Sony A700 has a
12.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Ricoh GR IV has a
26.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Ricoh GR IV's sensor provides 14MP more than Sony A700'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.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Ricoh GR IV's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the A700 and GR IV sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A700 and Ricoh GR IV Cameras
Sony A700 and Ricoh GR IV 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. On the other hand, since Sony A700 has 109% larger pixel area compared to Ricoh GR IV, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony A700
or the
Ricoh GR IV ,
including hyperfocal distance.
