Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Sony A500

Its time to examine more closely at the Ricoh GR Digital IV versus Sony A500, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Ricoh and Sony. The image resolution of the GR Digital IV (10MP) and the A500 (12MP) is very similar but the GR Digital IV (1/1.7") and A500 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

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The GR Digital IV was released 2 years after the A500 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh GR Digital IV being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the GR Digital IV scores vs the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Ricoh GR Digital IV & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are available at Ricoh GR Digital IV Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Ricoh GR Digital IV has got external measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Ricoh GR Digital IV versus Sony A500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the GR Digital IV and the A500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GR Digital IV and A500 is 92 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes only by going over specs. The pic here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the GR Digital IV and A500.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The GR Digital IV due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A500 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The more recent GR Digital IV should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.