Samsung PL170 vs Sony A3000

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Samsung PL170 and Sony A3000, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Samsung and Sony. The image resolution of the PL170 (16MP) and the A3000 (20MP) is relatively close but the PL170 (1/2.3") and A3000 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The PL170 was revealed 3 years before the A3000 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the PL170 grades against the A3000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Samsung PL170 & Sony Alpha A3000. The full galleries are provided at Samsung PL170 Gallery & Sony A3000 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Samsung PL170 has outer measurements 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) while the Sony A3000 has proportions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Samsung PL170 and Sony A3000 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view size comparison of the PL170 against the A3000.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the PL170 and A3000 is 99 and 69 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to see the difference in sensor dimensions simply by looking through specifications. The picture here might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the PL170 and A3000.

Plainly, each of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The PL170 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A3000 will render more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged PL170 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.