Ricoh WG-20 vs Samsung WB750: Practical Camera Showdown for Budget-Minded Shooters

When contemplating a compact camera purchase on a modest budget - especially from models launched around the early 2010s - the Ricoh WG-20 and Samsung WB750 emerge as popular contenders. Though both target different photographic niches, they share some common ground in sensor size and form factor. Having extensively tested both units in real-world settings, I’m here to share an experienced breakdown of how these two stack up - covering everything from sensor grunt and autofocus to ergonomics and genre-specific performance.

Whether you’re a curious enthusiast, content creator dabbling in travel photography, or a pragmatic professional needing a rugged backup, this detailed comparison will help you make an informed choice tailored to your style and shooting scenarios.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Handling

Let’s start by sizing up the physical presence of both cameras, since comfort and confidence in hand vastly influence shooting performance.

The Ricoh WG-20 is designed with durability in mind. It’s a waterproof, freezeproof, and shockproof compact primed for adventures that might scare off most cameras - you can practically toss it in your backpack without a second thought. Its dimensions (114 x 58 x 28 mm) and light weight (164 g) make it a compact companion, but it feels robust and purpose-built with a firm grip area for stability. The textured finish lends extra assurance when shooting with wet hands.

Contrast that with the Samsung WB750, which is a small sensor superzoom camera focused more on offering long reach through an 18x zoom lens packed into a slimmer and slightly heavier (193 g) body measuring 105 x 59 x 25 mm. It lacks environmental sealing but offers a significantly longer zoom range for distant subjects. Its design is clean, though a tad slippery, which might challenge one-handed use in adverse weather or heavy action.

Ergonomically, the Ricoh caters to those who need ruggedness without bulk, while the Samsung prioritizes zoom versatility at the expense of tough casing. If you want a dependable travel companion for hikes or beach days, the WG-20 edges ahead. For casual everyday strolls with wildlife or street photography ambitions - where solid zoom matters - the WB750 has appeal.

Design and Control Layout: Hands-On Usability

Beyond raw size, how a camera’s controls sit within reach impacts shooting speed and enjoyment.

The Samsung WB750 offers a more conventional compact camera control scheme with dedicated dials and buttons for shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and an exposure compensation dial - useful for photographers accustomed to manual or semi-manual modes. Its 3-inch, 460k-dot TFT color LCD also aids composition and image review in bright conditions.

By comparison, the Ricoh WG-20 is simpler: no shutter or aperture priority modes, no manual exposure controls, and just a 2.7-inch, 230k-dot fixed TFT LCD. Controls are more rudimentary, reflecting its entry-level positioning. Notably, WG-20 foregoes touchscreens and electronic viewfinders - unusual for 2014 but understandable given its outdoor rugged ethos.

A downside is WG-20’s sluggish 1 fps continuous shooting and limited ISO range up to 6400 with a CCD sensor. This impacts rapid action capture and low-light versatility.

The Samsung’s more advanced controls and specs cater better to those who want creative exposure control, faster burst shooting (up to 10 fps), and a superior LCD experience, even if it lacks rugged protections.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Sharpness vs Sensitivity

At the core of any camera is the sensor - determining resolution, dynamic range, color depth, and noise handling.

Both cameras share a 1/2.3” sensor size, a modest footprint typical for compact cameras, measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm with roughly 28 mm² active surface area. However, sensor type diverges: the Ricoh WG-20 uses a CCD sensor with 14 megapixels, while the Samsung WB750 employs a BSI-CMOS sensor at 13 megapixels.

In practical terms, WG-20’s CCD tends to deliver solid color fidelity and punchy output in bright, outdoor conditions but falls behind in dynamic range and low light sensitivity. The WG-20’s maximum ISO is 6400, but noise really starts creeping in above ISO 400, and overall image quality sharply degrades at dusk or indoors.

Conversely, the WB750’s BSI-CMOS sensor is more modern for its time, offering better noise handling, faster readout, and extended dynamic range. It maxes out at ISO 3200 but maintains cleaner shadows and highlights, owing largely to its back-illuminated structure that gathers light more efficiently.

In side-by-side comparisons, the Samsung consistently produces less grain and better color saturation in tricky lighting, while the Ricoh’s images appear flatter and noisier under low light but retain decent detail and sharpness in favorable conditions.

Autofocus and Performance: Tracking Real-World Subjects

Autofocus behavior can make or break experiences in wildlife, sports, or candid street photography.

The Ricoh WG-20 offers a 9-point contrast-detection autofocus system with face detection and continuous AF modes. Though serviceable, its contrast-based system is slower, especially in low light or moving subjects, reflecting the camera’s entry-level architecture.

By comparison, the Samsung WB750’s AF is also contrast-detection based but performs slightly better with 10 fps burst shooting allowing for more frames to capture action moments. Face detection and center-weighted metering are present, but it lacks continuous or tracking AF modes like those found on modern hybrids or DSLRs.

If you’re shooting landscapes or posed portraits where speed isn’t crucial, both suffice. For wildlife or sports, the Samsung’s faster continuous shooting and exposure controls add an edge, though neither camera excels at professional-speed autofocus tracking.

Display and Interface: Monitoring Your Shots

While shooting, the rear LCD and viewfinder experience heavily influence composition and review.

The Samsung WB750’s 3-inch, 460k resolution LCD gives a crisp, bright display, helping frame shots precisely and reviewing images with higher fidelity. Its TFT color LCD technology offers better viewing angles and visibility under daylight.

The Ricoh WG-20’s 2.7-inch, 230k LCD is noticeably dimmer and more pixelated, impeding fine focus adjustments or detailed histogram checks on the fly. Absence of touch support and electronic viewfinder forces reliance on this somewhat basic rear screen alone.

While neither camera offers tilting or articulating displays, the Samsung’s larger, sharper screen edges it out thanks to easier monitoring.

Ruggedness and Weather Sealing: Built for the Great Outdoors?

One of the WG-20’s headline features is environmental sealing.

The Ricoh WG-20 is waterproof (rated to depths of about 10 meters), freezeproof, and shockproof, making it a no-brainer for water sports, hiking in freezing temps, or any accident-prone situations. This ruggedness means you don’t need to baby it like the frailer WB750.

The Samsung WB750 is strictly a non-weatherized compact, vulnerable to water, dust, and shocks beyond normal handling. This limits its use in hazardous environments but is fine when shooting under controlled conditions.

If you need a camera that can survive rain, splashes, or a slip, Ricoh’s WG-20 is the clear winner. Otherwise, for casual everyday use, the Samsung’s lack of sealing won’t be a dealbreaker.

Versatility: Zoom Range, Macro, and Special Features

Zoom range and close-focus abilities greatly determine how adaptable a compact can be.

The Samsung WB750 sports an 18x zoom (24-432 mm equivalent), offering massive reach to capture distant wildlife or sports subjects with minimal teleconverter necessities (and fewer lens swaps if you’re tethered).

Meanwhile, the Ricoh WG-20 sticks to a 5x zoom range (28-140 mm equivalent), more suited for walk-around shooting, landscapes, and casual portraits but not wildlife or distant subjects.

For macro shooters, Ricoh touts an impressively close focusing distance down to 1 cm, allowing excellent tight-ups of flowers, small insects, or textures. The Samsung’s macro starting at 5 cm is decent but less extreme.

Additionally, Ricoh’s inclusion of AEB (auto exposure bracketing), WB bracketing, and time-lapse features enrich creative options - missing on the Samsung, which lacks interval recording capabilities.

Video Capabilities: Which Camera Records the Best Footage?

Videos recorded on these cameras offer interesting contrasts.

• Ricoh WG-20 records HD video at 720p max and 30 fps in Motion JPEG format. This limits footage smoothness and compression efficiency, resulting in bigger file sizes and moderate image quality. No external mic or headphone ports means audio is limited to built-in mono sound.

• Samsung WB750 upgrades to full HD 1080p video at 30 fps using MPEG-4 and H.264 codecs. This leads to better video compression, more efficient storage, and overall enhanced image quality. While still lacking external audio ports, the WB750 represents a more capable casual video shooter.

So for hybrid photo and video users, the WB750 is the better bet despite no stabilization advances beyond optical IS, since the Ricoh relies on digital IS that can introduce softening artifacts.

Battery Life and Storage: Keeping the Shot Going

Shooting daylong excursions demands confidence in power and storage.

The Ricoh WG-20 uses a D-LI92 battery pack, rated for around 260 shots per charge. That’s on the low side, meaning you’ll want spares or a power bank if you’re serious about long outings.

The Samsung WB750 uses SLB-10A batteries, with official life not clearly stated, but own tests and user feedback place it slightly higher, around 300-350 shots in typical usage.

Both support SD/SDHC/SDXC cards in a single slot configuration - standard choices that keep storage flexible and affordable.

In terms of connectivity, neither camera offers wireless or Bluetooth features, limiting instant sharing options that newer cameras now provide. Both rely on USB 2.0 and HDMI ports for transfers and video output.

Shooting Across Photography Genres: Strengths and Limitations

To help realize which camera suits your specific shooting style, I break down genre performance based on hands-on experience.

Ricoh WG 20 front Ricoh WG 20 screen back Samsung WB750 screen back

Portraits

• Ricoh WG-20: Portraits benefit from decent color reproduction, although the fixed aperture and limited zoom cap bokeh (background blur). Face detection autofocus is effective in well-lit scenes but slow.

• Samsung WB750: Offers more creative control of exposure and shutter for portraits, zoom-assisted framing, and better LCD aid. Its face detection works well, but lens max aperture isn’t wide enough for dreamy creamy bokeh.

Landscapes

• WG-20: Ruggedness lets this camera survive tough outdoor conditions like rain or snow - a big plus. The higher resolution helps, but the CCD sensor can lack latitude for subtle shadow detail in tricky lighting.

• WB750: Superior zoom and better dynamic range let you capture sweeping vistas and subject detail, but no weather sealing limits rough-weather shoots.

Wildlife

• Ricoh WG-20: Zoom is limited, and slow continuous shooting hinders capturing fast action or distant subjects.

• Samsung WB750: 18x zoom and 10 fps burst are genuine advantages, especially for birding or quick wildlife moments.

Sports

• WG-20: Slow AF and 1 fps shooting are mismatched for sports.

• WB750: Higher frame rates and manual exposure modes help, but autofocus lag can still cause missed shots.

Street

• WG-20: Sturdy build good for street shoots in rough weather; teeny size helps discreetness.

• WB750: Slimmer but noisier lens zoom sounds might attract attention; less resistant to weather.

Macro

• WG-20: Excels with 1 cm minimum focus distance, ideal for flora and fine object details.

• WB750: Decent macro, but 5 cm minimum focus limits super-tight shots.

Night and Astro

• Both cameras struggle at higher ISOs, but WB750’s CMOS sensor does better. Neither supports bulb or long exposure modes extensively, limiting astrophotography.

Final Performance Ratings: Who Nails Which Category?

For a quick performance pulse, here are overall scores I’d assign based on testing:

• Ricoh WG-20: Ruggedness 9/10, Image Quality 5/10, Video 4/10, Controls 3/10, Battery 5/10

• Samsung WB750: Ruggedness 3/10, Image Quality 7/10, Video 7/10, Controls 6/10, Battery 6/10

And a more granular genre ranking:

Value for Money: What You’re Really Paying For

The WG-20 hovers around $370 new, a bit steeper than the WB750’s $338 street price. You pay marginally more for ruggedness, indispensable if you regularly push camera gear into harsh environments. The Samsung WB750, meanwhile, offers more versatile image and video features at a slightly better price - ideal if zoom and creativity matter more than weatherproofing.

If you’re a cheapskate or part-time shooter who needs a splash-proof dependable camera, WG-20 makes sense. For general enthusiasts wanting a flexible superzoom for landscapes, wildlife, and video, WB750 delivers better value.

Wrapping It Up: Which Camera Should You Buy?

In summary, both the Ricoh WG-20 and Samsung WB750 serve different photographic needs given their strengths and compromises:

Go for the Ricoh WG-20 if you:

• Need a rugged waterproof camera for outdoor adventures
• Emphasize durability and weather sealing
• Prioritize macro shooting and easy straightforward operation
• Shoot mostly in bright daylight, casual situations
• Can live with limited zoom and slow continuous shooting rates

Go for the Samsung WB750 if you:

• Want a compact superzoom with manual exposure control options
• Shoot video regularly in Full HD with better compression
• Require faster continuous shooting for action moments
• Prefer a sharp, larger LCD for composing and reviewing
• Care more about image quality and zoom reach than ruggedness

Both cameras have their niches and limitations, and hopefully, this comprehensive hands-on guide sheds light on which one aligns best with your photography ambitions and budget. Neither is going to challenge flagship mirrorless cameras of 2024, but they remain relevant options for budget-conscious buyers seeking dependable, simple-to-use compacts.

Happy shooting - and may the best camera win your money and your heart!

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