Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

On this page, we will be looking at the Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sigma SD1 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Ricoh and Sigma. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the GR Digital III (10MP) and SD1 Merrill (15MP) and the GR Digital III (1/1.7") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The GR Digital III was manufactured 3 years prior to the SD1 Merrill which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Ricoh GR Digital III being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a simple overview of how the GR Digital III scores against the SD1 Merrill in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh GR Digital III & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are viewable at Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Ricoh GR Digital III offers outside dimensions of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Sigma SD1 Merrill has measurements of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") having a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Contrast the Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sigma SD1 Merrill in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the GR Digital III compared to the SD1 Merrill.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GR Digital III and SD1 Merrill is 92 and 57 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over technical specs. The image underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the GR Digital III and SD1 Merrill.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The GR Digital III featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will offer you greater detail due to its extra 5MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged GR Digital III is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.