Olympus XZ-1 vs Ricoh WG-30

Here is a complete assessment of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Ricoh WG-30, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and WG-30 (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and WG-30 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was unveiled 4 years prior to the WG-30 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the XZ-1 grades versus the WG-30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 & Ricoh WG-30. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Ricoh WG-30 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 enjoys exterior dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Ricoh WG-30 has dimensions of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") and a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-1 vs Ricoh WG-30 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the XZ-1 vs the WG-30.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and WG-30 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing simply by looking at specifications. The visual here might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and WG-30.

To sum up, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 having a larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Ricoh WG-30 will resolve greater detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.