Samsung PL170 vs Sony A58

Let's take a deeper look at the Samsung PL170 versus Sony A58, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Samsung and Sony. The image resolution of the PL170 (16MP) and the A58 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the PL170 (1/2.3") and A58 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The PL170 was released 3 years before the A58 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Samsung PL170 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick view of how the PL170 grades versus the A58 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Samsung PL170 and Sony SLT-A58. The complete galleries are viewable at Samsung PL170 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Samsung PL170 features outer dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) while the Sony A58 has sizing of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Look at the Samsung PL170 versus Sony A58 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the PL170 and the A58.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the PL170 and A58 is 99 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the PL170 and A58.

As you can see, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The PL170 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Sony A58 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older PL170 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.