Canon SX20 IS vs Ricoh GR II

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Canon SX20 IS versus Ricoh GR II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Canon and Ricoh. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the SX20 IS (12MP) and GR II (16MP) and the SX20 IS (1/2.3") and GR II (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SX20 IS was announced 6 years before the GR II and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Ricoh GR II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving through a full comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the SX20 IS grades against the GR II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS & Ricoh GR II. The whole galleries are available at Canon SX20 IS Gallery & Ricoh GR II Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon SX20 IS has outer dimensions of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") and a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) while the Ricoh GR II has measurements of 117mm x 63mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs).

Analyze the Canon SX20 IS versus Ricoh GR II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the SX20 IS vs the GR II.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SX20 IS and GR II is 65 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading a spec sheet. The visual here might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX20 IS and GR II.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SX20 IS using its tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Ricoh GR II will offer you extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older SX20 IS is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.