Canon SX170 IS vs Pentax ist DS2

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Canon SX170 IS and Pentax ist DS2, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Canon and Pentax. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the SX170 IS (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the SX170 IS (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

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The SX170 IS was manufactured 8 years later than the ist DS2 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX170 IS being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the SX170 IS scores vs the ist DS2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot SX170 IS and Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are available at Canon SX170 IS Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX170 IS offers external dimensions of 108mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Examine the Canon SX170 IS and Pentax ist DS2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the SX170 IS versus the ist DS2.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SX170 IS and ist DS2 is 88 and 68 respectively.

Usually, its tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching specifications. The photograph below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX170 IS and ist DS2.

Plainly, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SX170 IS featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Canon SX170 IS will render extra detail due to its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The newer SX170 IS provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.