Pentax X-5 vs Ricoh GR III

Lets examine more closely at the Pentax X-5 vs Ricoh GR III, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Pentax and Ricoh. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the X-5 (16MP) and GR III (24MP) and the X-5 (1/2.3") and GR III (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The X-5 was manufactured 7 years prior to the GR III and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Pentax X-5 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Ricoh GR III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the X-5 scores against the GR III in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax X-5 and Ricoh GR III. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax X-5 Gallery and Ricoh GR III Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera often, you should factor in its weight and size. The Pentax X-5 comes with physical measurements of 119mm x 86mm x 107mm (4.7" x 3.4" x 4.2") with a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs) while the Ricoh GR III has specifications of 109mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 257 grams (0.57 lbs).

Examine the Pentax X-5 vs Ricoh GR III in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the X-5 versus the GR III.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the X-5 and GR III is 65 and 90 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading through specs. The graphic below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the X-5 and GR III.

All in all, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The X-5 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Ricoh GR III will resolve more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The older X-5 is going to be behind in sensor tech.