Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sigma DP1 Merrill

Below, we will be reviewing the Ricoh GR Digital III and Sigma DP1 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Ricoh and Sigma. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the GR Digital III (10MP) and DP1 Merrill (15MP) and the GR Digital III (1/1.7") and DP1 Merrill (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The GR Digital III was introduced 3 years prior to the DP1 Merrill and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh GR Digital III being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP1 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the GR Digital III grades versus the DP1 Merrill with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh GR Digital III & Sigma DP1 Merrill. The whole galleries are available at Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery & Sigma DP1 Merrill Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and volume. The Ricoh GR Digital III provides exterior measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Sigma DP1 Merrill has sizing of 122mm x 67mm x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Look at the Ricoh GR Digital III and Sigma DP1 Merrill in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the GR Digital III vs the DP1 Merrill.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the GR Digital III and DP1 Merrill is 92 and 82 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading through specifications. The visual here may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the GR Digital III and DP1 Merrill.

To sum up, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GR Digital III having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sigma DP1 Merrill will give you extra detail using its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older GR Digital III is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.