Samsung PL170 vs Sony QX10

Following is a in depth review of the Samsung PL170 and Sony QX10, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Lens-style by companies Samsung and Sony. The sensor resolution of the PL170 (16MP) and the QX10 (18MP) is very close and both cameras boast the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The PL170 was announced 3 years earlier than the QX10 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony QX10 being a Lens-style camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a short summary of how the PL170 scores vs the QX10 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung PL170 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10. The whole galleries are provided at Samsung PL170 Gallery and Sony QX10 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Samsung PL170 provides external measurements 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 QX10 has measurements of 62mm x 62mm x 33mm (2.4" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 105 grams (0.23 lbs).

Look at the Samsung PL170 and Sony QX10 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the PL170 and the QX10.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the PL170 and QX10 is 99 and 96 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes only by viewing technical specs. The image below will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the PL170 and QX10.

As you can tell, both of those cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Sony QX10 to render more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged PL170 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.