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Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3

Portability
96
Imaging
36
Features
24
Overall
31
Olympus VG-120 front
 
Ricoh CX3 front
Portability
92
Imaging
33
Features
35
Overall
33

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Key Specs

Olympus VG-120
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 120g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
  • Released January 2011
Ricoh CX3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-300mm (F3.5-5.6) lens
  • 206g - 102 x 58 x 29mm
  • Released June 2010
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Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Overview

Below is a in depth analysis of the Olympus VG-120 and Ricoh CX3, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the VG-120 (14MP) and CX3 (10MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The VG-120 was manufactured 7 months later than the CX3 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Ricoh CX3 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the VG-120 scores vs the CX3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus VG-120 over the Ricoh CX3

 VG-120 CX3 
ReleasedJanuary 2011June 2010More recent by 7 months

Reasons to pick Ricoh CX3 over the Olympus VG-120

 CX3 VG-120 
Manually focus More precise focusing
Screen resolution920k230kClearer screen (+690k dot)

Common features in the Olympus VG-120 and Ricoh CX3

 VG-120 CX3 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither provides Touch friendly screen

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus VG-120 provides physical measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Ricoh CX3 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VG-120 and Ricoh CX3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the VG-120 and the CX3.

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and CX3 is 96 and 92 respectively.

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is tough to see the difference between sensor measurements simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-120 and CX3.

As you can see, each of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Olympus VG-120 to deliver more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures more aggressively. The newer VG-120 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 sensor size comparison

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus VG-120
Portrait photography with Ricoh CX3
33
resolution is good (14MP)
provides face detection focus
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not possible
can't use external flash
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
26
you can focus manually
no manual control
can't use external flash
MP count low (10MP)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Street photography information
Ricoh CX3 Street photography information
48
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
60
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competitors (206 grams)
fixed screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Sports photography features
Ricoh CX3 Sports photography features
26
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
low battery life (160 CIPA)
has no phase detect auto focus
26
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no shutter priority
MP count low (10MP)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus VG-120 as a Travel photography camera
Ricoh CX3 as a Travel photography camera
62
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
fairly wide (26mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
low battery life (160 CIPA)
does not have selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
66
lighter than competitors (206 grams)
built-in flash
rather wide (28mm)
great zoom (300mm)
MP count low (10MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Landscape photography features
Ricoh CX3 Landscape photography features
36
fairly wide (26mm)
nice screen size (3")
resolution is good (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
manual mode not possible
lack of image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
low battery life (160 shots)
lack of Time Lapse mode
42
you can focus manually
rather wide (28mm)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
MP count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Vlogging details
Ricoh CX3 Vlogging details
28
fairly wide (26mm)
provides face detection focus
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not have selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of external mic port
30
rather wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competitors (206 grams)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of mic support
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Olympus VG-120 vs Ricoh CX3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus VG-120 and Ricoh CX3
 Olympus VG-120Ricoh CX3
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Ricoh
Model Olympus VG-120 Ricoh CX3
Class Ultracompact Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2011-01-06 2010-06-16
Physical type Ultracompact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III Smooth Imaging Engine IV
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2
Max resolution 4288 x 3216 3648 x 2736
Max native ISO 1600 3200
Min native ISO 80 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 26-130mm (5.0x) 28-300mm (10.7x)
Largest aperture f/2.8-6.5 f/3.5-5.6
Macro focus range 7cm 1cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 secs 8 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/2000 secs
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 4.40 m 4.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video file format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 120 grams (0.26 lb) 206 grams (0.45 lb)
Physical dimensions 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") 102 x 58 x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 160 pictures -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model LI-70B DB-100
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2, 10 or Custom)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC SD/SDHC card, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $190 $329