Ricoh WG-20 vs Sony A500

Lets look a little more closely at the Ricoh WG-20 vs Sony A500, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Ricoh and Sony. The image resolution of the WG-20 (14MP) and the A500 (12MP) is very similar but the WG-20 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

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The WG-20 was launched 4 years after the A500 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh WG-20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the WG-20 scores vs the A500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Ricoh WG-20 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are available at Ricoh WG-20 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Ricoh WG-20 provides outer measurements of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Ricoh WG-20 vs Sony A500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the WG-20 vs the A500.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the WG-20 and A500 is 93 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by going over a spec sheet. The picture below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the WG-20 and A500.

Clearly, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The WG-20 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Ricoh WG-20 will offer more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern WG-20 provides an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.