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Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Ricoh WG-6

20 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Ricoh WG-6
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Olympus E-PL9

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

Olympus E-PL9
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Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9 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 Olympus E-PL9, which was introduced in February 2018 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. Both WG-6 and E-PL9 were launched within the same month so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and available technology level.

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 Olympus E-PL9 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

Olympus E-PL9 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-02-08
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 6400 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 8.6fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 380g. 117 x 68 x 39 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL8 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Ricoh WG-6 over Olympus PEN E-PL9
Internal Storage
27MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Weight
246 g vs 380 g 134 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
USB Version
USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
CHECK WG-6 PRICE


Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PL9 over Ricoh WG-6
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Supports FlashAir SD cards Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
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
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 9 112 more focus points
Battery Life
350 shots vs 340 shots 10 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Flash Coverage
7.6m vs 5.5m 2.1m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 1.39µm2 915% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK E-PL9 PRICE

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus PEN E-PL9
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Max Continuous Shooting
fps vs 8.6fps Fast shooting speeds
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 Olympus PEN E-PL9
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9: 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 Olympus E-PL9 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). Olympus E-PL9 has external dimensions of 117 x 68 x 39 mm (4.61 x 2.68 x 1.54″) and weighs 380 g (0.84 lb / 13.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9. Ricoh WG-6 is 2mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Olympus E-PL9 but it is also 1mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh WG-6 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PL9 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PL9, its thickness will increase significantly.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9.
Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9 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 (134g ) than the Olympus E-PL9 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-PL9, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of WG-6, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to E-PL9.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Olympus E-PL9 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Ricoh WG-6 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-PL9.
Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9: 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, Olympus E-PL9 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VIII processor.

Below you can see the WG-6 and E-PL9 sensor size comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-PL9 has a 8.0x 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 Olympus E-PL9 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Olympus E-PL9 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

Olympus E-PL9 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL9 for Street Photography

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

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL9 for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.6fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
121 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL9 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
380g
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL9 for Landscape Photography

POOR
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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Olympus E-PL9: 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 Olympus E-PL9, 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 Olympus E-PL9 scores compare:

Ricoh WG-6
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #67 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #539 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Olympus E-PL9
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #31 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #185 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL9 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, Olympus E-PL9 is the better camera overall.

Ricoh WG-6
Ricoh WG-6
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Olympus E-PL9
Olympus E-PL9
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh WG-6 Olympus PEN E-PL9
Brand Ricoh Olympus
Announced 2018-02-21 2018-02-08
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 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 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 9 121
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 Tilting
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
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Digital only Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.50 m (with Auto ISO) 7.60 m (at ISO 200)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 8.6 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 3840 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 246g 380g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 117 x 68 x 39mm
Battery Life 340 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
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