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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2 Comparison

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Ricoh WG-6

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

Ricoh WG-6
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Panasonic GF2

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

Panasonic GF2
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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2 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 GF2, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, GF2 is 7 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 Panasonic GF2 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 GF2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-24
  • 12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 310g. 113 x 68 x 33 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Compare

Panasonic GF2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Ricoh WG-6

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2 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-GF2
Image Stabilization
Digital only vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 460k dots 126% higher resolution screen
Battery Life
340 shots vs 300 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Weight
246 g vs 310 g 64 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
3840x2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±2 EV vs ±1 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Digital video stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilizes your videos in-camera


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 over Ricoh WG-6
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
23 vs 9 14 more focus points
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Flash Coverage
6.0m vs 5.5m 0.5m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
18.74µm2 vs 1.39µm2 1248% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
New4
Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2: 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 GF2 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 GF2 has external dimensions of 113 x 68 x 33 mm (4.45 x 2.68 x 1.3″) and weighs 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh WG-6 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GF2 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GF2, its thickness will increase significantly.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2.
Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2 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 (64g ) than the Panasonic GF2 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 GF2, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2'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 Panasonic GF2: 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, Panasonic GF2 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Ricoh WG-6's sensor provides 8MP more than Panasonic GF2'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 GF2 sensor size comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GF2 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 Panasonic GF2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GF2 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 GF2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF2 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
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
310g
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF2 for Landscape Photography

POOR
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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GF2: 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 GF2, 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 GF2 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
Panasonic GF2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #92 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #405 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Panasonic GF2 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 GF2 is the better camera overall.

Ricoh WG-6
Ricoh WG-6
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Panasonic GF2
Panasonic GF2
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Panasonic GF2 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh WG-6 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Brand Ricoh Panasonic
Announced 2018-02-21 2011-02-24
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch Four Thirds
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 28.07mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 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 23
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 Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,040k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
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) 6.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840x2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Supports FlashAir SD cards None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 246g 310g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 113 x 68 x 33mm
Battery Life 340 shots 300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 54
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.2
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 10.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 506
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