Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Panasonic GX850 and Canon 170 IS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic GX850 has external dimensions of 107 x 65 x 33 mm (4.21 x 2.56 x 1.3″) and weighs 269 g (0.59 lb / 9.49 oz) (including batteries). Canon 170 IS has external dimensions of 100 x 58 x 23 mm (3.94 x 2.28 x 0.91″) and weighs 141 g (0.31 lb / 4.97 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic GX850 and the Canon 170 IS. Canon 170 IS is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 10mm thinner than Panasonic GX850. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon 170 IS has a built-in lens but Panasonic GX850 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GX850, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Panasonic GX850 and Canon 170 IS.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic GX850 and Canon 170 IS.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Canon 170 IS is significantly lighter (128g ) than the Panasonic GX850 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on GX850, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 (Lumix DMC-GX800 / Lumix DMC-GF9) nor Canon PowerShot ELPH 170 IS (IXUS 170) provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic GX850's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 170 IS's 2.7 screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Panasonic GX850 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Canon 170 IS has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to GX850.