Ricoh CX2 vs Sony A57

Its time to look more closely at the Ricoh CX2 vs Sony A57, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the CX2 (9MP) and A57 (16MP) and the CX2 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The CX2 was announced 4 years before the A57 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Ricoh CX2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the CX2 matches up vs the A57 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh CX2 and Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are provided at Ricoh CX2 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Ricoh CX2 has outside measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has proportions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Ricoh CX2 vs Sony A57 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the CX2 against the A57.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the CX2 and A57 is 93 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its hard to envision the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading through specifications. The photograph below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the CX2 and A57.

To sum up, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The CX2 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A57 will resolve greater detail with its extra 7 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older CX2 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.