Olympus 7040 vs Ricoh CX5

Here is a extended review of the Olympus 7040 and Ricoh CX5, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the 7040 (14MP) and CX5 (10MP) but they come with the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The 7040 was revealed 18 months earlier than the CX5 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the 7040 grades against the CX5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus 7040 & Ricoh CX5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 7040 Gallery & Ricoh CX5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 7040 comes with physical dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs) and the Ricoh CX5 has dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 7040 and Ricoh CX5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the 7040 compared to the CX5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 7040 and CX5 is 95 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing merely by going over specifications. The visual here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 7040 and CX5.

To sum up, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus 7040 to deliver extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The older 7040 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.