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Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R

Portability
89
Imaging
59
Features
55
Overall
57
Ricoh GR II front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5R front
Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Key Specs

Ricoh GR II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28mm (F2.8-16.0) lens
  • 251g - 117 x 63 x 35mm
  • Launched June 2015
  • Superseded the Ricoh GR
Sony NEX-5R
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
  • Revealed August 2012
  • Old Model is Sony NEX-5N
  • Replacement is Sony NEX-5T
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Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Overview

Let's look more in depth at the Ricoh GR II and Sony NEX-5R, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Ricoh and Sony. The resolution of the GR II (16MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is relatively close and both cameras posses the identical sensor sizes (APS-C).

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The GR II was unveiled 2 years after the NEX-5R which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh GR II being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the GR II grades against the NEX-5R when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Ricoh GR II over the Sony NEX-5R

 GR II NEX-5R 
RevealedJune 2015August 2012More modern by 35 months
Screen resolution1230k920kCrisper screen (+310k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5R over the Ricoh GR II

 NEX-5R GR II 
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Ricoh GR II and Sony NEX-5R

 GR II NEX-5R 
Manually focus Very precise focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen dimensions
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Physical Comparison

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Ricoh GR II features outer dimensions of 117mm x 63mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check the Ricoh GR II and Sony NEX-5R in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the GR II versus the NEX-5R.

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GR II and NEX-5R is 89 and 89 respectively.

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R top view buttons comparison

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The image here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the GR II and NEX-5R.

As you have seen, each of these cameras come with the identical sensor size and the identical resolution and you can expect comparable quality of images although you need to factor the launch date of the cameras into account. The newer GR II will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R sensor size comparison

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Screen and ViewFinder

Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Ricoh GR II as a Portrait photography camera
Sony NEX-5R as a Portrait photography camera
75
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has face detect focus
saves RAW formats
74
has manual focus
decent MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Ricoh GR II Street photography highlights
Sony NEX-5R Street photography highlights
74
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
lighter than competition in class (251g)
very good ISO range (25,600)
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
80
screen tilts up and down
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
offers touch to focus
great ISO range (25,600)
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Ricoh GR II Sports photography advice
Sony NEX-5R Sports photography advice
50
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has tracking focus
focal length is fixed (28mm)
slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames per second)
no image stabilization
does not have phase detect auto focus
68
decent MP (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
provides tracking autofocus
sensor has phase detect AF
no image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Ricoh GR II
Travel photography with Sony NEX-5R
67
lighter than competition in class (251g)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
has built in flash
no Timelapse recording
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
73
offers touch to focus
decent MP (16MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Ricoh GR II Landscape photography features
Sony NEX-5R Landscape photography features
59
focusing manually
screen size is good (3 inches)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
very good ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW formats
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
focal length is fixed (28mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
no image stabilization
no Timelapse recording
75
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
decent MP (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
great ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW formats
no image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Ricoh GR II Vlogging factors
Sony NEX-5R Vlogging factors
32
has face detect focus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition in class (251 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
no microphone port
31
screen is touchscreen
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
missing external mic support
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Ricoh GR II vs Sony NEX-5R Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Ricoh GR II and Sony NEX-5R
 Ricoh GR IISony Alpha NEX-5R
General Information
Make Ricoh Sony
Model type Ricoh GR II Sony Alpha NEX-5R
Class Large Sensor Compact Entry-Level Mirrorless
Launched 2015-06-17 2012-08-29
Physical type Large Sensor Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip GR Engine V Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor dimensions 23.7 x 15.7mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 372.1mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4928 x 3264 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 25600 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 9 99
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 28mm (1x) -
Maximum aperture f/2.8-16.0 -
Macro focusing range 10cm -
Amount of lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 1.5 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 1,230 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology - Tilt Up 180� Down 50� TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (optional) Electronic (optional)
Features
Slowest shutter speed 300s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate 4.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.00 m (at Auto ISO) no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, Flash On, Flash Synchro., Manual Flash, Red-Eye Flash Auto, Red-Eye Flash On, Red-Eye Flash Synchro, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p, 24p) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 251 grams (0.55 pounds) 276 grams (0.61 pounds)
Physical dimensions 117 x 63 x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 80 78
DXO Color Depth rating 23.6 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating 13.7 13.1
DXO Low light rating 1078 910
Other
Battery life 320 photos 330 photos
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID DB-65 NPFW50
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Launch cost $599 $750