CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
    • All Cameras
    • Cameras by Brand
      • Sony Cameras
      • Canon Cameras
      • Nikon Cameras
      • Pentax Cameras
      • Fujifilm Cameras
      • Olympus Cameras
      • OM-System Cameras
      • Panasonic Cameras
      • Leica Cameras
    • Cameras by Body Type
      • Mirrorless Cameras
      • DSLR Cameras
      • Compact Cameras
      • Bridge Cameras
      • Waterproof Cameras
    • Cameras by Lens Mount
      • Sony E Mount Cameras
      • Canon RF Mount Cameras
      • Nikon Z Mount Cameras
      • Micro Four Thirds Mount Cameras
      • Fujifilm X Mount Cameras
      • Leica L Mount Cameras
      • Nikon F Mount Cameras
      • Canon EF Mount Cameras
      • Canon EF M Mount Cameras
      • Canon EF S Mount Cameras
      • Pentax KAF Mount Cameras
      • Sony Alpha Mount Cameras
      • Fujifilm G Mount Cameras
      • Sigma SA Mount Cameras
      • Nikon 1 Mount Cameras
  • LENSES
    • All Lenses
    • Lenses by Mount
      • Sony E Mount Lenses
      • Canon RF Mount Lenses
      • Nikon Z Mount Lenses
      • Canon EF Mount Lenses
      • Canon EF M Mount Lenses
      • Canon EF S Mount Lenses
      • Nikon F Mount Lenses
      • Fujifilm X Mount Lenses
      • Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses
      • Leica L Mount Lenses
      • Pentax KAF Mount Lenses
      • Fujifilm G Mount Lenses
      • Sigma SA Mount Lenses
      • Sony Alpha Mount Lenses
    • Teleconverters
  • TOOLS
    • Cameras
      • Smart Find
      • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Lenses
      • Smart Find
      • 1-on-1 Comparison
  • BLOG

Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20 Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Ricoh WG-6

20 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Ricoh WG-6
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Pentax VS20

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

Pentax VS20
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20 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 Pentax VS20, which was introduced in January 2012 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, VS20 is 6 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 Pentax VS20 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

Pentax VS20 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-25
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 28-560 mm F3.1-4.8 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 235g. 111 x 61 x 38 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


Related Blog Posts

Readers Vote: Which is the Best Flagship Camera?
Daily Deals: I am just a Messenger Bag
Daily Deals: A Travel tripod, an affordable UHS-II card and more
Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G is here! Specs and Price
Cameras with Largest Viewfinders in 2022
New Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports for E and L mount Price and Images
Site Kaizen: Camera by Lens Mount Section
Canon EOS R10 Real World Review: The best camera under $1000?


**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Ricoh WG-6 over Pentax Optio VS20
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
9 vs 3 6 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 460k dots 126% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2500s faster mechanical shutter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
5.5m vs 2.8m 2.7m longer range
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 Pentax Optio VS20 over Ricoh WG-6
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Weight
235 g vs 246 g 11 g lighter
Focal Length - Tele
560mm vs 140mm 420 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
20× vs 5x more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.10 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.80 vs 5.50 faster lens at tele
CHECK VS20 PRICE

Common Strengths of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax Optio VS20
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Common Weaknesses of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax Optio VS20
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 Pentax VS20: 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 Pentax VS20 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). Pentax VS20 has external dimensions of 111 x 61 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.4 x 1.5″) and weighs 235 g (0.52 lb / 8.29 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20. Pentax VS20 is 7mm narrower and 5mm shorter than Ricoh WG-6 but it is also 5mm thicker.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20.
Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax VS20 is 11g lighter than the Ricoh WG-6 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6
VS20
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

WG-6
VS20
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 VS20.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20'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 Pentax VS20: 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, Pentax VS20 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the WG-6 and VS20 sensor size comparison.

Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 Cameras


Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 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 Pentax VS20 Lens Specs Comparison

Ricoh WG-6 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5x zoom lens whereas Pentax VS20 features a 28-560 mm F3.1-4.8 20× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.10, Pentax VS20 is faster than Ricoh WG-6 at this focal length. On the tele end, Pentax VS20 has 420mm longer reach than the Ricoh WG-6. At f4.80, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

WG-6
VS20
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

WG-6
VS20
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

WG-6
VS20
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

WG-6
VS20
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Ricoh WG-6 and Pentax VS20 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

Pentax VS20 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
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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

Ricoh WG-6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax VS20 for Street Photography

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

Ricoh WG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax VS20 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 Focus Mode
560 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2500s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
3 Focus Points
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax VS20 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
235g
20.0X 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

Pentax VS20 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
Manual Focus Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Ricoh WG-6 vs Pentax VS20: 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 Pentax VS20, 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 Pentax VS20 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
Pentax VS20
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #289 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #947 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Ricoh WG-6 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax VS20 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Ricoh WG-6
Ricoh WG-6
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax VS20
Pentax VS20
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax VS20 vs Ricoh WG-6 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Ricoh WG-6 Pentax Optio VS20
Brand Ricoh Pentax
Announced 2018-02-21 2012-01-25
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 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4608 x 3456
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 3
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 28-140 mm (5x) 28-560 mm (20×)
Max Aperture F3.5-5.5 F3.1-4.8
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 1/2500s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Digital only Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.50 m (with Auto ISO) 2.80 m
Max Flash Sync n/a s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 1.0 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 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Supports FlashAir SD cards Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 246g 235g
Dimensions 118 x 66 x 33mm 111 x 61 x 38mm
Battery Life 340 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Sony A7 IV
33 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7R IV
61 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Canon R3
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Canon M50 II
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Canon EF-M Mount
Nikon Z9
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Fujifilm X-T30 II
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Fujifilm GFX 100
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Nikon Z5
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Latest Cameras
Panasonic S5 II X
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Panasonic S5 II
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Pentax KF
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Pentax KAF2 Mount
Fujifilm X-T5
40 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R6 II
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A7R V
61 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
OM System OM-5
20 MP | Four Thirds Sensor | Micro Four Thirds Mount
Sony ZV-1F
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 20 mm
Copyright © 2023 by CameraDecision
Privacy About Contact Us SpeakerDecision

Report a Correction