Ricoh WG-6 vs Canon SX170 IS Comparison

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Ricoh WG-6

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

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Canon SX170 IS

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Ricoh WG-6 vs Canon SX170 IS Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Ricoh WG-6, which was introduced in February 2018 is a Waterproof camera with a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Canon SX170 IS, which was introduced in August 2013 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, SX170 IS is 5 years older than WG-6. 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 WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 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

Digital only Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840x2160 video resolution

246g. 118 x 66 x 33 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Ricoh WG-5 GPS Compare

Canon SX170 IS Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-08-22

16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

28-448 mm F3.5-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

251g. 108 x 71 x 44 mm

Replaced Canon PowerShot SX160 IS Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Ricoh WG-6 over Canon PowerShot SX170 IS

Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 16 MP	25% more pixels
Max ISO	6.400 vs 1.600	300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 230k dots	352% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/3200s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	340 shots vs 300 shots	40 more frames with a single charge
Weight	246 g vs 251 g	5 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Tele	5.50 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	5.5m vs 3.0m	2.5m longer range
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot SX170 IS over Ricoh WG-6

Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele	448mm vs 140mm	308 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	16× vs 5x	more flexible focal coverage

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon PowerShot SX170 IS

Image Stabilization	Digital only vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes

Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon PowerShot SX170 IS

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
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality

Ricoh WG-6 vs Canon SX170 IS: 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 WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Ricoh WG-6 has external dimensions of 118 x 66 x 33 mm (4.65 x 2.6 x 1.3″) and weighs 246 g (0.54 lb / 8.68 oz) (including batteries). Canon SX170 IS has external dimensions of 108 x 71 x 44 mm (4.25 x 2.8 x 1.73″) and weighs 251 g (0.55 lb / 8.85 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS. Ricoh WG-6 is 5mm shorter and 11mm thinner than Canon SX170 IS but it is also 10mm wider.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS.

Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Ricoh WG-6 is 5g lighter than the Canon SX170 IS but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6

SX170 IS

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6

SX170 IS

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS'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 WG-6 vs Canon SX170 IS: Sensor Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Canon SX170 IS has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Digic 4 processor.

Below you can see the WG-6 and SX170 IS sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Canon SX170 IS Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Canon SX170 IS features a 28-448 mm F3.5-5.9 16× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm and have the same max aperture of f3.50 at this focal length. On the tele end, Canon SX170 IS has 308mm longer telezoom reach than the Ricoh WG-6. However, with a max aperture of f5.50, Ricoh WG-6 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

WG-6

SX170 IS

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

WG-6

SX170 IS

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

WG-6

SX170 IS

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

WG-6

SX170 IS

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS 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 WG-6 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Canon SX170 IS for Portrait Photography

POOR

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon SX170 IS for Street Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
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 RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Canon SX170 IS for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
140 mm Tele Lens
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
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
448 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon SX170 IS for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
246g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
251g
16.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Body Thickness 44mm
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon SX170 IS 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

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Canon SX170 IS: 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 WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS, 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 WG-6 and Canon SX170 IS scores compare:

Ricoh WG-6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #72 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #513 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Canon SX170 IS

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #186 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #752 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon SX170 IS in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Canon SX170 IS vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh WG-6	Canon PowerShot SX170 IS
Brand	Ricoh	Canon
Announced	2018-02-21	2013-08-22
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	1,600 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28-140 mm (5x)	28-448 mm (16×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.5	F3.5-5.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	1,040k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/3200s
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)	3.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160	1280 x 720
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Supports FlashAir SD cards	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	246g	251g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	108 x 71 x 44mm
Battery Life	340 shots	300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction