Samsung PL170 vs Sony NEX-7

Below, we are analyzing the Samsung PL170 and Sony NEX-7, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Samsung and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the PL170 (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the PL170 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The PL170 was manufactured 11 months prior to the NEX-7 and they are both of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the PL170 matches up against the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung PL170 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The entire galleries are provided at Samsung PL170 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Samsung PL170 offers exterior 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) and the Sony NEX-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Examine the Samsung PL170 and Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the PL170 vs the NEX-7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the PL170 and NEX-7 is 99 and 84 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements purely by going over a spec sheet. The visual here should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the PL170 and NEX-7.

Clearly, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The PL170 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony NEX-7 will deliver more detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The older PL170 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.