Sony A58 has a
20.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 m ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Ricoh GR Digital IV has a
10.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CCD sensor .
Sony A58's sensor provides 10MP more than Ricoh GR Digital IV'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 A58 and GR Digital IV sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A58 and Ricoh GR Digital IV Cameras
As seen above, Sony A58 has a 8.4x Larger sensor area than Ricoh GR Digital IV. 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.
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 A58
or the
Ricoh GR Digital IV ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus 1/1.7-inch),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
