Ricoh WG-20 vs Sony HX1

Lets look a bit more closely at the Ricoh WG-20 and Sony HX1, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Ricoh and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the WG-20 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the WG-20 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") offer totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The WG-20 was unveiled 4 years after the HX1 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh WG-20 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the WG-20 matches up vs the HX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh WG-20 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The full galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-20 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh WG-20 enjoys exterior dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

See the Ricoh WG-20 and Sony HX1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the WG-20 against the HX1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-20 and HX1 is 93 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by checking a spec sheet. The pic underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the WG-20 and HX1.

Clearly, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The WG-20 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Ricoh WG-20 will give more detail having an extra 5MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more modern WG-20 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.