Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90
88 Imaging
39 Features
41 Overall
39
94 Imaging
33 Features
11 Overall
24
Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-448mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
- 251g - 108 x 71 x 44mm
- Revealed August 2013
- Superseded the Canon SX160 IS
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- 32-95mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
- 145g - 102 x 59 x 25mm
- Released January 2010
Photography Glossary Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90 Overview
In this write-up, we are looking at the Canon SX170 IS versus Pentax E90, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Canon and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the SX170 IS (16MP) and E90 (10MP) but they possess the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe SX170 IS was revealed 3 years after the E90 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SX170 IS grades versus the E90 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX170 IS & Pentax Optio E90. The full galleries are provided at Canon SX170 IS Gallery & Pentax E90 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX170 IS over the Pentax E90
| SX170 IS | E90 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | August 2013 | January 2010 | More modern by 44 months | |
| Manually focus | Very exact focus | |||
| Display sizing | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Reasons to pick Pentax E90 over the Canon SX170 IS
| E90 | SX170 IS |
|---|
Common features in the Canon SX170 IS and Pentax E90
| SX170 IS | E90 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display resolution | 230k | 230k | Exact same display resolution | |
| Selfie screen | Neither provides selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Absent Touch friendly display |
Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90 Physical Comparison
In case you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Canon SX170 IS provides outside measurements of 108mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Pentax E90 has sizing of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).
Analyze the Canon SX170 IS versus Pentax E90 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the SX170 IS vs the E90.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX170 IS and E90 is 88 and 94 respectively.
Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by going over specs. The pic underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SX170 IS and E90.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You can expect to see the Canon SX170 IS to deliver extra detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a little more aggressively. The newer SX170 IS should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.
Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90 Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax E90 Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SX170 IS | Pentax Optio E90 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Canon | Pentax |
| Model | Canon PowerShot SX170 IS | Pentax Optio E90 |
| Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
| Revealed | 2013-08-22 | 2010-01-25 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Digic 4 | Prime |
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 27.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3648 x 2736 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 3 |
| Cross focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | 28-448mm (16.0x) | 32-95mm (3.0x) |
| Largest aperture | f/3.5-5.9 | f/3.1-5.9 |
| Macro focus range | 1cm | 6cm |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
| Resolution of display | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Display tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 15 secs | 4 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/3200 secs | 1/2000 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 1.0fps | - |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 3.00 m | 3.50 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off | - |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 25 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (15 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 251 gr (0.55 lbs) | 145 gr (0.32 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 108 x 71 x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 102 x 59 x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") |
| 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 | 300 images | - |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | NB-6LH | 2 x AA |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC, Internal |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Retail cost | $0 | $100 |