Ricoh G900 vs YI M1 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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YI M1

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Ricoh G900 vs YI M1 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 YI M1, which was introduced in September 2016 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor. There is 17 months difference between G900 and M1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger G900, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky 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 YI M1 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

YI M1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-09-19

20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

5.0fps continuous shooting

4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

0g. 114 x 64 x 34 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh G900 and YI M1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

**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 YI M1

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Digital video stabilization	Yes vs No	Stabilizes your videos in-camera

Reasons to choose YI M1 over Ricoh G900

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Supports FlashAir SD cards	Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	25.600 vs 6.400	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	81 vs 9	72 more focus points
Battery Life	450 shots vs 340 shots	110 more frames with a single charge
Weight	0 g vs 247 g	247 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area	11.16µm² vs 1.39µm²	702% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	4096 x 2160 vs 3840 x 2160	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Ricoh G900 and YI M1

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 1.040k dots	High resolution screens
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Ricoh G900 and YI M1

In-body Image Stabilization	Digital only vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option

Ricoh G900 vs YI M1: 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 YI M1 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). YI M1 has external dimensions of 114 x 64 x 34 mm (4.49 x 2.52 x 1.34″) and weighs 350 (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh G900 and YI M1. YI M1 is 4mm narrower and 2mm shorter than Ricoh G900 but it is also 1mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh G900 has a built-in lens but YI M1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on M1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and YI M1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. YI M1 is 247g lighter than the Ricoh G900 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 M1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh G900 and YI M1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

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

Ricoh G900 vs YI M1: Sensor Comparison

Both Ricoh G900 and YI M1 have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Ricoh G900's sensor is 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and YI M1's sensor is Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ).

Since YI M1'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 M1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh G900 and YI M1 Cameras

As seen above, YI M1 has a 8.0x 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 YI M1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh G900 and YI M1 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

YI M1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

YI M1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Sports Photography

POOR

YI M1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

YI M1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
0g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Ricoh G900 for Landscape Photography

POOR

YI M1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh G900 vs YI M1: 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 YI M1, 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 YI M1 scores compare:

Ricoh G900

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #66 out of 476 in Compact cameras
Ranked #521 out of 1237 in all Cameras

YI M1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #70 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #337 out of 1237 in all Cameras

YI M1 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

Ricoh G900

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YI M1

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YI M1 vs Ricoh G900 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh G900	YI M1
Brand	Ricoh	YI
Announced	2018-02-21	2016-09-19
Body Type	Compact	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3"	Four Thirds
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	28.07mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	5184 x 3888
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	81
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Micro Four Thirds
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	Fixed type
Size	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	1,040k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
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	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.50 m (with Auto ISO)	no built-in flash
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	4096 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Supports FlashAir SD cards	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	247g	0g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	114 x 64 x 34mm
Battery Life	340 shots	450 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction