Ricoh WG-30W vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

The following is a thorough review of the Ricoh WG-30W and Sigma SD1 Merrill, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Ricoh and Sigma. The resolution of the WG-30W (16MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is pretty close but the WG-30W (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The WG-30W was launched 2 years after the SD1 Merrill which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Ricoh WG-30W being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the WG-30W matches up versus the SD1 Merrill in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh WG-30W & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The complete galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-30W Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Ricoh WG-30W features external measurements of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 194 grams (0.43 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD1 Merrill has proportions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

See the Ricoh WG-30W and Sigma SD1 Merrill in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the WG-30W vs the SD1 Merrill.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-30W and SD1 Merrill is 91 and 57 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by viewing technical specs. The pic here should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the WG-30W and SD1 Merrill.

As you have seen, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The WG-30W due to its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Ricoh WG-30W will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent WG-30W is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.