Ricoh WG-20 vs Sony RX100 VA

Below is a complete assessment of the Ricoh WG-20 and Sony RX100 VA, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Ricoh and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the WG-20 (14MP) and RX100 VA (20MP) and the WG-20 (1/2.3") and RX100 VA (1") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The WG-20 was unveiled 5 years prior to the RX100 VA and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh WG-20 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a short highlight of how the WG-20 matches up vs the RX100 VA with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Ricoh WG-20 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The full galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-20 Gallery and Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh WG-20 has external dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Sony RX100 VA has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Compare the Ricoh WG-20 and Sony RX100 VA in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the WG-20 versus the RX100 VA.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-20 and RX100 VA is 93 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching a spec sheet. The photograph here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-20 and RX100 VA.

Clearly, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The WG-20 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony RX100 VA will render more detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The older WG-20 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.