Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2
95 Imaging
36 Features
34 Overall
35


93 Imaging
32 Features
35 Overall
33
Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
- 152g - 102 x 60 x 21mm
- Released August 2012
(Full Review)
- 9MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 28-300mm (F3.5-5.6) lens
- 185g - 102 x 58 x 29mm
- Announced August 2009

Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Overview
In this article, we will be reviewing the Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Ricoh. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and CX2 (9MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

The VH-515 was launched 3 years after the CX2 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the VH-515 scores vs the CX2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VH-515 and Ricoh CX2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VH-515 Gallery and Ricoh CX2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VH-515 over the Ricoh CX2
VH-515 | CX2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | August 2012 | ![]() | August 2009 | Newer by 37 months |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Ricoh CX2 over the Olympus VH-515
CX2 | VH-515 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Screen resolution | 920k | ![]() | 460k | Crisper screen (+460k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus VH-515 and Ricoh CX2
VH-515 | CX2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen |
Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Physical Comparison
If you're looking to travel with your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus VH-515 provides outer dimensions of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Ricoh CX2 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs).
Compare the Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the VH-515 against the CX2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VH-515 and CX2 is 95 and 93 respectively.

Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor dimensions simply by viewing specs. The image here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VH-515 and CX2.
As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You should count on the Olympus VH-515 to result in extra detail utilizing its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The younger VH-515 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus VH-515 vs Ricoh CX2 Specifications
Olympus VH-515 | Ricoh CX2 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Ricoh |
Model | Olympus VH-515 | Ricoh CX2 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Released | 2012-08-21 | 2009-08-20 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic III+ | Smooth Imaging Engine IV |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 9 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2 |
Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3456 x 2592 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 26-130mm (5.0x) | 28-300mm (10.7x) |
Max aperture | f/2.8-6.5 | f/3.5-5.6 |
Macro focus range | 5cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Display resolution | 460k dots | 920k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 4 seconds | 8 seconds |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
Continuous shutter rate | 2.0 frames per second | - |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 4.70 m | 3.00 m (ISO 400) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps) | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | 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 | 152g (0.34 pounds) | 185g (0.41 pounds) |
Dimensions | 102 x 60 x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") | 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 model | LI-50B | DB-70 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2, 10 or Custom) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
Card slots | One | One |
Retail cost | $648 | $341 |