Canon S120 vs Ricoh CX2

Let's take a closer look at the Canon S120 vs Ricoh CX2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Canon and Ricoh. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the S120 (12MP) and CX2 (9MP) and the S120 (1/1.7") and CX2 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The S120 was manufactured 4 years later than the CX2 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the S120 grades against the CX2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot S120 and Ricoh CX2. The entire galleries are provided at Canon S120 Gallery and Ricoh CX2 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Canon S120 enjoys physical dimensions of 100mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 217 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Ricoh CX2 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs).

Analyze the Canon S120 vs Ricoh CX2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the S120 versus the CX2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the S120 and CX2 is 92 and 93 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching specs. The graphic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S120 and CX2.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S120 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Canon S120 will render greater detail due to its extra 3MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger S120 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.