Ricoh WG-5 GPS vs Sony A500

In this article, we are looking at the Ricoh WG-5 GPS versus Sony A500, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Ricoh and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the WG-5 GPS (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the WG-5 GPS (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The WG-5 GPS was released 5 years after the A500 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh WG-5 GPS being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the WG-5 GPS matches up versus the A500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh WG-5 GPS and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are available at Ricoh WG-5 GPS Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Ricoh WG-5 GPS enjoys outside dimensions of 125mm x 65mm x 32mm (4.9" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs) while the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Ricoh WG-5 GPS versus Sony A500 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the WG-5 GPS vs the A500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the WG-5 GPS and A500 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizes only by looking through technical specs. The picture here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the WG-5 GPS and A500.

As you can tell, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The WG-5 GPS due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Ricoh WG-5 GPS will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The younger WG-5 GPS will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.