Ricoh WG-70 vs Sony NEX-5

Below is a complete overview of the Ricoh WG-70 versus Sony NEX-5, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Ricoh and Sony. The resolution of the WG-70 (16MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively close but the WG-70 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The WG-70 was announced 9 years later than the NEX-5 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Ricoh WG-70 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the WG-70 grades versus the NEX-5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh WG-70 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-70 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Ricoh WG-70 provides physical dimensions of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Contrast the Ricoh WG-70 versus Sony NEX-5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the WG-70 and the NEX-5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the WG-70 and NEX-5 is 91 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The graphic below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the WG-70 and NEX-5.

To sum up, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The WG-70 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Ricoh WG-70 will result in extra detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The more recent WG-70 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.