Pentax XG-1 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV

Below is a extensive review of the Pentax XG-1 and Ricoh GR Digital IV, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Pentax and Ricoh. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the XG-1 (16MP) and GR Digital IV (10MP) and the XG-1 (1/2.3") and GR Digital IV (1/1.7") feature different sensor sizes.

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The XG-1 was introduced 2 years later than the GR Digital IV and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Ricoh GR Digital IV being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the XG-1 scores vs the GR Digital IV in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax XG-1 & Ricoh GR Digital IV. The whole galleries are available at Pentax XG-1 Gallery & Ricoh GR Digital IV Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax XG-1 has external measurements of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") and a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs) and the Ricoh GR Digital IV has specifications of 109mm x 59mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs).

Check out the Pentax XG-1 and Ricoh GR Digital IV in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the XG-1 against the GR Digital IV.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XG-1 and GR Digital IV is 66 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The visual below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the XG-1 and GR Digital IV.

As you can tell, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XG-1 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax XG-1 will deliver greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more modern XG-1 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.