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Ricoh GR vs Sony A550

Portability
90
Imaging
57
Features
54
Overall
55
Ricoh GR front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 front
Portability
63
Imaging
54
Features
65
Overall
58

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Key Specs

Ricoh GR
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28mm (F2.8) lens
  • 245g - 117 x 61 x 35mm
  • Introduced April 2013
  • Successor is Ricoh GR II
Sony A550
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Announced December 2009
  • Superseded the Sony A100
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Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Overview

Its time to examine more closely at the Ricoh GR and Sony A550, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Ricoh and Sony. The resolution of the GR (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very similar and they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The GR was released 3 years later than the A550 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh GR being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the GR scores versus the A550 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Ricoh GR over the Sony A550

 GR A550 
AnnouncedApril 2013December 2009Fresher by 41 months
Display resolution1230k922kCrisper display (+308k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Ricoh GR

 A550 GR 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Common features in the Ricoh GR and Sony A550

 GR A550 
Focus manually Dial precise focusing
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display measurement
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither features Touch friendly display

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Ricoh GR enjoys external measurements of 117mm x 61mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Compare the Ricoh GR and Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the GR vs the A550.

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GR and A550 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 top view buttons comparison

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading a spec sheet. The photograph here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the GR and A550.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Ricoh GR to deliver more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The newer GR will have an edge in sensor technology.

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 sensor size comparison

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Screen and ViewFinder

Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Ricoh GR Portrait photography info
Sony A550 Portrait photography info
74
manual focus
above average flash sync speed (1/4,000s)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
72
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
offers face detect autofocus
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Ricoh GR Street photography details
Sony A550 Street photography details
74
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
lighter than average (245g)
very good high ISO (25,600)
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
74
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
exports RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Ricoh GR Sports photography factors
Sony A550 Sports photography factors
45
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
focal length is fixed (28mm)
very slow continuous shooting (4.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have phase detect AF
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports phase detect autofocus
terrible battery power (480 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Ricoh GR Travel photography features
Sony A550 Travel photography features
71
lighter than average (245g)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
does not have selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
52
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
missing Timelapse mode
terrible battery power (480 CIPA)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Ricoh GR Landscape photography info
Sony A550 Landscape photography info
61
manual focus
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
very good high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW files
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
focal length is fixed (28mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not have image stabilization
66
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
exports RAW files
terrible battery power (480 shots)
missing Timelapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Ricoh GR Vlogging info
Sony A550 Vlogging info
30
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than average (245g)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not have selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
no microphone port
9
no video recording
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Ricoh GR vs Sony A550 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Ricoh GR and Sony A550
 Ricoh GRSony Alpha DSLR-A550
General Information
Make Ricoh Sony
Model Ricoh GR Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
Class Large Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2013-04-17 2009-12-09
Physical type Large Sensor Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor - Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 23.7 x 15.7mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 372.1mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4928 x 3264 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW files
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points - 9
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 28mm (1x) -
Maximum aperture f/2.8 -
Available lenses - 143
Crop factor 1.5 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 1,230 thousand dots 922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Screen tech TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (optional) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.53x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 300 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 4.0 frames per sec 7.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 5.40 m (at ISO 100) 12.00 m
Flash options - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/4000 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 ( 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25, 24 fps) -
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video format MPEG-4 -
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 245 gr (0.54 lbs) 632 gr (1.39 lbs)
Dimensions 117 x 61 x 35mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.4") 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 78 66
DXO Color Depth score 23.6 21.9
DXO Dynamic range score 13.5 11.8
DXO Low light score 972 807
Other
Battery life 290 shots 480 shots
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model DB65 NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Price at launch $971 $749