Olympus SZ-12 vs Ricoh WG-4

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Olympus SZ-12 vs Ricoh WG-4, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Ricoh. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the WG-4 (16MP) is relatively comparable and both cameras offer the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The SZ-12 was released 3 years earlier than the WG-4 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the SZ-12 scores against the WG-4 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-12 & Ricoh WG-4. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Ricoh WG-4 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with exterior dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Ricoh WG-4 has specifications of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 vs Ricoh WG-4 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the SZ-12 versus the WG-4.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and WG-4 is 89 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizing just by going through technical specs. The visual below might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and WG-4.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You can count on the Ricoh WG-4 to show more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older SZ-12 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.