Panasonic S5 vs Ricoh WG-4

Let's look a little more closely at the Panasonic S5 and Ricoh WG-4, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof by competitors Panasonic and Ricoh. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and WG-4 (16MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and WG-4 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S5 was launched 6 years after the WG-4 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Ricoh WG-4 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple view of how the S5 grades vs the WG-4 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Ricoh WG-4. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Ricoh WG-4 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S5 comes with external dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") along with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) whilst the Ricoh WG-4 has dimensions of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic S5 and Ricoh WG-4 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the S5 and the WG-4.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S5 and WG-4 is 60 and 90 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizes simply by going over a spec sheet. The image underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the S5 and WG-4.

As you can see, each of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S5 because of its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Panasonic S5 will deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The newer S5 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.