Ricoh WG-M1 vs Samsung EX2F: A Hands-On Deep Dive for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing a camera isn’t just about specs on a sheet - it’s about how it performs in your hands, in your preferred shooting conditions, and whether it complements your photographic vision. Today, I’m comparing two intriguing compact shooters that represent very different philosophies: the rugged, action-ready Ricoh WG-M1, and the sleek, creative-oriented Samsung EX2F. Both might appeal to enthusiasts, but they serve wildly different photographic needs. After extensive hands-on testing across varied disciplines, I’ll walk you through their strengths, compromises, and real-world value to help you decide which fits your style – or if maybe neither hits the mark.

First Impressions: Ergonomics and Physical Presence

Let’s start with the physicalities, because how a camera feels in your hand influences everything - from handling speed to shooting comfort.

At just 66x43x89 mm and 190 grams, the Ricoh WG-M1 is impressively compact and featherweight, almost pocketable - even with its rugged build. Its boxy shape, rubberized grips, and prominent buttons are designed for use in harsh environments; waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, it’s clearly built for adventure, not latté-sipping. The slightly quirky 1.5-inch screen reflects its action cam roots rather than traditional photography.

The Samsung EX2F, on the other hand, is larger at 112x62x29 mm and heavier at 294 grams, yet still comfortably pocketable for a compact. Its smooth, contoured body with a fully articulated 3-inch AMOLED screen screams creative flexibility - ideal for composing shots from tricky angles or selfies. While it lacks weather sealing, its build quality feels premium with better tactile feedback and thoughtfully placed external controls.

Looking from the top, the EX2F’s dedicated dials and buttons for aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation contrast sharply with the WG-M1’s minimal layout. This indicates the EX2F expects users wanting manual control creativity, whereas the WG-M1 is about rugged simplicity and waterproof reliability.

Sensor Tech & Image Quality: Small Sensors with Big Differences

Both cameras have small sensors but of different tech vintages and capabilities, which hugely impacts image quality and usability.

The Ricoh WG-M1 sports a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with 14MP resolution, typical for an action-camera style device. Its native ISO tops out at 800, which for such a sensor isn’t surprising but limits low light performance and dynamic range. The sensor's tiny physical size (6.17x4.55 mm) restricts ability to gather light, making noise and detail loss noticeable even at moderate ISOs.

Samsung’s EX2F houses a larger 1/1.7-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with 12MP resolution but superior pixel architecture for better light sensitivity. It can extend ISO to 3200 natively, benefiting from the backside illumination technology (BSI) to improve low light capture, dynamic range, and color fidelity. The sensor area of 7.44x5.58 mm gives it a solid edge in image quality, noticeable even to the trained eye.

In real-world shooting, the EX2F produces images with richer color depth and better highlight retention. Shadows hold more detail, and noise is conspicuously reduced compared to WG-M1, which tends to produce flatter, noisier results with a narrower tonal range.

Mastering Your Focus: Autofocus Performance That Matters

In daily use, autofocus (AF) can make or break the shooting experience - especially for wildlife, sports, or street photography.

The Ricoh WG-M1 offers contrast-detection AF with no face detection or tracking, sadly with no selectable AF points. It’s simple but sluggish and less reliable in anything but bright, static scenes. Continuous AF or tracking capabilities don’t exist here, which severely limits its use in dynamic photography.

The Samsung EX2F also employs contrast-detection AF, but the system is refined with manual focus option, some focus assist features, and more responsiveness. While it lacks phase detection or face detection autofocus (typical for its era), it still gives reasonable focusing speed and accuracy, especially in good light, and is slightly better geared for manual focus precision.

For wildlife or sports shooters, neither camera competes with dedicated DSLRs or mirrorless bodies, but the EX2F is by far the more capable machine when speed and focus control matter.

Viewing the World: Screens and Viewfinders

Composing your shot requires a good viewfinder or screen - something sturdy, bright, and responsive.

The WG-M1 has just a tiny 1.5-inch fixed screen with low resolution (115k dots). It’s tricky to judge focus or exposure on such a small display, especially under harsh sunlight. No touch controls and a fixed position make it limited for framing creative shots beyond simple pointing and shooting.

Conversely, the EX2F’s large 3-inch AMOLED screen, while non-touch, is fully articulated. This provides enormous flexibility for shooting at awkward angles or selfies (a rarity for compacts of its time). AMOLED technology gives vibrant colors and excellent contrast, making previewing shots and playing back images a pleasant experience. It supports live histogram and exposure data, critical for manual exposure work and exposure compensation.

The EX2F also has an optional electronic viewfinder accessory which, though not bundled, adds a serious advantage for bright outdoor shooting or precise framing, an option the WG-M1 lacks.

Pushing Pixels: Image Processing and Output Options

When it comes to image output, both cameras offer JPEG, but only the EX2F supports RAW, which is a huge advantage for image quality control in post-processing.

The WG-M1 lacks RAW shooting entirely, limiting your ability to tailor exposure, white balance, or color balance after capture - important for professionals or serious enthusiasts. Its JPEG engine, while decent for casual shooting, tends to produce over-sharpened and sometimes oversaturated images, especially underwater where colors are skewed.

The EX2F’s RAW support and custom white balance settings open creative possibilities. Its built-in processing engine also handles noise reduction and sharpening more subtly, preserving detail and tonality without heavy-handed artifacts.

Ruggedness and Use Cases: Shooting in the Wild and Beyond

The WG-M1’s waterproof and shockproof capabilities define its niche. Rated to survive underwater and rough handling, it’s ideal for adventure sports, underwater landscapes, and extreme weather situations.

The EX2F, by contrast, isn’t weather sealed or shockproof but excels as an all-around compact for everyday travel, street, and portrait photography where image quality and creative control matter more than ruggedness.

If your photography often takes you to beaches, pools, or muddy environments, the WG-M1 is a serious contender. If you mostly shoot creative stills in safe environments, the EX2F’s image quality advantages will pay off.

Diverse Photography Explained: Genre-By-Genre Performance

Let’s analyze how each camera fares across major photography disciplines I often test for readers.

Portrait Photography

• WG-M1: Limited autofocus means portraiture is challenging, no eye detection, and fixed aperture F2.8 restricts background blur for creamy bokeh. Skin tones tend to be somewhat flat underwater or in harsh light.

• EX2F: Offers better color fidelity, manual exposure control, and a bright lens (F1.4 at wide end) for nice subject isolation. Fully articulated screen aids creative angles for a strong portrait toolkit.

Landscape Photography

• WG-M1: Waterproof make it tempting for aquatic landscapes, but small sensor limits dynamic range and detail. No weather sealing in the usual sense, but ruggedness helps.

• EX2F: Larger sensor and RAW shooting yield better landscapes with richer tonal gradients; however, absence of weather sealing demands care in adverse conditions.

Wildlife Photography

• WG-M1: Contrasting AF and fixed lens with no zoom limit usefulness; burst rate (10 fps) decent but focus might lag.

• EX2F: Slightly better AF but limited zoom (24-80mm), so telephoto reach is shallow; not optimized for wildlife but handles casual shots better.

Sports Photography

• WG-M1: Fastish burst but slow AF harms continuous shooting success.

• EX2F: No continuous AF or high fps burst, making it less suitable for fast action.

Street Photography

• WG-M1: Unobtrusive but fixed lens and basic controls limit creative options.

• EX2F: Compact with silent operation possible, and fast aperture for low light, making it a better street shooter.

Macro Photography

• WG-M1: No dedicated macro mode or focus.

• EX2F: Manual focus and bright lens aid close-up capture but no specific macro features.

Night and Astro Photography

• WG-M1: Max ISO 800 limits night use.

• EX2F: ISO 3200 and manual exposure make it more viable for low light.

Video Capabilities

• WG-M1: Full HD 1080p at 30fps, slow-motion 120fps at lower resolution, designed for underwater action capture. No audio input.

• EX2F: Full HD video but no high frame rate modes or external microphone support; video secondary focus.

Travel Photography

• WG-M1: Lightweight and rugged but limited in image quality and creative modes.

• EX2F: Versatile zoom, RAW, and articulated screen make it a better all-rounded travel camera.

Professional Use

• WG-M1: No RAW, limited manual controls restrict professional use.

• EX2F: RAW support and manual modes allow integration into serious workflows, albeit sensor size limits support for large prints.

Reliability, Battery Life, and Storage

The WG-M1’s 350-shot battery life is acceptable for action cams but short for extended standalone use. The EX2F’s battery life is unspecified but typically around 300-350 shots in real conditions. Both take single cards - microSD for WG-M1 and SD/SDHC/SDXC for EX2F.

Both have USB 2.0 and HDMI out. Wireless connectivity exists but lacks Bluetooth or NFC.

Price-to-Performance and Value Assessment

The Ricoh WG-M1’s street price around $2000 is surprising given its category and specs - this possibly reflects bundled accessories, rugged advantages, or market rarity. For casual adventure shooters unwilling to carry heavier setups, it’s niche but pricey.

At under $500, the Samsung EX2F offers far more versatile photographic capabilities, better image quality, and creative control, representing better bang for most enthusiasts on a budget.

Ricoh WG M1 front Samsung EX2F front Samsung EX2F screen back

Here you can see sample images from both cameras: notice the richer colors and toned contrast from the EX2F for general photography, while the WG-M1’s shots excel underwater or in rough conditions.

Summing Things Up with Performance Ratings

When scoring overall performance, the EX2F pulls ahead on image quality, control, and creative flexibility. The WG-M1 scores points purely on ruggedness and niche durability.

For active lifestyles requiring waterproof reliability, the WG-M1’s specialized features hit a home run. For nearly all other genres, particularly portraits, landscapes, or street, the EX2F is a better performer.

My Recommendation: Who Should Buy Which?

If you live for outdoor action - snorkeling, hiking in wild weather, biking, or extreme sports - and want a compact camera that can withstand drops, water, and dust, the Ricoh WG-M1 is your gadget. It’s simple and tough, designed to capture your adventures with minimal fuss.

If you are an enthusiast or budding professional wanting a compact camera offering manual control, RAW shooting, better image quality, and creative flexibility for portraits, street, or travel, the Samsung EX2F should be your choice. It rewards thoughtfulness in composition and exposure with superior results.

Final Thoughts: Matching Cameras to Your Vision

Both the Ricoh WG-M1 and Samsung EX2F occupy niche parts of the compact camera universe. The WG-M1 caters to the adventurer with its rugged endurance, sacrificing image quality and controls. The EX2F appeals to the more traditional photographer who prioritizes image quality, creativity, and manual operation within a small form factor.

Whichever you choose, understand your priorities and shooting contexts first. I encourage taking each for a test-handling session if you can, and consider your likely subjects and shooting environments carefully. Neither is perfect, but each excels brilliantly within its intent.

Happy shooting, and may your next camera truly enhance your photographic journey!

If you found this comparison insightful, check out my detailed video review linked above for real-world test footage and more hands-on analysis.