyze the Canon SD970 IS vs Panasonic GX85 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the SD970 IS vs the GX85.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SD970 IS and GX85 is 94 and 83 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions merely by going through specs. The picture here will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SD970 IS and GX85.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SD970 IS using its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Panasonic GX85 will produce extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged SD970 IS will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.