Samsung PL170 vs Samsung SL820

Let's take a more detailed look at the Samsung PL170 vs Samsung SL820, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both designed by Samsung. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the PL170 (16MP) and SL820 (12MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The PL170 was brought out 23 months after the SL820 making them a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Samsung SL820 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summary of how the PL170 scores versus the SL820 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung PL170 & Samsung SL820. The entire galleries are provided at Samsung PL170 Gallery & Samsung SL820 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Samsung PL170 has got outer measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) whilst the Samsung SL820 has dimensions of 95mm x 59mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 168 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Samsung PL170 vs Samsung SL820 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the PL170 versus the SL820.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the PL170 and SL820 is 99 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes simply by going over technical specs. The pic below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the PL170 and SL820.

As you have seen, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Samsung PL170 to deliver more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The more recent PL170 will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.