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Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Comparison

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Ricoh G900

20 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Ricoh G900
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Leica X-U

16 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica X-U
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Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Ricoh G900, which was introduced in February 2018 is a Waterproof camera with a 20.0MP 1/2.3 sensor whereas Leica X-U, which was introduced in January 2016 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, X-U is 2 years older than G900. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Ricoh G900 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-02-21
  • 20MP - 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 Zoom Lens
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 247g. 118 x 66 x 33 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Leica X-U Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-01-20
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12500
  • 35 mm f1.70 Prime Lens
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 635g. 140 x 79 x 88 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as Typ 113

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Ricoh G900 over Leica X-U
Internal Storage
6.5GB vs None Extra built-in storage
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 920k dots 13% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
247 g vs 635 g 388 g lighter
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Focal Length - Wide
28mm vs 35mm 7 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
140mm vs 35mm 105 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
5x vs 1× more flexible focal coverage
Flash Coverage
5.5m vs 2.0m 3.5m longer range
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Digital video stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilizes your videos in-camera
USB Version
USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
CHECK G900 PRICE


Reasons to choose Leica X-U over Ricoh G900
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO
12.500 vs 6.400 95% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
11 vs 9 2 more focus points
Battery Life
450 shots vs 340 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide
1.70 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
1.70 vs 5.50 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
23.04µm2 vs 1.39µm2 1557% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range
±3 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
CHECK X-U PRICE

Common Strengths of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U
In-body Image Stabilization
Digital only vs No No Built-in stabilization
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Ricoh G900 has external dimensions of 118 x 66 x 33 mm (4.65 x 2.6 x 1.3″) and weighs 247 g (0.54 lb / 8.71 oz) (including batteries). Leica X-U has external dimensions of 140 x 79 x 88 mm (5.51 x 3.11 x 3.46″) and weighs 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U. Ricoh G900 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 22mm narrower, 13mm shorter and 55mm thinner than Leica X-U.

Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U.

Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U.
Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Ricoh G900 is significantly lighter (388g ) than the Leica X-U which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

G900
X-U
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

G900
X-U
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Leica X-U sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Ricoh G900's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to X-U.
Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U: Sensor Comparison

Ricoh G900 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Leica X-U has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the G900 and X-U sensor size comparison.

Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U Cameras


As seen above, Leica X-U has a 13.2x Larger sensor area than Ricoh G900. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh G900 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Leica X-U features a 35 mm F1.7 Prime lens.

It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Ricoh G900's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Leica X-U's 35mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, X-U's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens. On the tele end, Ricoh G900 has 105mm longer reach than the Leica X-U. However, with a max aperture of f1.70, Leica X-U is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

G900
X-U
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

G900
X-U
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

G900
X-U
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

G900
X-U
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Ricoh G900 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Leica X-U for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Leica X-U for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.70
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Sports Photography

POOR

Leica X-U for Sports Photography

POOR
Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
140 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
9 Focus Points
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
11 Focus Points
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
35 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Leica X-U for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
247g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
635g
Body Thickness 88mm
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Leica X-U for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Ricoh G900 vs Leica X-U: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Ricoh G900 and Leica X-U scores compare:

Ricoh G900
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #66 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #540 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Leica X-U
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #48 out of 62 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #453 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Leica X-U has a higher Overall Score than the Ricoh G900 mainly because of its huge advantage in Image quality. In all other areas, Ricoh G900 excels. It is a tough choice!
If image quality is your priority, get the Leica X-U.
If you are ready to compromise image quality for extra features, compactness and value, choose Ricoh G900

Ricoh G900
Ricoh G900
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Leica X-U
Leica X-U
CHECK PRICE

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Leica X-U vs Ricoh G900 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh G900 Leica X-U
Brand Ricoh Leica
Announced 2018-02-21 2016-01-20
Body Type Compact Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3 APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.6 x 15.7 mm
Area 28.07mm2 370.52mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4928 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,500 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 28-140 mm (5x) 35 mm (1×)
Max Aperture F3.5-5.5 F1.7
Macro Focus Range 1cm n/a
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Digital only No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.50 m (with Auto ISO) 2.00 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Supports FlashAir SD cards None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 247g 635g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 140 x 79 x 88mm
Battery Life 340 shots 450 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
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