Nikon Coolpix B500 vs Ricoh GR II

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon Coolpix B500 and the Ricoh GR II, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Nikon Coolpix B500 was introduced in February 2016 and Ricoh GR II was introduced in June 2015. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon Coolpix B500 over Ricoh GR II.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Ricoh GR II over Nikon Coolpix B500.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Nikon Coolpix B500 and Ricoh GR II have 3.0" screens with 921k dot and 1,230k dot resolutions respectively. Nikon Coolpix B500 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Ricoh GR II has a Fixed screen

Camera does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional optical viewfinder can be attached on Ricoh GR II.

Nikon Coolpix B500 features a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 28.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 3,200. Ricoh GR II features a 16.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 246.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.

Nikon Coolpix B500 has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Nikon Coolpix B500 can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. Ricoh GR II is equipped with GR Engine V processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3:2 (3936 x 2608, 2912 x 1936, 1280 x 864), 4:3 (4352 x 3264, 3488 x 2068, 2592 x 1936x 1152 x 864), 1:1 (3264 x 3264, 1936 x 1936, 864 x 864) with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 aspect ratios.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz on Nikon Coolpix B500, Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac/b/g/n 2.4/5 GHz on Ricoh GR II) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Nikon Coolpix B500

Nikon Coolpix B500 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Ricoh GR II

Ricoh GR II has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Nikon Coolpix B500 has a Micro HDMI and Ricoh GR II has an HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon Coolpix B500 comes with 4 x AA battery pack with battery life of 600 shots and Ricoh GR II comes with DB-65 battery pack with battery life of 320 shots.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon Coolpix B500, and up to 1/4000 sec on Ricoh GR II. Nikon Coolpix B500 can shoot continuously up to 7.4 fps. Ricoh GR II can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Ricoh GR II ranges from +1.8 to +17.8 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±2 range. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon Coolpix B500 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Ricoh GR II.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 6.90 m at Auto ISO on Nikon Coolpix B500 and 3.00 m at Auto ISO on Ricoh GR II. Ricoh GR II also accepts external flash which can be connected via Shoe Mount..

Nikon Coolpix B500 body has dimensions of 114 x 78 x 95 mm (4.49 x 3.07 x 3.74") and Ricoh GR II body has dimensions of 111.7 x 61 x 34.7 mm (4.4 x 2.4 x 1.37"). Nikon Coolpix B500 weighs 541 g (1.19 lb / 19.08 oz) and Ricoh GR II weighs 251 g (0.55 lb / 8.85 oz).

Nikon Coolpix B500

Ricoh GR II

114 mm

78 mm

111.7 mm

61 mm

78 mm

61 mm

95 mm

34.7 mm