Olympus SZ-12 vs Ricoh WG-5 GPS

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus SZ-12 versus Ricoh WG-5 GPS, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Ricoh. The image resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the WG-5 GPS (16MP) is pretty similar and they possess the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SZ-12 was revealed 4 years prior to the WG-5 GPS and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise view of how the SZ-12 scores versus the WG-5 GPS with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 & Ricoh WG-5 GPS. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Ricoh WG-5 GPS Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 provides outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Ricoh WG-5 GPS has specifications of 125mm x 65mm x 32mm (4.9" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 versus Ricoh WG-5 GPS in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the WG-5 GPS.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and WG-5 GPS is 89 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and WG-5 GPS.

Clearly, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Ricoh WG-5 GPS to offer you extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.