Pentax VS20 vs Ricoh GR Digital III

Its time to take a closer look at the Pentax VS20 and Ricoh GR Digital III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Pentax and Ricoh. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the VS20 (16MP) and GR Digital III (10MP) and the VS20 (1/2.3") and GR Digital III (1/1.7") boast different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The VS20 was manufactured 2 years later than the GR Digital III and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the VS20 matches up vs the GR Digital III with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio VS20 & Ricoh GR Digital III. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax VS20 Gallery & Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Pentax VS20 enjoys physical dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") and a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs) while the Ricoh GR Digital III has proportions of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Look at the Pentax VS20 and Ricoh GR Digital III in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the VS20 compared to the GR Digital III.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the VS20 and GR Digital III is 90 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The photograph here will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the VS20 and GR Digital III.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The VS20 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax VS20 will result in more detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more modern VS20 provides an edge in sensor innovation.