Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS30 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 ZS30

18 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS30 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 ZS30, which was introduced in January 2013 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 18.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, ZS30 is 5 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 ZS30 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 ZS30 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-01-07

18MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

24-480 mm F3.3-6.4 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

10.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

220fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

198g. 105 x 59 x 28 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ40

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS25 Compare

Panasonic ZS30 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS35. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS35 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 (Lumix DMC-TZ40)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS35 vs Ricoh WG-6

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 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-ZS30

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 18 MP	11% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 920k dots	13% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/1200s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	340 shots vs 260 shots	80 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Tele	5.50 vs 6.40	faster lens at tele
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±2 EV vs ±1 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 over Ricoh WG-6

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Supports FlashAir SD cards	Better connectivity
In-built Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 9	14 more focus points
Weight	198 g vs 246 g	48 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 28mm	4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	480mm vs 140mm	340 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	20× vs 5x	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	3.30 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage	6.4m vs 5.5m	0.9m longer range

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Max Resolution	20 MP vs 18 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting	fps vs 10.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30

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 ZS30: 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 ZS30 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 ZS30 has external dimensions of 105 x 59 x 28 mm (4.13 x 2.32 x 1.1″) and weighs 198 g (0.44 lb / 6.98 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30. Panasonic ZS30 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 13mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 5mm thinner than Ricoh WG-6.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30.

Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30.

Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS30 is significantly lighter (48g ) than the Ricoh WG-6 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6

ZS30

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6

ZS30

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30'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 ZS30: 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 ZS30 has a 18.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the WG-6 and ZS30 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS30 Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Panasonic ZS30 features a 24-480 mm F3.3-6.4 20× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS30 has 4mm wider coverage than the Ricoh WG-6. At f3.30, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS30 has 340mm longer telezoom reach than the Ricoh WG-6. However, with a max aperture of f5.50, Ricoh WG-6 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

WG-6

ZS30

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

WG-6

ZS30

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

WG-6

ZS30

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

WG-6

ZS30

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Panasonic ZS30 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 ZS30 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
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

Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure 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 Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic ZS30 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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 Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 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 ZS30 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
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
480 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1200s
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic ZS30 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

Compact Body
198g
20.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic ZS30 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" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Manual Exposure Mode
Built-in GPS
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Panasonic ZS30: 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 ZS30, 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 ZS30 scores compare:

Ricoh WG-6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #72 out of 476 in Compact cameras
Ranked #525 out of 1236 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS30

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #113 out of 476 in Compact cameras
Ranked #609 out of 1236 in all Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS30 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.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Ricoh WG-6	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
Brand	Ricoh	Panasonic
Announced	2018-02-21	2013-01-07
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3"	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	18 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	4896 x 3672
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	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28-140 mm (5x)	24-480 mm (20×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.5	F3.3-6.4
Macro Focus Range	1cm	3cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	1,040k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/1200s
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)	6.40 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	10.0 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	198g
Dimensions	118 x 66 x 33mm	105 x 59 x 28mm
Battery Life	340 shots	260 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction