Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A700

In this write-up, we will be evaluating the Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A700, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Ricoh and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the CX1 (9MP) and A700 (12MP) and the CX1 (1/2.3") and A700 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The CX1 was released 15 months after the A700 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. The two cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh CX1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a short overview of how the CX1 grades vs the A700 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh CX1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The complete galleries are provided at Ricoh CX1 Gallery & Sony A700 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Ricoh CX1 provides exterior measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 180 grams (0.40 lbs) while the Sony A700 has measurements of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") and a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Look at the Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A700 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the CX1 versus the A700.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the CX1 and A700 is 93 and 58 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the CX1 and A700.

As you can see, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The CX1 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Sony A700 will offer greater detail as a result of its extra 3MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The newer CX1 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.