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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 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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Panasonic ZS3

10 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

Panasonic ZS3
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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 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 ZS3, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, ZS3 is 9 years older than WG-6. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 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 ZS3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-05-14
  • 10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 2.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 229g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ7

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 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-ZS3
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 10 MP 100% more pixels
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 460k dots 126% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Ricoh WG-6
In-built Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Number of Focus Points
11 vs 9 2 more focus points
Weight
229 g vs 246 g 17 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
25mm vs 28mm 3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
300mm vs 140mm 160 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
12× vs 5x more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.30 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.90 vs 5.50 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
2.78µm2 vs 1.39µm2 100% larger pixel area
CHECK ZS3 PRICE

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3: 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 ZS3 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 ZS3 has external dimensions of 103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.06 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 229 g (0.50 lb / 8.08 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3. Panasonic ZS3 is 15mm narrower and 6mm shorter than Ricoh WG-6 but they have the same thickness of 33mm.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3.
Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS3 is 17g lighter than the Ricoh WG-6 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6
ZS3
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6
ZS3
Min
Average
Max

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 ZS3.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3'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 ZS3: 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 ZS3 has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Ricoh WG-6's sensor provides 10MP more than Panasonic ZS3'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 ZS3 sensor size comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 Cameras


Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3 Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Panasonic ZS3 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS3 has 3mm wider coverage than the Ricoh WG-6. At f3.30, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS3 has 160mm longer reach than the Ricoh WG-6. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

WG-6
ZS3
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

WG-6
ZS3
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

WG-6
ZS3
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

WG-6
ZS3
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS3 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 ZS3 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
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
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Manual Focus Mode
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
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR
Manual Focus Mode
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
11 Focus Points
300 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
246g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Compact Body
229g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS3: 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 ZS3, 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 ZS3 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
Panasonic ZS3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #342 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1027 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS3 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Ricoh WG-6.

Ricoh WG-6
Ricoh WG-6
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Panasonic ZS3
Panasonic ZS3
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Panasonic ZS3 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh WG-6 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Brand Ricoh Panasonic
Announced 2018-02-21 2009-05-14
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CCD
Size 1/2.3 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 28.07mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 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 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 28-140 mm (5x) 25-300 mm (12×)
Max Aperture F3.5-5.5 F3.3-4.9
Macro Focus Range 1cm 3cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Digital only Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.50 m (with Auto ISO) 5.30 m (Auto ISO)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 2.0 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 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD Lite
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Supports FlashAir SD cards None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 246g 229g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 103 x 60 x 33mm
Battery Life 340 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
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