Ricoh WG-M1 vs Sony A6500

On this page, we will be analyzing the Ricoh WG-M1 and Sony A6500, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Ricoh and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the WG-M1 (14MP) and A6500 (24MP) and the WG-M1 (1/2.3") and A6500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The WG-M1 was unveiled 3 years before the A6500 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Ricoh WG-M1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the WG-M1 grades against the A6500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh WG-M1 and Sony Alpha a6500. The full galleries are provided at Ricoh WG-M1 Gallery and Sony A6500 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Ricoh WG-M1 has got external measurements of 66mm x 43mm x 89mm (2.6" x 1.7" x 3.5") along with a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs) and the Sony A6500 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

See the Ricoh WG-M1 and Sony A6500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the WG-M1 compared to the A6500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-M1 and A6500 is 91 and 81 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by viewing technical specs. The graphic below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the WG-M1 and A6500.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The WG-M1 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A6500 will render greater detail having an extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older WG-M1 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.