Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Ricoh WG-50 and Olympus E-PL5 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Ricoh WG-50 has external dimensions of 123 x 62 x 30 mm (4.84 x 2.44 x 1.18″) and weighs 193 g (0.43 lb / 6.81 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-PL5 has external dimensions of 111 x 64 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x 1.5″) and weighs 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Ricoh WG-50 and the Olympus E-PL5. Ricoh WG-50 is 2mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Olympus E-PL5 but it is also 12mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh WG-50 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PL5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PL5, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Ricoh WG-50 and Olympus E-PL5.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-50 and Olympus E-PL5.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Ricoh WG-50 is significantly lighter (132g ) than the Olympus E-PL5 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 E-PL5, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the WG-50, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the E-PL5.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Olympus E-PL5's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Ricoh WG-50's 2.7 screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Olympus E-PL5 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Ricoh WG-50 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-PL5.