Canon SX170 IS

Canon SX170 IS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first released on August of 2013. It features a 16 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a max resolution of 4608 x 3456.

Canon launched this model as a way to update the earlier Canon SX160 IS (Read Full Comparison)

The SX170 IS is ranked #125 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and overall #685 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. You should use our Smart camera search to find camera listings based on your personal requirements.

Here is a diagram of different factors used in the rating system.

The Canon SX170 IS is part of a family of products. You can see the full list below.

You can view the SX170 IS from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a checklist of pros and cons of the Canon SX170 IS based on criterias that are typically considered essential in a digital camera.

The Canon SX170 IS features the Digic 4 chip. The spec of the sensor on the Canon SX170 IS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter can easily cause cropping.

Photography Glossary

The CCD sensor boasts 16MP and includes a standard ISO range of 100 to 1600. Unfortunately, RAW format is not saved which means that you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below illustrates the SX170 IS's sensor size when compared to other popular sizes. The SX170 IS sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.

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To get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Canon SX170 IS weighs 0.55 pounds (251g / 8.85 ounces) and features external size of 108mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.7"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g and the Canon SX170 IS is less heavy than various competitors.

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Listed below is a pic of the Canon SX170 IS besides a soft drink to help you have a feel for its size.

The top view below will highlight the button design on the SX170 IS.

The SX170 IS provides a fixed lens with a focal range of 28-448mm giving it a 16.0 x zoom which is exceptional and could let you zoom right in.

At it's widest 28mm, it provides an aperture of f3.5 which is kind of sluggish and not great in low light events and you may find it hard to capture good bokeh. You will likely also need to up your ISO resulting in noisy shots. For the long end, 448mm is great zoom and comes with f5.9 making it quite sluggish and you may have to apply slower shutter speeds.

The SX170 IS has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes

Digital cameras that have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly via smartphones. You are able to copy images and at times adjust settings without connecting directly with the camera.

Several apps also enable a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not close to the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external monitor. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB port.

The max video resolution on the Canon SX170 IS is 1280 x 720 and it can save in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 720p is terrible by today's requirements. You should shoot for at least FUll HD resolution for good video. The body does not have a mic and headphone socket which means you get zero control over your sound. It is probably best to take a look at an alternative camera if you want better sound in your videos.

There is no environment proofing for the Canon SX170 IS so you have to be careful in rainy and dusty situations.

The Canon SX170 IS features a 3 inch fixed display screen with a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Please be aware that the display offers no touch support.

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The View Finder details regarding Canon SX170 IS are the following:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be really beneficial in bright outdoor situations which can make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to view.

Canon SX170 IS has the ability to shoot continuously at 1.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/3200 seconds.

Canon SX170 IS has got just integrated flash with missing external flash support.

Canon SX170 IS has got only Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster & accurate than Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera features Face detection which can be handy for portraits.

It also features Tracking Autofocus for moving things. Canon SX170 IS features manual focusing if needed in low light conditions or you want more exact focusing control.

The battery pack (NB-6LH) for the Canon SX170 IS is fashioned to last for 300 photographs based on the CIPA standards which is similar to its competitors. The usual Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the maximum (600) battery life in this class of cameras.

Underneath is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
SX170 IS vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
SX170 IS vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
SX170 IS vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
SX170 IS vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
SX170 IS vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following chart indicates a summary of the Canon SX170 IS for different kinds of photography. To see more, check out the specific section below.

The Canon SX170 IS has a points total of 44 which is bad, and means the camera is not really acceptable to use for portraits. Photographing portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, support for RAW files plus the capability to use external lighting.

Having a reasonable rating of 60, the Canon SX170 IS is fairly acceptable to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of picture quality and portability.

A moderate sports photography rating of 48 indicates the Canon SX170 IS is reasonably suited for taking pictures of sports. A camera must have very good autofocus plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

Weight is really critical in picking a camera for travel. Overall, the Canon SX170 IS gets a above average 68 for a travelling camera which makes it a fine choice for your holidays.

For those who are looking to pick a camera for landscape pictures, the most important aspect is going to be image quality. The Canon SX170 IS and it's decent grade of 49 as a landscape camera is relatively adequate within the current market.

A vlogging camera really should have a articulating display, microphone port and if possible IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Canon SX170 IS is not really acceptable for vlogging as it receives a bad score of 31.

If you need alternatives to the SX170 IS, here is a selection of the top scored cameras which fall into the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram below offers you an overview of the SX170 IS versus it's top scored rivals shown earlier.

There are more cameras you might take a look at as alternate options. To go through a extensive comparison, simply click the "compare" link.