Ricoh WG-70 vs Sony NEX-7

Here, we will be reviewing the Ricoh WG-70 and Sony NEX-7, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the WG-70 (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the WG-70 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The WG-70 was unveiled 8 years later than the NEX-7 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh WG-70 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the WG-70 matches up vs the NEX-7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh WG-70 and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are available at Ricoh WG-70 Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh WG-70 enjoys outside measurements 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-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Compare the Ricoh WG-70 and Sony NEX-7 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the WG-70 and the NEX-7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the WG-70 and NEX-7 is 91 and 84 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to see the contrast in sensor sizing simply by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the WG-70 and NEX-7.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The WG-70 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-7 will render more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs way more aggressively. The younger WG-70 will have an edge in sensor tech.