Sony NEX-5 vs Ricoh WG-4 GPS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony NEX-5 and the Ricoh WG-4 GPS, 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.

Sony NEX-5 was introduced in June 2010 and Ricoh WG-4 GPS was introduced in February 2014. 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 Sony NEX-5 over Ricoh WG-4 GPS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Ricoh WG-4 GPS over Sony NEX-5.

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

Sony NEX-5 and Ricoh WG-4 GPS have 3.0" screens with 920k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Sony NEX-5 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Ricoh WG-4 GPS has a Fixed screen

Optical (Optional FDA-SV1) Viewfinder on Sony NEX-5

Sony NEX-5 has a built-in Optical (Optional FDA-SV1) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Ricoh WG-4 GPS.

Sony NEX-5 features a 14 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 365 mm². Its native ISO range is 200 - 12,800. Ricoh WG-4 GPS 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 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 125 - 6,400.

Ricoh WG-4 GPS 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.

Sony NEX-5 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4592 x 3056 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4592 x 2576, 3344 x 2224, 3344 x 1872, 2288 x 1520, 2288 x 1280 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Ricoh WG-4 GPS can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4608 x 2592, 3456 x 3456, 3072 x 2304, 3072 x 1728, 2592 x 1464, 2048 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Ricoh WG-4 GPS has an image stabilization.

Built-in GPS on Ricoh WG-4 GPS

Ricoh WG-4 GPS has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Sony NEX-5 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Ricoh WG-4 GPS has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony NEX-5 comes with NPFW50 battery pack with battery life of 330 shots and Ricoh WG-4 GPS comes with D-LI92 battery pack with battery life of 240 shots.

External Storage Slots

Sony NEX-5 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot. Ricoh WG-4 GPS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony NEX-5, and up to 1/4000 sec on Ricoh WG-4 GPS. Sony NEX-5 can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps. Ricoh WG-4 GPS can shoot continuously up to 1.5 fps.

Flash

Ricoh WG-4 GPS has a built-in flash with maximum range of 10.00 m Auto ISO. Sony NEX-5 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Smart accessory Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony NEX-5.

Sony NEX-5 body has dimensions of 111 x 59 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.32 x 1.5") and Ricoh WG-4 GPS body has dimensions of 124 x 64 x 33 mm (4.88 x 2.52 x 1.3"). Sony NEX-5 weighs 287 g (0.63 lb / 10.12 oz) and Ricoh WG-4 GPS weighs 235 g (0.52 lb / 8.29 oz).

Sony NEX-5

Ricoh WG-4 GPS

111 mm

59 mm

124 mm

64 mm

38 mm

33 mm