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Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980

Portability
91
Imaging
42
Features
39
Overall
40
Ricoh WG-50 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Ricoh WG-50
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 193g - 123 x 62 x 30mm
  • Announced May 2017
Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Introduced February 2009
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Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Overview

In this article, we are looking at the Ricoh WG-50 versus Sony S980, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Ricoh and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the WG-50 (16MP) and S980 (12MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The WG-50 was released 8 years after the S980 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a concise summation of how the WG-50 grades against the S980 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Ricoh WG-50 over the Sony S980

 WG-50 S980 
IntroducedMay 2017February 2009More modern by 101 months

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Ricoh WG-50

 S980 WG-50 

Common features in the Ricoh WG-50 and Sony S980

 WG-50 S980 
Focus manually More exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display sizing2.7"2.7"Equivalent display measurement
Display resolution230k230kExact same display resolution
Selfie screen Neither includes selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither includes Touch friendly display

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Ricoh WG-50 features physical 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 S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

See the Ricoh WG-50 versus Sony S980 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the WG-50 vs the S980.

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-50 and S980 is 91 and 94 respectively.

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it's hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes just by seeing specs. The picture underneath may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-50 and S980.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Ricoh WG-50 to show more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The younger WG-50 should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Portrait photography features
Sony S980 Portrait photography features
42
manual focus
megapixel count decent (16MP)
includes face detect focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
27
you can focus manually
lack of manual mode
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Street photography highlights
Sony S980 Street photography highlights
62
built in image stabilization (Digital)
weather proof
no articulating screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
47
screen does not articulate
does not have image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Sports photography info
Sony S980 Sports photography info
49
built in image stabilization (Digital)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
weather proof
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
17
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Ricoh WG-50
Travel photography with Sony S980
71
weather proof
megapixel count decent (16MP)
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
51
built-in flash
does not have Time Lapse recording
sensor resolution low (12MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Landscape photography features
Sony S980 Landscape photography features
48
manual focus
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
weather proof
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
no manual control
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
27
you can focus manually
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
lack of manual mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Ricoh WG-50 Vlogging highlights
Sony S980 Vlogging highlights
33
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
includes face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
doesn't have mic socket
22
wide angle not great (33mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have mic port
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Ricoh WG-50 vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Ricoh WG-50 and Sony S980
 Ricoh WG-50Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Make Ricoh Sony
Model Ricoh WG-50 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Type Waterproof Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2017-05-24 2009-02-17
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 6400 3200
Min native ISO 125 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 28-140mm (5.0x) 33-132mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture f/3.5-5.5 f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus range 1cm 10cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 2.7 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4s 2s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1600s
Continuous shooting speed 8.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 5.50 m (at Auto ISO) 3.50 m
Flash modes On, off Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Yes (Wireless) None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 193g (0.43 lbs) 167g (0.37 lbs)
Dimensions 123 x 62 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 300 pictures -
Battery form Battery Pack -
Battery model D-LI92 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, remote) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots One One
Launch pricing $280 $300