Reasons to choose PL170
Released in 2011, PL170 has about 28 mm² of sensor area, 16.1 MP effective resolution, and a 87 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Samsung PL170
vs Samsung ST30
VS
Sensor area
28 mm²
PL17017 mm²
ST30- Area ratio
- 1.6:1
- Absolute difference
- 10 mm²
- Relative difference
- 60.4%
The PL170 has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
Key specification differences
PL170MetricST30
16.1 MPEffective pixels10.1 MP
6.08 × 4.56Sensor4.8 × 3.6
1.31 µmPixel pitch1.31 µm
1.72 µm²Pixel area1.71 µm²
58.07 MP/cm²Pixel density58.45 MP/cm²
5.69Crop factor7.21
—Maximum video—
87 gWeight87 g
SDHC, Secure DigitalStorageSDHC, Secure Digital
Lithium-Ion BP70 rechargeable battery Li-ion batteryBatteryLithium-Ion BP70 rechargeable battery Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The PL170 has the larger sensor area. The PL170 and ST30 have the same body weight. The PL170 has the higher effective resolution. The PL170 and ST30 were both released in 2011. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose ST30
Released in 2011, ST30 has about 17 mm² of sensor area, 10.1 MP effective resolution, and a 87 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.