Samsung PL170 vs Sony A580

Lets take a closer look at the Samsung PL170 vs Sony A580, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Samsung and Sony. The resolution of the PL170 (16MP) and the A580 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the PL170 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The PL170 was unveiled 4 months before the A580 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the PL170 matches up versus the A580 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Samsung PL170 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The full galleries are viewable at Samsung PL170 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Samsung PL170 offers outside dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) whilst the Sony A580 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Look at the Samsung PL170 vs Sony A580 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the PL170 against the A580.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the PL170 and A580 is 99 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to picture the difference in sensor dimensions simply by checking out technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the PL170 and A580.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with the identical MP albeit different sensor dimensions. The PL170 comes with the smaller sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult.