Canon A800 vs Ricoh GR Digital III

Following is a in-depth comparison of the Canon A800 and Ricoh GR Digital III, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by brands Canon and Ricoh. The sensor resolution of the A800 (10MP) and the GR Digital III (10MP) is fairly close but the A800 (1/2.3") and GR Digital III (1/1.7") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A800 was announced 18 months after the GR Digital III making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the A800 matches up against the GR Digital III in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot A800 & Ricoh GR Digital III. The whole galleries are viewable at Canon A800 Gallery & Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon A800 offers exterior measurements of 94mm x 61mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 186 grams (0.41 lbs) and the Ricoh GR Digital III has dimensions of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Contrast the Canon A800 and Ricoh GR Digital III in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the A800 versus the GR Digital III.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A800 and GR Digital III is 93 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes merely by researching specifications. The image below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the A800 and GR Digital III.

To sum up, each of the cameras come with the identical megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The A800 includes the smaller sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult. The newer A800 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.