Ricoh WG-50 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill

Lets look a little more in depth at the Ricoh WG-50 and Sigma DP2 Merrill, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Ricoh and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the WG-50 (16MP) and the DP2 Merrill (15MP) is fairly comparable but the WG-50 (1/2.3") and DP2 Merrill (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The WG-50 was revealed 5 years after the DP2 Merrill which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Ricoh WG-50 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the WG-50 grades versus the DP2 Merrill when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Ricoh WG-50 & Sigma DP2 Merrill. The full galleries are available at Ricoh WG-50 Gallery & Sigma DP2 Merrill Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Ricoh WG-50 has got external dimensions of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) while the Sigma DP2 Merrill has sizing of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") accompanied by a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Compare the Ricoh WG-50 and Sigma DP2 Merrill in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the WG-50 compared to the DP2 Merrill.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-50 and DP2 Merrill is 91 and 83 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes just by seeing technical specs. The pic below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-50 and DP2 Merrill.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The WG-50 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Ricoh WG-50 will show extra detail because of its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more recent WG-50 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.