Ricoh WG-6 vs Leica M-Monochrom 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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Leica M-Monochrom

18 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CCD Sensor

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Ricoh WG-6 vs Leica M-Monochrom 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 Leica M-Monochrom, which was introduced in May 2012 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, M-Monochrom is 6 years older than WG-6. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

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 WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom 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

Leica M-Monochrom Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-05-10

18MP - Full frame CCD Sensor

ISO 160 - 10000

Leica M Mount

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (rangefinder) viewfinder

2 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

600g. 139 x 80 x 37 mm

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

Reasons to choose Ricoh WG-6 over Leica M-Monochrom

Image Stabilization	Digital only vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 18 MP	11% more pixels
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 230k dots	352% higher resolution screen
Weight	246 g vs 600 g	354 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
Digital video stabilization	Yes vs No	Stabilizes your videos in-camera

Reasons to choose Leica M-Monochrom over Ricoh WG-6

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	10.000 vs 6.400	56% higher Max ISO
Battery Life	350 shots vs 340 shots	10 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area	47.73µm² vs 1.39µm²	3333% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom

Max Resolution	20 MP vs 18 MP	Bigger prints and more details
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	Small display
Continuous Shooting	fps vs 2.0fps	Slow shooting speeds

Ricoh WG-6 vs Leica M-Monochrom: 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 Leica M-Monochrom 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). Leica M-Monochrom has external dimensions of 139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.47 x 3.15 x 1.46″) and weighs 600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom. Ricoh WG-6 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 21mm narrower, 14mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Leica M-Monochrom. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh WG-6 has a built-in lens but Leica M-Monochrom doesn't. Once you put a lens on M-Monochrom, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom.

Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom 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 significantly lighter (354g ) than the Leica M-Monochrom 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 M-Monochrom, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Leica M-Monochrom's 2.5" screen.

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

Ricoh WG-6 vs Leica M-Monochrom: 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, Leica M-Monochrom has a 18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the WG-6 and M-Monochrom sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom Cameras

As seen above, Leica M-Monochrom has a 30.8x Larger sensor area than Ricoh WG-6. 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 WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Leica M-Monochrom 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

Leica M-Monochrom for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

GOOD

Leica M-Monochrom for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Leica M-Monochrom for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
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

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Leica M-Monochrom 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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
600g
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Leica M-Monochrom 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 Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Leica M-Monochrom: 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 Leica M-Monochrom, 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 Leica M-Monochrom scores compare:

Ricoh WG-6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #72 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #512 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Leica M-Monochrom

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #122 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #609 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 has a higher Overall Score than the Leica M-Monochrom. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that WG-6 trails behind the M-Monochrom: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Leica M-Monochrom. If not, we recommend the Ricoh WG-6.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh WG-6	Leica M-Monochrom
Brand	Ricoh	Leica
Announced	2018-02-21	2012-05-10
Body Type	Compact	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	Full frame
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	36 x 24 mm
Area	28.07mm²	864.00mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	18 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	5212 x 3472
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	10,000 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	160 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	Leica M
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"	2.5"
Resolution	1,040k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (rangefinder)
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	Unknown
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.68x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Digital only	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.50 m (with Auto ISO)	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	2.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160	None
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Supports FlashAir SD cards	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	246g	600g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	139 x 80 x 37mm
Battery Life	340 shots	350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction