Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GM1 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 GM1

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

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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GM1 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 Panasonic GM1, which was introduced in December 2013 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, GM1 is 5 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 GM1 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

Panasonic GM1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-12-19

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 25600

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

5.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

204g. 99 x 55 x 30 mm

Panasonic GM1 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 vs Ricoh WG-6

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1

Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 16 MP	25% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/500s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	340 shots vs 230 shots	110 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Flash Coverage	5.5m vs 4.0m	1.5m longer range
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
Digital video stabilization	Yes vs No	Stabilizes your videos in-camera

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 over Ricoh WG-6

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Supports FlashAir SD cards	Better connectivity
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	25.600 vs 6.400	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 9	14 more focus points
Weight	204 g vs 246 g	42 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area	14.21µm² vs 1.39µm²	922% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1

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 1.036k dots	High resolution screens
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-GM1

In-body Image Stabilization	Digital only vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GM1: 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 GM1 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 GM1 has external dimensions of 99 x 55 x 30 mm (3.88 x 2.16 x 1.2″) and weighs 204 g (0.45 lb / 7.20 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1. Panasonic GM1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 11mm shorter and 3mm thinner than Ricoh WG-6. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Ricoh WG-6 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GM1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GM1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1.

Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GM1 is significantly lighter (42g ) than the Ricoh WG-6 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 GM1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

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

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GM1: 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, Panasonic GM1 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the WG-6 and GM1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1 Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic GM1 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 GM1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic GM1 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 GM1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) 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
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GM1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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 Image Stabilization
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 GM1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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

23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/500s
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GM1 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
204g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GM1 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: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic GM1: 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 GM1, 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 Panasonic GM1 scores compare:

Ricoh WG-6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #67 out of 476 in Compact cameras
Ranked #520 out of 1237 in all Cameras

Panasonic GM1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #72 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #349 out of 1237 in all Cameras

Panasonic GM1 has a higher Overall Score but this doesn't make it an easy decision. Panasonic GM1 may have better image quality, more features and smaller body compared to but Ricoh WG-6 offers higher value for the money.
If you are a price conscious buyer and don't need the extra features, image quality and compactness that Panasonic GM1 offers, Ricoh WG-6 is the better choice for you. In all other cases, we recommend the Panasonic GM1!

Panasonic GM1 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh WG-6	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1
Brand	Ricoh	Panasonic
Announced	2018-02-21	2013-12-19
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	4592 x 3448
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	200 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	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	1,040k dots	1,036k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/500s
Max Electronic Shutter	n/a	1/16000s
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)	4.00 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/50s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	5.0 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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Supports FlashAir SD cards	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	246g	204g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	99 x 55 x 30mm
Battery Life	340 shots	230 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	66
DxO Color Depth	not tested	22.3
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.7
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	660
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