Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Sony A7

Let's examine more closely at the Ricoh GR Digital IV and Sony A7, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Ricoh and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the GR Digital IV (10MP) and A7 (24MP) and the GR Digital IV (1/1.7") and A7 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The GR Digital IV was revealed 3 years prior to the A7 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh GR Digital IV being a Compact camera and the Sony A7 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief summation of how the GR Digital IV matches up against the A7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh GR Digital IV & Sony Alpha A7. The full galleries are viewable at Ricoh GR Digital IV Gallery & Sony A7 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Ricoh GR Digital IV offers external measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs) while the Sony A7 has proportions of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") with a weight of 474 grams (1.04 lbs).

Look at the Ricoh GR Digital IV and Sony A7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the GR Digital IV compared to the A7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the GR Digital IV and A7 is 92 and 78 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through specs. The image below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the GR Digital IV and A7.

All in all, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GR Digital IV having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A7 will give extra detail because of its extra 14MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged GR Digital IV is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.