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Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
34
Overall
37
Ricoh WG-30W front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 front
Portability
95
Imaging
34
Features
25
Overall
30

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Key Specs

Ricoh WG-30W
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 194g - 123 x 62 x 30mm
  • Revealed October 2014
Sony W230
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 30-120mm (F2.8-5.8) lens
  • 156g - 95 x 57 x 22mm
  • Introduced February 2009
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Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Overview

On this page, we will be evaluating the Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the WG-30W (16MP) and W230 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The WG-30W was launched 5 years after the W230 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the WG-30W matches up versus the W230 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Ricoh WG-30W over the Sony W230

 WG-30W W230 
IntroducedOctober 2014February 2009More modern by 69 months

Reasons to pick Sony W230 over the Ricoh WG-30W

 W230 WG-30W 
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")

Common features in the Ricoh WG-30W and Sony W230

 WG-30W W230 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen resolution230k230kExact same screen resolution
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly screen No Touch friendly screen

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to carry around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Ricoh WG-30W enjoys exterior dimensions of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") and a weight of 194 grams (0.43 lbs) and the Sony W230 has proportions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check the Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the WG-30W compared to the W230.

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-30W and W230 is 91 and 95 respectively.

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 top view buttons comparison

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, its difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes purely by checking specs. The picture below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-30W and W230.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Ricoh WG-30W to resolve extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger WG-30W will have a benefit in sensor innovation.

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 sensor size comparison

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Screen and ViewFinder

Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Ricoh WG-30W Portrait photography info
Sony W230 Portrait photography info
35
good resolution (16 megapixels)
provides face detection autofocus
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not available
cannot use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
27
focusing manually
manual mode not available
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Ricoh WG-30W Street photography advice
Sony W230 Street photography advice
61
has image stabilization (Digital)
environment proofing
screen is fixed
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Ricoh WG-30W as a Sports photography camera
Sony W230 as a Sports photography camera
45
has image stabilization (Digital)
good resolution (16MP)
provides tracking autofocus
environment proofing
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
very slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Ricoh WG-30W Travel photography highlights
Sony W230 Travel photography highlights
71
environment proofing
good resolution (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
decently wide (28mm)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
51
built-in flash
does not have Timelapse function
sensor resolution low (12MP)
does not offer selfie friendly display
wide angle not the best (30mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Ricoh WG-30W Landscape photography features
Sony W230 Landscape photography features
43
decently wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Digital)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
environment proofing
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
small screen (2.7")
manual mode not available
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
36
focusing manually
screen size is good (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (30mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
manual mode not available
sensor resolution low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
does not have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Ricoh WG-30W Vlogging advice
Sony W230 Vlogging advice
33
decently wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Digital)
provides face detection autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
missing external mic port
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not the best (30mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not offer selfie friendly display
low res video (640 x 480 pixels)
does not have external microphone socket
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Ricoh WG-30W vs Sony W230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Ricoh WG-30W and Sony W230
 Ricoh WG-30WSony Cyber-shot DSC-W230
General Information
Brand Ricoh Sony
Model type Ricoh WG-30W Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230
Type Waterproof Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2014-10-09 2009-02-17
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 6400 3200
Minimum native ISO 125 80
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) 30-120mm (4.0x)
Highest aperture f/3.5-5.5 f/2.8-5.8
Macro focusing range 1cm 4cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 2.7" 3"
Resolution of display 230 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 1 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 1.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.90 m (Auto ISO) 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, flash off, flash on, auto + redeye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 640x480
Video format H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 194g (0.43 lbs) 156g (0.34 lbs)
Physical dimensions 123 x 62 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") 95 x 57 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 300 photos -
Battery type Battery Pack -
Battery ID D-LI92 -
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC, internal Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Retail cost $280 $180