Nikon L31 vs Ricoh GR Digital III

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Nikon L31 versus Ricoh GR Digital III, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Nikon and Ricoh. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the L31 (16MP) and GR Digital III (10MP) and the L31 (1/2.3") and GR Digital III (1/1.7") posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The L31 was unveiled 5 years later than the GR Digital III and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Nikon L31 being a Ultracompact camera and the Ricoh GR Digital III being a Compact camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the L31 grades vs the GR Digital III with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix L31 and Ricoh GR Digital III. The full galleries are available at Nikon L31 Gallery and Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Nikon L31 provides external measurements of 96mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 160 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Ricoh GR Digital III has measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

See the Nikon L31 versus Ricoh GR Digital III in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the L31 and the GR Digital III.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the L31 and GR Digital III is 94 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing specifications. The visual underneath should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the L31 and GR Digital III.

Plainly, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The L31 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Nikon L31 will provide you with greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures more aggressively. The fresher L31 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.