Olympus SH-50 vs Ricoh WG-30W

The following is a extensive review of the Olympus SH-50 and Ricoh WG-30W, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Ricoh. The resolution of the SH-50 (16MP) and the WG-30W (16MP) is fairly comparable and both cameras offer the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SH-50 was introduced 21 months before the WG-30W making them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the SH-50 scores against the WG-30W for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SH-50 & Ricoh WG-30W. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Ricoh WG-30W Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SH-50 has outer measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Ricoh WG-30W has specifications of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 194 grams (0.43 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-50 and Ricoh WG-30W in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the SH-50 vs the WG-30W.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and WG-30W is 88 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by going through specs. The pic underneath should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and WG-30W.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions and the same MP so you can expect comparable quality of files but you should always consider the launch date of the cameras into account. The more aged SH-50 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.