Ricoh CX5 vs Sony A850

Lets look a bit more closely at the Ricoh CX5 vs Sony A850, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the CX5 (10MP) and A850 (25MP) and the CX5 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The CX5 was released 16 months later than the A850 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh CX5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a short highlight of how the CX5 matches up vs the A850 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh CX5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The complete galleries are provided at Ricoh CX5 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Ricoh CX5 enjoys exterior measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Sony A850 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Examine the Ricoh CX5 vs Sony A850 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the CX5 vs the A850.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the CX5 and A850 is 92 and 54 respectively.

Typically, its tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading technical specs. The graphic here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the CX5 and A850.

As you can tell, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The CX5 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A850 will deliver more detail as a result of its extra 15MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The fresher CX5 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.