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Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800 Comparison

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Ricoh WG-6

20 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Ricoh WG-6
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Nikon D800

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D800
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Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800 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 sensor whereas Nikon D800, which was introduced in June 2012 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 36.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, D800 is 6 years older than WG-6. 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 the Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 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
  • 246g. 118 x 66 x 33 mm
  • Weather-sealed Body
  • Replaced Ricoh WG-5 GPS Compare

Nikon D800 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-06-11
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.20" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 4.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 900g. 146 x 123 x 82 mm
  • Weather-sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D700 Compare

Nikon D800 was replaced by Nikon D810. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D810 vs Nikon D800
Nikon D810 vs Ricoh WG-6

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800 compare 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.

Ricoh WG-6 Ricoh WG-6
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Nikon D800 Nikon D800
See at AMAZON
Ricoh WG-6
See at AMAZON
Nikon D800
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Reasons to choose Ricoh WG-6 over Nikon D800
Internal Storage
27MB vs None Extra built-in storage
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Weight
246 g vs 900 g 654 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Digital video stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilizes your videos in-camera
CHECK WG-6 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon D800 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
Sensor Resolution
36 MP vs 20 MP 80% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
51 vs 9 42 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3 0.2 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
900 shots vs 340 shots 560 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 5.5m 6.5m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
23.83µm2 vs 1.39µm2 1614% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
CHECK D800 PRICE

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 36 MP Bigger prints and more details
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800
In-body Image Stabilization
Digital only vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

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-6 and Nikon D800 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). Nikon D800 has external dimensions of 146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.75 x 4.84 x 3.23″) and weighs 900 g (1.98 lb / 31.75 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Ricoh WG-6 and the Nikon D800. Ricoh WG-6 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 28mm narrower, 57mm shorter and 49mm thinner than Nikon D800. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh WG-6 has a built-in lens but Nikon D800 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D800, its thickness will increase significantly.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Ricoh WG-6 and the Nikon D800 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Ricoh WG-6 and the Nikon D800 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800.
Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Ricoh WG-6 and the Nikon D800 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 (654g ) than the Nikon D800 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 D800, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D800's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Ricoh WG-6's 3 screen.

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


Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800: Sensor Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D800 has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.

Nikon D800's sensor provides 16MP more than Ricoh WG-6's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the WG-6 and D800 sensor size comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D800 has a 30.7x 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 Nikon D800 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Nikon D800 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

Nikon D800 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Small 1/2.3 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 Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D800 for Street Photography

GOOD
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Street Photography

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon D800 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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Cross Type Focus sensors
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 900 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Sports Photography

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D800 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
246g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
900g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon D800 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography

Ricoh WG-6 vs Nikon D800: 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 Nikon D800, 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 WG-6 and Nikon D800 scores compare:

Ricoh WG-6
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #73 out of 478 in Compact cameras
Ranked #559 out of 1275 in all Cameras
Nikon D800
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 96 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #101 out of 1275 in all Cameras

Nikon D800 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Ricoh WG-6 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Ricoh WG-6. Otherwise, Nikon D800 is the better camera overall.

Ricoh WG-6
Ricoh WG-6
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Nikon D800
Nikon D800
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Nikon D800 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh WG-6 Nikon D800
Brand Ricoh Nikon
Announced 2018-02-21 2012-06-11
Body Type Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3 Full frame
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 28.07mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 36 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 7360 x 4912
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 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 51
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Nikon F
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" 3.20"
Resolution 1,040k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
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) 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 4.0 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, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Supports FlashAir SD cards None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 246g 900g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 146 x 123 x 82mm
Battery Life 340 shots 900 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 95
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.3
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2853
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