Canon SX170 IS vs Sony a3500
88 Imaging
39 Features
41 Overall
39
69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58
Canon SX170 IS vs Sony a3500 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
- Announced August 2013
- Old Model is Canon SX160 IS
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Introduced March 2014
- Older Model is Sony A3000
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On this page, we will be reviewing the Canon SX170 IS and Sony a3500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Canon and Sony. The image resolution of the SX170 IS (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is relatively close but the SX170 IS (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe SX170 IS was released 7 months before the a3500 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Canon SX170 IS being a Compact camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a brief overview of how the SX170 IS matches up against the a3500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX170 IS & Sony Alpha a3500. The complete galleries are provided at Canon SX170 IS Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX170 IS over the Sony a3500
| SX170 IS | a3500 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony a3500 over the Canon SX170 IS
| a3500 | SX170 IS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | March 2014 |  | August 2013 | Fresher by 7 months |
Common features in the Canon SX170 IS and Sony a3500
| SX170 IS | a3500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | Very exact focusing | ||
| Screen type | Fixed |  | Fixed | Fixed screen |
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 3" | Equal screen dimensions |
| Screen resolution | 230k |  | 230k | Exact same screen resolution |
| Selfie screen |  | Neither features selfie screen | ||
| Touch screen |  | Missing Touch screen |
Canon SX170 IS vs Sony a3500 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX170 IS enjoys outer dimensions of 108mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Sony a3500 has dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).
Check out the Canon SX170 IS and Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the SX170 IS compared to the a3500.
Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SX170 IS and a3500 is 88 and 69 respectively.
Canon SX170 IS vs Sony a3500 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizing merely by viewing technical specs. The photograph underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SX170 IS and a3500.
As you can tell, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SX170 IS because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony a3500 will result in extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The older SX170 IS will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.
Canon SX170 IS vs Sony a3500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon SX170 IS vs Sony a3500 Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SX170 IS | Sony Alpha a3500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Canon | Sony |
| Model | Canon PowerShot SX170 IS | Sony Alpha a3500 |
| Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Announced | 2013-08-22 | 2014-03-21 |
| Body design | Compact | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Digic 4 | BIONZ image |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 20MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5456 x 3632 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 16000 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 25 |
| Cross focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
| Lens focal range | 28-448mm (16.0x) | - |
| Highest aperture | f/3.5-5.9 | - |
| Macro focus distance | 1cm | - |
| Number of lenses | - | 121 |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 230k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Display technology | TFT Color LCD | TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.47x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 15 secs | 30 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/3200 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter speed | 1.0 frames per second | 4.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 3.00 m | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
| Flash modes | Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 25 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| 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 | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 251 gr (0.55 pounds) | 411 gr (0.91 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 108 x 71 x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall 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 pictures | 470 pictures |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | NB-6LH | NP-FW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | - |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Cost at release | $0 | $398 |