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Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1

Portability
91
Imaging
42
Features
39
Overall
40
Ricoh WG-50 front
 
Sony Alpha a1 front
Portability
61
Imaging
81
Features
93
Overall
85

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Key Specs

Ricoh WG-50
(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
  • 193g - 123 x 62 x 30mm
  • Released May 2017
Sony a1
(Full Review)
  • 50MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Increase to 102400)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 7680 x 4320 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 737g - 129 x 97 x 70mm
  • Introduced January 2021
Photography Glossary

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Overview

In this write-up, we will be analyzing the Ricoh WG-50 versus Sony a1, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Ricoh and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the WG-50 (16MP) and a1 (50MP) and the WG-50 (1/2.3") and a1 (Full frame) possess different sensor measurements.

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The WG-50 was brought out 4 years earlier than the a1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh WG-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a complete comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the WG-50 grades versus the a1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Ricoh WG-50 over the Sony a1

 WG-50 a1 

Reasons to pick Sony a1 over the Ricoh WG-50

 a1 WG-50 
IntroducedJanuary 2021May 2017Fresher by 44 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen sizing3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1440k230kSharper screen (+1210k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Ricoh WG-50 and Sony a1

 WG-50 a1 
Focus manually Dial precise focusing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and size. The Ricoh WG-50 features outside measurements of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) whilst the Sony a1 has specifications of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Check the Ricoh WG-50 versus Sony a1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the WG-50 vs the a1.

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the WG-50 and a1 is 91 and 61 respectively.

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 top view buttons comparison

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing purely by going over technical specs. The photograph here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the WG-50 and a1.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The WG-50 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony a1 will offer greater detail having its extra 34 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older WG-50 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 sensor size comparison

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Screen and ViewFinder

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony a1 as a Portrait photography camera
42
manual focus
megapixel count decent (16MP)
has face detect focus
no manual control
can't use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
88
manual focus
high flash sync speed (1/400s)
excellent megapixels (50MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
features face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Street photography details
Sony a1 Street photography details
62
image stabilization (Digital)
environment sealing
fixed screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
79
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
saves RAW formats
comes with touch to focus
environment proof
great ISO range (32,000)
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Sports Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 as a Sports photography camera
Sony a1 as a Sports photography camera
49
image stabilization (Digital)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
has tracking focus
environment sealing
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
90
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet shutter (1/32,000s)
high max fps (30.0 fps)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
excellent megapixels (50MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
features tracking focus
environment proof
good battery (530 per charge)
comes with phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Travel photography information
Sony a1 Travel photography information
71
environment sealing
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (28mm)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
73
good battery (530 CIPA)
environment proof
supports bluetooth
comes with touch to focus
excellent megapixels (50 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony a1 as a Landscape photography camera
48
manual focus
reasonably wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Digital)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
environment sealing
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
small screen (2.7")
no manual control
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
88
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
excellent megapixels (50 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
great ISO range (32,000)
saves RAW formats
environment proof
good battery (530 CIPA)
2 card slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Vlogging details
Sony a1 Vlogging details
33
reasonably wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Digital)
has face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of mic jack
36
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect autofocus
video resolution high (7680 x 4320 pxls)
does have microphone support
display is not selfie friendly
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Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony a1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Ricoh WG-50 and Sony a1
 Ricoh WG-50Sony Alpha a1
General Information
Manufacturer Ricoh Sony
Model type Ricoh WG-50 Sony Alpha a1
Class Waterproof Pro Mirrorless
Released 2017-05-24 2021-01-26
Physical type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 35.9 x 24mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 861.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 50 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4608 x 3456 8640 x 5760
Max native ISO 6400 32000
Max boosted ISO - 102400
Minimum native ISO 125 100
RAW pictures
Minimum boosted ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 9 759
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.5-5.5 -
Macro focusing range 1cm -
Available lenses - 133
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display size 2.7 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 230k dots 1,440k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 9,437k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.9x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/8000 secs
Maximum quiet shutter speed - 1/32000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 8.0fps 30.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 5.50 m (at Auto ISO) no built-in flash
Flash settings On, off Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/400 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 7680x4320 (30p, 25p, 23.98)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 7680x4320
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Yes (Wireless) Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Yes
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 193g (0.43 pounds) 737g (1.62 pounds)
Dimensions 123 x 62 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") 129 x 97 x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around 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 shots 530 shots
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI92 NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, remote) Yes
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots (UHS-II supported)
Card slots One Two
Retail pricing $280 $6,498