Canon SX160 IS vs Ricoh GR Digital III

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Canon SX160 IS and Ricoh GR Digital III, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Canon and Ricoh. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the SX160 IS (16MP) and GR Digital III (10MP) and the SX160 IS (1/2.3") and GR Digital III (1/1.7") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The SX160 IS was announced 3 years after the GR Digital III which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief view of how the SX160 IS scores vs the GR Digital III for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX160 IS & Ricoh GR Digital III. The whole galleries are provided at Canon SX160 IS Gallery & Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and size. The Canon SX160 IS comes with external dimensions of 111mm x 73mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.9" x 1.7") and a weight of 291 grams (0.64 lbs) and the Ricoh GR Digital III has specifications of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Analyze the Canon SX160 IS and Ricoh GR Digital III in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the SX160 IS compared to the GR Digital III.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX160 IS and GR Digital III is 86 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes merely by reviewing specs. The pic here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX160 IS and GR Digital III.

All in all, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SX160 IS using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Canon SX160 IS will offer more detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The more recent SX160 IS will have a benefit in sensor innovation.