Ricoh WG-20 vs Sony TX30

Following is a thorough review of the Ricoh WG-20 and Sony TX30, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Ultracompact by companies Ricoh and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the WG-20 (14MP) and TX30 (18MP) but they use the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The WG-20 was announced 7 months after the TX30 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh WG-20 being a Compact camera and the Sony TX30 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the WG-20 scores versus the TX30 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh WG-20 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30. The whole galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-20 Gallery and Sony TX30 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Ricoh WG-20 provides physical measurements of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sony TX30 has measurements of 96mm x 59mm x 15mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.6") having a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Contrast the Ricoh WG-20 and Sony TX30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the WG-20 compared to the TX30.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the WG-20 and TX30 is 93 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The picture here may provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the WG-20 and TX30.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Sony TX30 to provide more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The younger WG-20 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.