Samsung PL170 vs Sigma DP1

Its time to look more closely at the Samsung PL170 versus Sigma DP1, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Samsung and Sigma. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the PL170 (16MP) and DP1 (5MP) and the PL170 (1/2.3") and DP1 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The PL170 was revealed 2 years later than the DP1 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sigma DP1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short view of how the PL170 matches up against the DP1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Samsung PL170 & Sigma DP1. The full galleries are viewable at Samsung PL170 Gallery & Sigma DP1 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Samsung PL170 provides external dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) and the Sigma DP1 has specifications of 113mm x 60mm x 50mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 2.0") and a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs).

Examine the Samsung PL170 versus Sigma DP1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the PL170 and the DP1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the PL170 and DP1 is 99 and 87 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements simply by seeing specifications. The photograph below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the PL170 and DP1.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The PL170 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Samsung PL170 will show extra detail because of its extra 11 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more modern PL170 provides a benefit with regard to sensor tech.