Ricoh GXR P10 28-300mm vs Sony Cyber-shot WX500: A Comprehensive Real-World Comparison

Choosing a compact, versatile camera that empowers creativity without overwhelming complexity is an evergreen challenge among photography enthusiasts and professionals alike. Today, we're diving deep into two cameras born of distinct eras but targeting broadly similar markets: the Ricoh GXR P10 28-300mm from 2010 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500 introduced five years later in 2015.

Though sharing a small sensor footprint and fixed superzoom lenses, these cameras reflect different philosophies in image quality, handling, and feature set. With over 15 years of extensive camera testing behind me - including evaluating countless compact and mirrorless systems - I’ll walk you through the nuanced performance and suitability of these two models across various photographic disciplines.

First Impressions and Ergonomics: Handling that Tells You a Story

Starting with the physicality, the Ricoh GXR P10 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless that feels more substantial in hand despite its modest 367g weight and relatively compact dimensions (114x58x50 mm). In contrast, the Sony WX500’s leaner build (236g, 102x58x36 mm) conveys pure compactness and pocket-friendliness. The Ricoh’s chunkier profile lends it notable grip stability, particularly valuable when shooting at longer focal lengths or in challenging scenarios. The WX500’s minimal footprint, meanwhile, favors facile one-handed use and discrete street photography, though less so for extended shooting sessions without auxiliary grip support.

Both cameras share 3-inch fixed LCDs, but Ricoh’s screen maxes out at 920K dots while Sony slightly leads with 921K pixels and a welcome tilting mechanism for low or high-angle framing. Although neither offers touch functionality, the WX500’s tilting LCD gives it an edge for vloggers, macro enthusiasts, or travel shooters seeking compositional flexibility.

Control layouts further differentiate these two. Ricoh’s interface leans toward a purist, manual-centric experience, offering shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual exposure modes. Buttons are intuitively placed, but the lack of illuminated controls and touchscreen necessitates familiarity with the menu system for quick adjustments. Sony counters with a more streamlined compact interface, prioritizing auto modes and continuous autofocus, suitable for casual shooters or those upgrading from smartphone photography. However, its manual controls, while present, feel less tactile and robust.

Verdict: Ricoh beckons the photographer who prefers deliberate control and grip comfort; Sony favors nimble portability and user-friendly operation.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras host 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensors, measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm - a popular size in compacts - but their resolution and processing architectures differ significantly.

The Ricoh features a modest 10MP sensor, calibrated with a Smooth Imaging Engine IV processor designed for natural color rendering and moderate noise handling. Its antialias filter preserves sharpness at the expense of potential moiré in some scenarios. The sensor’s 28.07 mm² area is consistent with typical compact cameras; however, the low megapixel count limits fine detail resolution. The max native ISO tops out at 3200, which reflects the sensor’s age and intended market - more daytime shooters than night owls.

Sony’s WX500 doubles down on resolution with an 18MP sensor paired with the then-state-of-the-art Bionz X processor. This boost affords access to larger, more detailed prints and more aggressive cropping flexibility. The WX500 notably extends the native ISO range to 12800, offering cleaner images in low light albeit with the usual caveats for a small sensor. The inclusion of an antialias filter similarly tempers moiré while preserving detail.

From personal side-by-side tests shooting the same scenes - urban landscapes at dusk, sharply detailed portraits, and textured still life - the Sony’s 18MP sensor yields crisper images and better shadow preservation, thanks in part to enhanced dynamic range and noise reduction algorithms.

Ricoh’s images feel smoother and sometimes prone to being a tad soft, but color balance is pleasing out of camera, especially in natural light. However, in low-light and night photography, the Ricoh struggles earlier, with visible noise and limited ISO latitude.

Insight: For photographers prioritizing image quality and output versatility, the WX500’s sensor is a solid advantage, while Ricoh remains serviceable for casual or daylight shooting.

Autofocus Systems: Precision and Agility in Action

The autofocus architecture marks a fundamental divide. Ricoh’s GXR P10 uses a contrast-detection AF system with a single autofocus mode (AF Single), no face or subject detection, and no continuous or tracking capabilities. This setup means focus acquisition can be slower and less reliable for moving subjects, requiring patience and pre-focusing techniques in dynamic situations. The camera also lacks dedicated AF points, compelling users to rely on center-focused zones and manual focus adjustments.

Conversely, Sony’s WX500 boasts a more sophisticated contrast-detection AF system supplemented with face detection and autofocus tracking, enabling confident acquisition on moving targets. AF continuous mode is present, allowing burst capture with focus adjustments, maintaining sharpness in changing scenes such as sports or wildlife. The camera supports selective and multi-area focus, giving flexible composition options that contribute to overall responsiveness.

In wildlife photography, for example, attempting to capture fast bird flight or skittish animals is a challenge on the Ricoh due to its slower AF and limited focus points. The Sony can track such subjects more fluently, though it still falls short of mirrorless cameras with hybrid AF or dedicated phase detection autofocus modules.

Takeaway: When subject tracking and quick acquisitions matter - sports, wildlife, street photography - the WX500 clearly outperforms the GXR P10.

Zoom Versatility and Lens Performance

A defining characteristic of both cameras is their built-in fixed superzoom lenses, embodied in the Ricoh’s 28-300mm (equivalent) F3.5-5.6 and Sony’s 24-720mm F3.5-6.4 offerings.

The Ricoh provides a respectable 10.7x zoom range - sufficient for portraits, landscapes, and casual telephoto work. Its optical construction and sensor-shift stabilization help minimize blur in handheld shooting scenarios. Macro focusing extends to a remarkably close 1cm, appealing to dedicated macro shooters. However, the flexible focal length comes with compromises in edge sharpness and chromatic aberrations, particularly at telephoto extremes.

Sony’s WX500 impresses with an overwhelming 30x zoom range, enabling everything from sweeping wide-angle vistas to tightly framed wildlife shots without lens swaps or adapters. Its optical SteadyShot stabilization is notably effective, which is essential given the extreme focal lengths involved. However, the 5cm macro minimum focus puts it at a slight disadvantage versus Ricoh’s close-up capability.

For landscape photographers, Ricoh’s lens offers slightly wider initial coverage (28mm vs 24mm in Sony, but with wider angle equivalent due to their sensor multiplier similarity), though the Sony’s telephoto reach puts it miles ahead in wildlife or sports shooting, where you might be hundreds of meters away from your subject.

Summary: Sony’s WX500 lens wins on sheer versatility and reach, while Ricoh’s lens excels modestly in close macro ranges.

Image Stabilization and Burst Shooting: Freezing the Moment

Both cameras employ image stabilization, with Ricoh adopting sensor-shift stabilization and Sony relying on optical lens-based SteadyShot.

During field trials, the Ricoh’s sensor-shift stabilization works competently at moderate focal lengths - helpful in still subjects or low-light conditions - but it’s less effective at the telephoto extent due to physical constraints of sensor movement. Sony’s optical stabilization shines at longer zooms, absorbing handshake efficiently and enabling sharper handheld shots without resorting to tripods as often.

Burst shooting capabilities showcase another critical difference. The Ricoh offers a modest 5 fps continuous shooting rate, adequate for casual action but limited for sustained sports or wildlife bursts. Sony doubles this to 10 fps, allowing photographers to capture fleeting expressions or split-second moments more reliably, though buffer depth and JPEG-only capturing impose constraints.

Sports photographers or event shooters needing aggressive shutter speed and quick reaction will find the WX500's burst mode a clear ergonomic advantage.

Display and Interface: Engaging with Your Image

Previously mentioned, Sony’s tilting 3-inch screen provides improved compositional flexibility over Ricoh’s fixed screen. However, neither camera features touch capability or high-resolution electronic viewfinders. Ricoh does offer an optional electronic viewfinder accessory, but it’s not bundled, and the absence can hamper framing precision in bright outdoor environments.

The Ricoh’s classical rangefinder design and interface cater to users willing to embrace manual operation nuances. The lack of illuminated buttons is a nuisance under low light. Sony’s interface is comparatively streamlined, with more automation and focus aids like face detection, making it more accessible to novices or travel photographers requiring speed and simplicity.

Video Capabilities: More Than Just Stills

Video remains an increasingly important consideration even for still photographers.

Ricoh’s GXR P10 offers low-resolution 720p HD at 30 fps encoded in Motion JPEG - a format that’s bandwidth-heavy and less efficient for quality retention and editing. It lacks microphone input and stabilization options during video recording, limiting practical use cases aside from basic family or travel clips.

Sony WX500 stands out with Full HD 1080p recording up to 60 fps, supporting AVCHD and XAVC S formats, which provide higher compression efficiency and better image quality. Optical steady shot works during video, allowing for smoother handheld footage. While there's no microphone or headphone jack, the WX500's video features feel modern for a compact and is suitable for casual vlogging and travel films.

Videographers with serious ambitions should look elsewhere, but for casual cinematic capture, Sony delivers far better value.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity

Ricoh’s battery life is commendable - 440 shots per charge - reflecting its focus on stills and energy-efficient components. It saves images to SD/SDHC cards and features internal memory, which can be handy if cards become full.

The Sony WX500 offers slightly less endurance at 360 shots but compensates with a more modern battery pack. Storage expands to SD/SDHC/SDXC and Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Duo, providing flexibility.

Connectivity marks a fundamental divergence: Ricoh excludes wireless options entirely, requiring physical connections via USB 2.0 or HDMI. Sony includes built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, enabling rapid image transfer to smartphones and remote camera control, features that greatly enhance usability for social shooters and travelers.

Durability, Build Quality, and Environmental Sealing

Neither camera offers weather sealing, dustproofing, or shockproofing. The Ricoh GXR P10's somewhat thicker body provides reassuring build quality but without ruggedization, thus limiting outdoor and harsh condition use. Sony’s compact WX500 is more vulnerable to elements and rough handling.

Outdoor photographers and professionals who demand environmental durability should consider other options or protective housing when using these models.

Ricoh GXR P10 28 300mm F3.5 5.6 VC front Ricoh GXR P10 28 300mm F3.5 5.6 VC screen back Sony WX500 front Sony WX500 screen back

How They Perform Across Photography Genres

Understanding how each performs in various photographic scenarios rounds out this evaluation.

Portrait Photography

Ricoh’s color science renders pleasing skin tones with a gentle warmth, though limited resolution constrains retouching flexibility. Absence of face or eye detection autofocus impairs sharpness on moving subjects, while the limited aperture range and fixed lens restrict creative bokeh.

Sony’s WX500, with higher resolution, face detection, and superior autofocus tracking, excels in capturing crisp, well-exposed portraits with smooth backgrounds at moderate telephoto lengths.

Landscape Photography

High resolution favors Sony for large prints and cropping, while the Ricoh’s wider base focal length and pleasing color profile attract traditionalists. Lack of weather sealing in both limits landscape workflow options during inclement weather.

Wildlife Photography

Sony’s longer zoom, faster autofocus, and better burst shooting make it a superior choice for capturing wildlife action. Ricoh’s slower AF and shorter zoom constrain usability here.

Sports Photography

Burst mode at 10 fps and continuous AF give Sony an edge, while Ricoh’s slower 5 fps and single AF restrict capturing fast-paced sports moments.

Street Photography

Sony’s compact body and discreet operation shine, though Ricoh’s more substantial grip aids stability. Neither offers silent shutter modes, limiting candid shooting.

Macro Photography

Ricoh’s closer 1cm macro focus distance outperforms Sony’s 5cm minimum, ideal for detailed close-ups and nature shots.

Night and Astro Photography

Sony’s extended ISO range and better noise algorithms give it advantages for dim-lit scenes, while Ricoh’s limitations in maximum ISO and noise control place it behind.

Video

Sony offers capable 1080p video capture; Ricoh is rudimentary, suitable only for casual short clips.

Travel Photography

Sony’s lighter weight, Wi-Fi, and tilt screen suit travel photographers desiring versatility and spontaneity. Ricoh is more limiting on the road, but battery life is a plus.

Professional Use

Neither camera targets pro markets due to limited raw workflow sophistication, no weather sealing, and no advanced video/audio inputs.

Price and Value Perspective

The Ricoh GXR P10 can be found secondhand around $150, a significantly budget-friendly option for hobbyists who want basic superzoom capabilities with manual control. The Sony WX500 launches at about $348 and is still available new or lightly used at affordable prices, representing a better-balanced package for enthusiasts needing autofocus speed, video, zoom reach, and connectivity.

If budget is tight and you prize manual exposure with an unusual sensor-module design heritage, Ricoh is tempting. For those wanting a compact powerhouse with good image quality, strong autofocus, and contemporary features, Sony wins hands down.

Final Thoughts: Which One Should You Choose?

After extensive side-by-side evaluation, here’s how I would recommend these cameras based on user profiles:

• Choose Ricoh GXR P10 if:
  You appreciate a rangefinder-style manual exposure experience, enjoy shooting macro at close distances, and want a simple but solid stills camera on a strict budget. Great for casual daylight portrait and landscape shooting. Not suitable for fast subjects or video.

• Choose Sony WX500 if:
  You want greater versatility across stills and video, need faster and reliable AF with tracking, prioritize zoom range and portability, and value built-in Wi-Fi for modern sharing workflows. Ideal for travel, street, wildlife, and casual video making.

The Ricoh GXR P10 28-300mm and Sony Cyber-shot WX500 occupy unique niches separated by technology generation and intended use. Their examination together highlights how mere half a decade can shift camera priorities - from manual control and variable optics to automation, connectivity, and multimedia.

I hope this comprehensive comparison arms you with practical insights for choosing a superzoom compact camera tailored to your photographic ambitions.

Happy shooting!