Ricoh GR II vs Sony S980

Let's look more in depth at the Ricoh GR II and Sony S980, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Ricoh and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the GR II (16MP) and S980 (12MP) and the GR II (APS-C) and S980 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The GR II was unveiled 6 years after the S980 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Ricoh GR II being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the GR II matches up against the S980 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh GR II & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The full galleries are available at Ricoh GR II Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Ricoh GR II offers exterior measurements of 117mm x 63mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

See the Ricoh GR II and Sony S980 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the GR II compared to the S980.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GR II and S980 is 89 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to see the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing technical specs. The image underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the GR II and S980.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The GR II with its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Ricoh GR II will provide you with greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots more aggressively. The more recent GR II will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.