Ricoh WG-5 GPS vs Zeiss ZX1

Here is a complete overview of the Ricoh WG-5 GPS and Zeiss ZX1, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Ricoh and Zeiss. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the WG-5 GPS (16MP) and ZX1 (37MP) and the WG-5 GPS (1/2.3") and ZX1 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The WG-5 GPS was released 4 years prior to the ZX1 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh WG-5 GPS being a Compact camera and the Zeiss ZX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summary of how the WG-5 GPS scores against the ZX1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh WG-5 GPS & Zeiss ZX1. The complete galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-5 GPS Gallery & Zeiss ZX1 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Ricoh WG-5 GPS offers outside measurements of 125mm x 65mm x 32mm (4.9" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs) whilst the Zeiss ZX1 has sizing of 142mm x 93mm x 46mm (5.6" x 3.7" x 1.8") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Look at the Ricoh WG-5 GPS and Zeiss ZX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the WG-5 GPS versus the ZX1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-5 GPS and ZX1 is 90 and 67 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing just by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the WG-5 GPS and ZX1.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The WG-5 GPS because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh trickier and the Zeiss ZX1 will produce more detail as a result of its extra 21MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older WG-5 GPS will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.