Ricoh G900 vs Sony RX100 Comparison

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Ricoh G900

20 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Sony RX100

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Ricoh G900 vs Sony RX100 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-inch sensor whereas Sony RX100, which was introduced in August 2012 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1-inch sensor. As you can see, RX100 is 6 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 Sony RX100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Ricoh G900 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2018-02-21

20MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400

28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 Zoom Lens

3" Fixed Type Screen

fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840x2160 video resolution

247g. 118 x 66 x 33 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Sony RX100 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-08-28

20MP - 1-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

10.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240g. 102 x 58 x 36 mm

Sony RX100 was replaced by Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II vs Ricoh G900

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Ricoh G900 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	340 shots vs 330 shots	10 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs With optional app	creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele	140mm vs 100mm	40 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	5x vs 3.6x	more flexible focal coverage
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 over Ricoh G900

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	25.600 vs 6.400	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 9	16 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.229k dots vs 1.040k dots	18% higher resolution screen
Weight	240 g vs 247 g	7 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide	1.80 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.50	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	5.82µm² vs 1.39µm²	318% larger pixel area
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Ricoh G900 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	20 MP vs 20 MP	Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 1.229k dots	High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	fps vs 10.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Ricoh G900 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option

Ricoh G900 vs Sony RX100: 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 Sony RX100 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). Sony RX100 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 36 mm (4 x 2.29 x 1.41″) and weighs 240 g (0.53 lb / 8.47 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100. Sony RX100 is 16mm narrower and 8mm shorter than Ricoh G900 but it is also 3mm thicker.

Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100.

Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100.

Top View Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony RX100 is 7g lighter than the Ricoh G900 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

G900

RX100

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

G900

RX100

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Ricoh G900 vs Sony RX100: Sensor Comparison

Both Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Ricoh G900's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Sony RX100's sensor is 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ).

Since Sony RX100's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Ricoh G900.

Below you can see the G900 and RX100 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 Cameras

As seen above, Sony RX100 has a 4.1x 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 Sony RX100 Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh G900 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Sony RX100 features a 28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 3.6x zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Sony RX100 is faster than Ricoh G900 at this focal length. On the tele end, Ricoh G900 has 40mm longer reach than the Sony RX100. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Sony RX100 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

G900

RX100

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

G900

RX100

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

G900

RX100

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

G900

RX100

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh G900 and Sony RX100 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

Sony RX100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) 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

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony RX100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony RX100 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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
25 Focus Points
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony RX100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
247g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
240g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
3.6X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony RX100 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" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh G900 vs Sony RX100: 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 Sony RX100, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 Sony RX100 scores compare:

Ricoh G900

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #71 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #518 out of 1228 in all Cameras

Sony RX100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #42 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #388 out of 1228 in all Cameras

Sony RX100 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Ricoh G900 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony RX100 vs Ricoh G900 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh G900	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Brand	Ricoh	Sony
Announced	2018-02-21	2012-08-28
Body Type	Compact	Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area	28.07mm²	116.16mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	25,600 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	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28-140 mm (5x)	28-100 mm (3.6x)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.5	F1.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	1,040k dots	1,229k 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
Image Stabilization	Digital only	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.50 m (with Auto ISO)	n/a
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Supports FlashAir SD cards	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	247g	240g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	102 x 58 x 36mm
Battery Life	340 shots	330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording		With Downloadable App
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	66
DxO Color Depth	not tested	22.6
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.4
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	390
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