Canon SX170 IS vs Olympus E-P2

Below is a detailed overview of the Canon SX170 IS and Olympus E-P2, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Canon and Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the SX170 IS (16MP) and E-P2 (12MP) and the SX170 IS (1/2.3") and E-P2 (Four Thirds) feature different sensor dimensions.

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The SX170 IS was revealed 3 years later than the E-P2 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX170 IS being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the SX170 IS grades against the E-P2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX170 IS and Olympus PEN E-P2. The full galleries are available at Canon SX170 IS Gallery and Olympus E-P2 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Canon SX170 IS comes with outer dimensions of 108mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-P2 has sizing of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs).

Examine the Canon SX170 IS and Olympus E-P2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the SX170 IS vs the E-P2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SX170 IS and E-P2 is 88 and 86 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through specifications. The graphic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SX170 IS and E-P2.

Plainly, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SX170 IS having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Canon SX170 IS will provide extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The fresher SX170 IS provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.