Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sony A550

Here, we are analyzing the Ricoh GR Digital III versus Sony A550, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Ricoh and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the GR Digital III (10MP) and A550 (14MP) and the GR Digital III (1/1.7") and A550 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GR Digital III was introduced 4 months before the A550 and they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh GR Digital III being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the GR Digital III grades against the A550 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Ricoh GR Digital III and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The whole galleries are available at Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera often, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh GR Digital III provides outer measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) while the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Ricoh GR Digital III versus Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the GR Digital III versus the A550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GR Digital III and A550 is 92 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by researching specifications. The pic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the GR Digital III and A550.

Plainly, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GR Digital III with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A550 will result in more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a good deal more aggressively.