Canon G9 vs Canon 170 IS

Canon G9 advantages over Canon 170 IS

• Larger sensor
  1/1.7 inch vs 1/2.3 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Eye-level viewfinder
  Eye-level vs Rear display only
  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 1.90 vs 1.20 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Larger lens aperture
  f/2.8 vs f/3.6
  Take photos in low-light or isolate your subject
• RAW file ability
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  240 vs 200 shots
  Capture more photos
• Manual focus
  Yes vs No
  AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
• Integrated ND filter
  Yes vs No
  Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• Faster JPEG shooting
  1.1 fps vs 0.8 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  3200 vs 1600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility