Ricoh WG-M1 vs Sony A500

Below, we will be contrasting the Ricoh WG-M1 versus Sony A500, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Ricoh and Sony. The resolution of the WG-M1 (14MP) and the A500 (12MP) is pretty close but the WG-M1 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizes.

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The WG-M1 was brought out 5 years later than the A500 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Ricoh WG-M1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the WG-M1 grades against the A500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh WG-M1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are viewable at Ricoh WG-M1 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Ricoh WG-M1 comes with physical dimensions of 66mm x 43mm x 89mm (2.6" x 1.7" x 3.5") accompanied by a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs) and the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Ricoh WG-M1 versus Sony A500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view scale comparison of the WG-M1 and the A500.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the WG-M1 and A500 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements merely by viewing technical specs. The graphic underneath should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-M1 and A500.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The WG-M1 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh trickier and the Ricoh WG-M1 will render extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The younger WG-M1 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.