Panasonic TS2 vs Samsung PL170 Comparison

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Panasonic TS2

14 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Samsung PL170

16 MP | 1/2.33″ (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic TS2 vs Samsung PL170 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic TS2, which was introduced in January 2010 is a Waterproof camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Samsung PL170, which was introduced in January 2011 is a Ultracompact camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. There is only 11 months difference between TS2 and PL170 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic TS2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-01-26

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.7" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

188g. 99 x 63 x 24 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Also known as Lumix DMC-FT2

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 Compare

Samsung PL170 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-01-05

16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO - 3200

Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

Unknown continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

g. 95 x 57 x 19 mm

Panasonic TS2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 (Lumix DMC-FT2)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 vs Samsung PL170

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 over Samsung PL170

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Max ISO	6.400 vs 3.200	100% higher Max ISO
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Focal Length - Tele	128mm vs mm	128 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	4.6× vs	more flexible focal coverage

Reasons to choose Samsung PL170 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 14 MP	14% more pixels
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1300s	faster mechanical shutter
Weight	g vs 188 g	188 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide	mm vs 28mm	28 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	vs 3.30	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	vs 5.90	faster lens at tele

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 and Samsung PL170

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 and Samsung PL170

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control

Panasonic TS2 vs Samsung PL170: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic TS2 has external dimensions of 99 x 63 x 24 mm (3.9 x 2.48 x 0.94″) and weighs 188 g (0.41 lb / 6.63 oz) (including batteries). Samsung PL170 has external dimensions of 95 x 57 x 19 mm (3.74 x 2.24 x 0.75″) and weighs (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170. Samsung PL170 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 6mm shorter and 5mm thinner than Panasonic TS2.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung PL170 is 188g lighter than the Panasonic TS2 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

TS2

PL170

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

TS2

PL170

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Samsung PL170's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic TS2's 2.7" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Panasonic TS2 vs Samsung PL170: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic TS2 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine HD II processor. On the other hand, Samsung PL170 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the TS2 and PL170 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 Cameras

Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic TS2 vs Samsung PL170 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic TS2 features a 28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 4.6× zoom lens whereas Samsung PL170 features a zoom lens.

Samsung PL170 has 28mm wider coverage than the Panasonic TS2. At f, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic TS2 has 128mm longer reach than the Samsung PL170. However, with a max aperture of f, Samsung PL170 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TS2

PL170

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TS2

PL170

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TS2

PL170

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TS2

PL170

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic TS2 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Samsung PL170 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33″ (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic TS2 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung PL170 for Street Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f
mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33″ (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic TS2 for Sports Photography

POOR

Samsung PL170 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
11 Focus Points
128 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1300s
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Panasonic TS2 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Samsung PL170 for Daily Photography

POOR

Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
188g
4.6X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
Body Thickness 19mm
Small 1/2.33″ (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Panasonic TS2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung PL170 for Landscape Photography

POOR

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33″ (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic TS2 vs Samsung PL170: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic TS2 and Samsung PL170 scores compare:

Panasonic TS2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #196 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #765 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Samsung PL170

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #144 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #1204 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic TS2 has a higher Overall Score than the Samsung PL170 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Samsung PL170 vs Panasonic TS2 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2	Samsung PL170
Brand	Panasonic	Samsung
Announced	2010-01-26	2011-01-05
Body Type	Compact	Ultracompact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	27.72mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4320 x 3240	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	0 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	11	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28-128 mm (4.6×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F3.3-5.9	no lens
Macro Focus Range	5cm	n/a
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.7"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1300s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.10 m	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1280 x 720
Video Formats	AVCHD Lite	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	188g	n/a
Dimensions	99 x 63 x 24mm	95 x 57 x 19mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction