Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony A6500: A Hands-On Comparison for Every Photographer’s Needs

When we talk about cameras, the diversity in design, purpose, and performance can’t be overstated. On one end of the spectrum, you have rugged compacts like the Ricoh WG-50 built for adventure and simplicity. On the other, sophisticated mirrorless systems like the Sony A6500 designed for enthusiasts and pros demanding cutting-edge technology and versatility.

Having personally tested thousands of cameras, I’ve learned that choosing between such different tools boils down to understanding what your priorities are - rugged portability or advanced image-making. This head-to-head comparison examines each model’s strengths and compromises across a broad range of photography disciplines and user needs. I’ll dive into technical details, real-world handling, and value factors - equipping you with a nuanced perspective whether you’re a casual snapshooter or a demanding professional.

Let’s get started.

The Tale of Two Bodies: Size, Build, and Ergonomics

Before even firing a shot, how a camera feels and fits in your hand sets the tone for your entire experience.

The Ricoh WG-50 is compact, measuring 123 x 62 x 30 mm and weighing a mere 193 g. It feels like a breath of fresh air for travelers who want a camera that slips easily into a jacket pocket yet can surf through puddles or survive a drop. It’s specifically engineered with waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and freezeproof construction. This rugged body is a fortress for those shooting in harsh, adventurous conditions - from snorkeling to hiking in freezing temps.

In contrast, the Sony A6500 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera, significantly larger and heavier at 120 x 67 x 53 mm and 453 g. Its robust magnesium alloy build gives it a professional heft that inspires confidence in durability but obviously at the cost of portability. The grip is deeper, controls more abundant, and the feel more traditional for interchangeable lens shooters. However, it lacks any form of weather sealing or freezeproofing - meaning you’ll need to think twice before braving the elements without additional protection.

If you’re after unshakable durability and stealthy compaction, the WG-50 shines. If you want ergonomics tailored for a comprehensive photographic workflow with a larger body and lots of controls, the A6500 takes the cake.

Design Philosophy: Controls, Screen, and Viewfinder

Here’s where the difference between a point-and-shoot and an advanced mirrorless starts to tell its story. The WG-50 is delightfully simple. Its top plate sports few buttons - focused on essentials like zoom and shutter. It has no electronic viewfinder, relying on the 2.7-inch 230k-dot fixed LCD. The screen isn’t a touchscreen, nor is it tiltable - a compromise to maintain water/dust tightness.

The Sony A6500, on the other hand, lives up to its advanced credentials with a treasure trove of physical controls. Shutter speed dial, exposure compensation, customizable buttons, and a thumb joystick for autofocus point selection - it’s built for efficiency and speed. The 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD at 922k dots provides sharp framing from creative angles and responsive AF area selection. Above, the superb 2.3M-dot EVF with 0.7x magnification gives a bright, detailed, and lag-free view rivaling optical finders.

For photographers transitioning from DSLRs or who prefer composing through a viewfinder, the A6500 dramatically outperforms the WG-50. The absence of an EVF (or any finder) on the Ricoh limits precision, especially in bright sunlight or fast action. The WG-50’s LCD is small and more of a safety net than a precise composing tool.

Sensor Size, Image Quality, and Resolution

The heart of any camera lies in its sensor. Here’s a primary reason why these two cameras bridge vastly different target audiences:

• The WG-50 has a 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor with 16MP resolution and an active sensor area of just 28.07 mm².
• The A6500 boasts an APS-C CMOS sensor measuring 23.5 x 15.6 mm (366.6 mm² area) with 24MP resolution.

The sheer gap in sensor size and pixel pitch translates into fundamentally different image quality capabilities. The Sony’s APS-C sensor captures significantly more light, resulting in vastly superior dynamic range and high ISO performance, two metrics critical for professional and advanced photography.

The WG-50’s sensor, while adequate for casual daylight shooting and compact camera expectations, cannot match the Sony in terms of color depth, detail retention, or low noise. Ricoh’s native ISO range caps at 6400, but usable ISO tops out much lower in practice due to noise. Sony’s ISO ceiling of 51200 (boosted) and an exceptional base ISO noise floor offer greater creative freedom in shadows and low-light scenes.

Shooting landscapes or portraits where ultimate detail extraction and rich tones matter, the Sony naturally wins hands down. The WG-50 is better suited to snapshots where convenience and durability outweigh image quality priorities.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Here’s where the A6500 flexes its muscle. Equipped with a hybrid AF system featuring 425 phase detect points complemented by contrast-detection, it offers extremely fast, accurate autofocus with outstanding tracking capabilities. Face detection is reliable, and single AF speed blitzes the WG-50’s more basic contrast-based system.

The WG-50 has just 9 focus points with center-weighted face detection and AF tracking. For indoor portraits or outdoor stills, it does okay - but photographers seeking consistent focus on moving subjects (wildlife, sports) will find it sluggish and prone to hunting.

This difference means the Sony is much better equipped for action photography, fast sports sequences, and even wildlife where autofocus speed is crucial. The WG-50’s AF strengths lie mainly in macro and static subjects, bolstered by a minimum focus distance of 1 cm - ideal for close-up shooting without additional lenses.

Lens Versatility and Focal Length Flexibility

This comparison underscores the fundamental system difference:

• The Ricoh WG-50 has a fixed 28-140 mm equivalent zoom lens (5x zoom), f/3.5-5.5 aperture.
• The Sony A6500 uses the Sony E-mount, compatible with a vast ecosystem of 121 native lenses spanning wide-angle primes, fast portraits, super-telephotos, macro optics, and everything in between.

Ricoh WG 50 front Ricoh WG 50 screen back Sony A6500 front Sony A6500 screen back

This difference cannot be emphasized enough. With the WG-50, you’re locked into a modest zoom with no option to upgrade or swap lenses. Maximum aperture isn’t super fast, limiting shallow depth of field and low-light capability.

With the A6500, you can outfit yourself in seconds with lenses targeting any discipline - the ultimate flexibility for designers of imagery. Whether shooting portraits with creamy bokeh, astrophotography with fast wide primes, or distant wildlife with super-telephotos, the Sony system adjusts to your needs.

Burst Shooting and Video Performance

For burst shooting, the A6500 pushes 11fps with continuous autofocus - an advantage for capturing fleeting moments in sports or wildlife. The WG-50 clocks 8fps which is respectable for casual action but doesn’t match Sony’s buffer depth or AF tracking during bursts.

Video capabilities highlight a watershed:

• Ricoh WG-50 records Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 30p, with AVC/H.264 compression but lacks microphone inputs or in-camera stabilization beyond basic digital correction.
• Sony A6500 offers 4K recording at 30 fps and Full HD up to 120 fps, with 5-axis in-body image stabilization, a microphone input for professional audio, and advanced codecs supporting serious videography.

For content creators looking to shoot quality video alongside stills, the A6500’s combination of resolution, stabilization, audio features, and frame rate flexibility provide superior creative tools.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity

Both cameras use proprietary battery packs, with the Sony’s NP-FW50 offering slightly more shooting time (approx. 350 shots) than the Ricoh’s D-LI92 (approx. 300 shots). Not a significant gap, but the Sony’s EVF and larger screen consume more power.

Storage media options differ slightly, though both support SD cards. Sony additionally accepts Memory Stick Pro Duo cards, though SD is standard. For wireless, the WG-50 provides simple Wi-Fi for image transfer. The Sony A6500 includes full Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth - enhancing tethered shooting workflows and smartphone connectivity.

Handling Varied Photography Genres

Let’s stack these cameras against multiple photography disciplines - emphasizing performance and practicality.

Portrait Photography

Sony A6500 wins here with its larger sensor, faster shutter speeds, and face/eye AF capabilities - delivering creamy bokeh and precise focus on eyes even in dim light. The WG-50’s small sensor and limited lens aperture restrict natural background separation but can manage casual portraits in bright conditions.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range capabilities and resolution favor the Sony. The APS-C sensor captures expanded tonal details in shadows and highlights. WG-50 is handy for rugged outdoor shooting but cannot compete on sheer image fidelity or weather resistance beyond waterproofing.

Wildlife Photography

Sony’s 11fps, huge autofocus point count, and interchangeable lenses put it miles ahead. Ricoh offers simplicity and 5x zoom but struggles to lock focus on erratic subjects.

Sports Photography

The A6500’s AF tracking, faster frame rate, and pro exposure modes give clear advantages. WG-50 is more snapshot oriented with no manual exposure control.

Street Photography

Surprisingly, the WG-50’s compactness and ruggedness provide an edge where discretion and weather resistance matter. The Sony, though compact for a mirrorless, stands out with a quiet shutter and EVF-assisted framing, but a larger profile.

Macro Photography

The WG-50 shines with 1cm macro focusing. Sony requires a dedicated macro lens and close working distance for equivalent capability but offers finer manual focus control.

Night and Astrophotography

Sony’s high ISO performance, electronic shutter to 1/32000s, and RAW format support outperform Ricoh’s limited ISO range and JPG only files.

Video Capabilities

Sony dominates with 4K, stabilization, microphone port, and professional codec options. WG-50 suits casual Full HD videos only.

Travel Photography

WG-50’s waterproof, shockproof build and small size make it a rugged travel companion. Sony’s versatility and image quality make it a go-to for serious travelers wanting pro results - albeit with additional bulk.

Professional Work

Sony ticks pro boxes: RAW support, manual modes, workflow integration, weather seal, and a vast lens lineup. Ricoh caters to casual users needing a dependable rugged camera without manual complexity.

Technical Verdict Breakdown

The contrast in DxOmark-style scoring is clear even though Ricoh wasn't formally tested. Sony A6500, with a DxO overall score of 85, leads with significant advantages in color depth (24.5 bits) and dynamic range (13.7 EV). The WG-50 is the quintessential rugged compact but lacks the sophistication to appeal to professionals where these metrics matter.

Genre-Specific Performance Highlights

• Portraits: Sony excels with eye autofocus and wide aperture lenses.
• Sports & Wildlife: Sony’s autofocus and burst speed dominate.
• Landscape: Sony’s sensor advantage leads to richer detail and shadow handling.
• Street & Travel: Ricoh’s compact durability offers practical utility.
• Macro: Ricoh’s close-focus length competitor for entry-level macro.
• Video: Sony’s 4K and stabilization add professional polish.
• Night/Astro: Sony’s high ISO and shutter speed versatility give more options.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy Which?

Ricoh WG-50
If your photography is adventure-driven, outdoorsy, and you want a no-fuss, waterproof, durable point-and-shoot that survives tough conditions, the WG-50 answers that call well. It’s an ideal choice for hikers, snorkelers, and casual photographers valuing simplicity over image perfection. The 5x zoom and macro capabilities make it versatile for general use - but keep expectations modest.

Sony A6500
This camera demands more from its user but more than justifies it. If you’re a photography enthusiast or professional looking for a lightweight mirrorless system that delivers stellar image quality, diverse lens options, and advanced video, the A6500 remains a formidable choice years after release. It shines across genres, from portraits to sports, and supports heavy workflows with RAW capture, extensive controls, and connectivity.

Choosing between these two is really about your priorities - rugged resilience and convenience versus creative control and quality. Both deserve respect within their niches.

Remember, the camera is just a tool. What you create with it remains ultimately in your hands. Happy shooting!

If you’d like to see the cameras side by side as we tested them, here is a gallery of images captured from both models illustrating real-world results:

Ricoh WG 50 front Ricoh WG 50 screen back Sony A6500 front Sony A6500 screen back