Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony NEX-5R

Lets look closer at the Ricoh WG-50 versus Sony NEX-5R, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Ricoh and Sony. The sensor resolution of the WG-50 (16MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is pretty comparable but the WG-50 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The WG-50 was brought out 4 years later than the NEX-5R and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh WG-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple overview of how the WG-50 grades vs the NEX-5R with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh WG-50 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-50 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh WG-50 provides external dimensions of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Contrast the Ricoh WG-50 versus Sony NEX-5R in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the WG-50 and the NEX-5R.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-50 and NEX-5R is 91 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements only by checking out specifications. The visual here will offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the WG-50 and NEX-5R.

To sum up, the 2 cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels albeit not the same sensor measurements. The WG-50 provides the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallower DOF more difficult. The fresher WG-50 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.