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Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W

Portability
93
Imaging
31
Features
11
Overall
23
Nikon Coolpix L21 front
 
Ricoh WG-30W front
Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
34
Overall
37

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Key Specs

Nikon L21
(Full Review)
  • 8MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 38-136mm (F3.1-6.7) lens
  • 169g - 92 x 67 x 28mm
  • Announced February 2010
Ricoh WG-30W
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 194g - 123 x 62 x 30mm
  • Launched October 2014
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Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Overview

Following is a in depth review of the Nikon L21 and Ricoh WG-30W, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Nikon and Ricoh. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the L21 (8MP) and WG-30W (16MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The L21 was unveiled 5 years before the WG-30W which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a concise view of how the L21 scores against the WG-30W for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Nikon L21 over the Ricoh WG-30W

 L21 WG-30W 

Reasons to pick Ricoh WG-30W over the Nikon L21

 WG-30W L21 
LaunchedOctober 2014February 2010More modern by 56 months
Display sizing2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")

Common features in the Nikon L21 and Ricoh WG-30W

 L21 WG-30W 
Manual focus No manual focus
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display resolution230k230kThe same display resolution
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch display Neither has Touch display

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Physical Comparison

If you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Nikon L21 has outer measurements of 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 169 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Ricoh WG-30W has proportions of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 194 grams (0.43 lbs).

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Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the L21 and the WG-30W.

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the L21 and WG-30W is 93 and 91 respectively.

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W top view buttons comparison

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be hard to see the gap in sensor sizes only by checking out specifications. The picture here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the L21 and WG-30W.

To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You should expect to see the Ricoh WG-30W to produce greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged L21 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W sensor size comparison

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Nikon L21 as a Portrait photography camera
Ricoh WG-30W as a Portrait photography camera
18
manual focus not available
lack of manual mode
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (8MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
35
good resolution (16MP)
offers face detect focusing
focusing manually not possible
no manual exposure
cannot use external flash
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Nikon L21
Street photography with Ricoh WG-30W
46
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
61
built in image stabilization (Digital)
environment sealing
screen is fixed
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Nikon L21 Sports photography features
Ricoh WG-30W Sports photography features
15
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (8MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
45
built in image stabilization (Digital)
good resolution (16MP)
offers tracking focus
environment sealing
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Nikon L21 Travel photography advice
Ricoh WG-30W Travel photography advice
50
has built in flash
does not have Timelapse recording
sensor resolution low (8 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (38mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
71
environment sealing
good resolution (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
does not feature selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Nikon L21 Landscape photography factors
Ricoh WG-30W Landscape photography factors
21
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (38mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
small screen (2.5 inch)
lack of manual mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (8 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
does not have Timelapse recording
43
fairly wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
good resolution (16MP)
environment sealing
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7")
no manual exposure
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Nikon L21 Vlogging features
Ricoh WG-30W Vlogging features
21
wide angle not fantastic (38mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
video quality not great (640 x 480 pxls)
does not have external microphone support
33
fairly wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
offers face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
does not feature selfie friendly display
does not have mic jack
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Nikon L21 vs Ricoh WG-30W Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon L21 and Ricoh WG-30W
 Nikon Coolpix L21Ricoh WG-30W
General Information
Brand Nikon Ricoh
Model type Nikon Coolpix L21 Ricoh WG-30W
Type Small Sensor Compact Waterproof
Announced 2010-02-03 2014-10-09
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Expeed C2 -
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 8MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Max resolution 3648 x 2736 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 1600 6400
Minimum native ISO 64 125
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points - 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 38-136mm (3.6x) 28-140mm (5.0x)
Highest aperture f/3.1-6.7 f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing distance 5cm 1cm
Focal length multiplier 5.9 5.8
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 2.5 inches 2.7 inches
Display resolution 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 8 seconds 4 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed - 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance - 3.90 m (Auto ISO)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow Syncro Auto, flash off, flash on, auto + redeye
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720
Max video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video file format Motion JPEG H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 169 gr (0.37 pounds) 194 gr (0.43 pounds)
Dimensions 92 x 67 x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") 123 x 62 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 300 photos
Battery format - Battery Pack
Battery ID 2 x AA D-LI92
Self timer Yes Yes
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC, internal
Storage slots Single Single
Retail cost $180 $280