Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic FZ2500 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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Panasonic FZ2500

20 MP | 1 BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic FZ2500 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 Panasonic FZ2500, which was introduced in September 2016 is a Large Sensor Superzoom camera with a 20.0MP 1-inch sensor. There is 17 months difference between WG-6 and FZ2500 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger WG-6, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 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

Panasonic FZ2500 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-09-19

20MP - 1-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 80-25600)

24-480 mm F2.8-4.5 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fully Articulated Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

12 fps continuous shooting

4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

915g. 138 x 102 x 135 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-FZ2000

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Ricoh WG-6 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500

Weight	246 g vs 915 g	669 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500 over Ricoh WG-6

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Supports FlashAir SD cards	Better connectivity
LCD Screen	Fully Articulated 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
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	12.800 vs 6.400	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	49 vs 9	40 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
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 28mm	4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	480mm vs 140mm	340 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	20x vs 5x	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	4.50 vs 5.50	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	13.2m vs 5.5m	7.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	5.82µm² vs 1.39µm²	318% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	4096 x 2160 vs 3840x2160	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Built-in ND Filter	6.0-stops vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs No	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking	Yes vs No	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode	Yes vs No	Change focus point after taking a shot
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500

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
Max Resolution	20 MP vs 20 MP	Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 1.040k dots	High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	fps vs 12.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic FZ2500: 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 Panasonic FZ2500 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). Panasonic FZ2500 has external dimensions of 138 x 102 x 135 mm (5.42 x 4.01 x 5.3″) and weighs 915 g (2.02 lb / 32.28 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500. Ricoh WG-6 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 20mm narrower, 36mm shorter and 102mm thinner than Panasonic FZ2500.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500.

Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 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 (669g ) than the Panasonic FZ2500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

WG-6

FZ2500

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

WG-6

FZ2500

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Panasonic FZ2500 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Ricoh WG-6's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to FZ2500.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic FZ2500: Sensor Comparison

Both Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Ricoh WG-6's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Panasonic FZ2500's sensor is 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ).

Since Panasonic FZ2500's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Ricoh WG-6.

Below you can see the WG-6 and FZ2500 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic FZ2500 has a 4.1x 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.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic FZ2500 Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Panasonic FZ2500 features a 24-480 mm F2.8-4.5 20x zoom lens.

Panasonic FZ2500 has 4mm wider coverage than the Ricoh WG-6. At f2.80, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic FZ2500 has 340mm longer reach than the Ricoh WG-6. At f4.50, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

WG-6

FZ2500

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

WG-6

FZ2500

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

WG-6

FZ2500

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

WG-6

FZ2500

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic FZ2500 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

Panasonic FZ2500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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

Average sized 1 sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic FZ2500 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1 sensor
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic FZ2500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
480 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic FZ2500 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

RAW shooting capability
20.0X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1 sensor
Medium size Body
915g
Body Thickness 135mm
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic FZ2500 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

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

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1 sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic FZ2500: 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 Panasonic FZ2500, 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 Panasonic FZ2500 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

Panasonic FZ2500

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #1 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #99 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic FZ2500 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, Panasonic FZ2500 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic FZ2500 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh WG-6	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500
Brand	Ricoh	Panasonic
Announced	2018-02-21	2016-09-19
Body Type	Compact	SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area	28.07mm²	116.16mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	125 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	80 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	49
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28-140 mm (5x)	24-480 mm (20x)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.5	F2.8-4.5
Macro Focus Range	1cm	3cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fully Articulated
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	1,040k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.74x
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
Image Stabilization	Digital only	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.50 m (with Auto ISO)	13.20 m (at Auto ISO)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	12.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840x2160	4096 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Supports FlashAir SD cards	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	246g	915g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	138 x 102 x 135mm
Battery Life	340 shots	350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	70
DxO Color Depth	not tested	23.0
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.6
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	538
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