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Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55 Comparison

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Ricoh G900

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

Ricoh G900
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Sony A55

16 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A55
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Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55 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 Sony A55, which was introduced in August 2010 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, A55 is 8 years older than G900. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 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

Sony A55 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2010-08-24
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 1150k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in GPS
  • 500g. 124 x 92 x 85 mm

Sony A55 was replaced by Sony SLT-A57. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony SLT-A57 vs Sony SLT-A55
Sony SLT-A57 vs Ricoh G900

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 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 Sony SLT-A55
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Weight
247 g vs 500 g 253 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
CHECK G900 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony SLT-A55 over Ricoh G900
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
15 vs 9 6 more focus points
Battery Life
380 shots vs 340 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Flash Coverage
10.0m vs 5.5m 4.5m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
22.87µm2 vs 1.39µm2 1545% larger pixel area
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
CHECK A55 PRICE

Common Strengths of Ricoh G900 and Sony SLT-A55
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting
fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Ricoh G900 and Sony SLT-A55
Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55: 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 A55 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 A55 has external dimensions of 124 x 92 x 85 mm (4.88 x 3.62 x 3.35″) and weighs 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55. Ricoh G900 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 6mm narrower, 26mm shorter and 52mm thinner than Sony A55. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh G900 has a built-in lens but Sony A55 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A55, its thickness will increase significantly.

Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55.

Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55.
Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 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 (253g ) than the Sony A55 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A55, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh G900 and Sony A55's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Sony A55 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 A55.
Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55: 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, Sony A55 has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Below you can see the G900 and A55 sensor size comparison.

Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A55 has a 13.1x 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.

What types of Photography are Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh G900 and Sony A55 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 A55 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A55 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony A55 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
3 Cross Type Focus sensors
15 Focus Points
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A55 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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
500g
Body Thickness 85mm
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A55 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh G900 vs Sony A55: 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 A55, 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 Sony A55 scores compare:

Ricoh G900
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #66 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #527 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Sony A55
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #12 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #176 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Sony A55 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Ricoh G900 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Ricoh G900. Otherwise, Sony A55 is the better camera overall.

Ricoh G900
Ricoh G900
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Sony A55
Sony A55
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Sony A55 vs Ricoh G900 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh G900 Sony SLT-A55
Brand Ricoh Sony
Announced 2018-02-21 2010-08-24
Body Type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3" APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 28.07mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4912 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 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 15
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens Focal Range 28-140 mm (5x) no lens
Max Aperture F3.5-5.5 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 1,150k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.73x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Digital only Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.50 m (with Auto ISO) 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 10.0 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, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Supports FlashAir SD cards Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 247g 500g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 124 x 92 x 85mm
Battery Life 340 shots 380 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 73
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 816
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