Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Samsung NX5

Let's look a little more in depth at the Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Samsung NX5, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Ricoh and Samsung. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the GR Digital IV (10MP) and NX5 (15MP) and the GR Digital IV (1/1.7") and NX5 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The GR Digital IV was announced 16 months later than the NX5 making them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Ricoh GR Digital IV being a Compact camera and the Samsung NX5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the GR Digital IV grades against the NX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh GR Digital IV and Samsung NX5. The whole galleries are provided at Ricoh GR Digital IV Gallery and Samsung NX5 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Ricoh GR Digital IV comes with external dimensions of 109mm x 59mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs) whilst the Samsung NX5 has proportions of 123mm x 87mm x 40mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 1.6") and a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Look at the Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Samsung NX5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the GR Digital IV versus the NX5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the GR Digital IV and NX5 is 92 and 80 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by viewing specs. The visual below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the GR Digital IV and NX5.

All in all, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GR Digital IV having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Samsung NX5 will render more detail with its extra 5MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more recent GR Digital IV should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.