Ricoh WG-70 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Ricoh WG-70 and Sigma DP2 Merrill, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Ricoh and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the WG-70 (16MP) and the DP2 Merrill (15MP) is relatively close but the WG-70 (1/2.3") and DP2 Merrill (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

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The WG-70 was introduced 8 years later than the DP2 Merrill and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh WG-70 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the WG-70 grades against the DP2 Merrill with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh WG-70 & Sigma DP2 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Ricoh WG-70 Gallery & Sigma DP2 Merrill Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Ricoh WG-70 features outside 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 Sigma DP2 Merrill has specifications of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Take a look at the Ricoh WG-70 and Sigma DP2 Merrill in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the WG-70 against the DP2 Merrill.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-70 and DP2 Merrill is 91 and 83 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to picture the contrast in sensor measurements simply by looking through specifications. The visual here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-70 and DP2 Merrill.

To sum up, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The WG-70 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Ricoh WG-70 will render more detail using its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The fresher WG-70 provides an edge in sensor technology.