Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A500

The following is a thorough comparison of the Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A500, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the CX1 (9MP) and A500 (12MP) and the CX1 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The CX1 was brought out 6 months prior to the A500 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh CX1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the CX1 grades vs the A500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh CX1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are provided at Ricoh CX1 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Ricoh CX1 enjoys physical dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 180 grams (0.40 lbs) and the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the CX1 vs the A500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the CX1 and A500 is 93 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to envision the difference in sensor dimensions simply by seeing specs. The image underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the CX1 and A500.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The CX1 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A500 will provide extra detail having its extra 3MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively.