Ricoh WG-60 vs Sony H300

The Ricoh WG-60 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in October 2018 and February 2014. Both the WG-60 and the H300 are fixed lens compact cameras that are equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The Ricoh has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 19.9 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Ricoh WG-60		Sony H300
Fixed lens compact camera		Fixed lens compact camera
28-140mm f/3.5-5.5		25-875mm f/3.4-6.5
15.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		19.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor
1080/60p Video		720/30p Video
ISO 125-6,400		ISO 80-3,200
No viewfinder, LCD framing		No viewfinder, LCD framing
2.7" LCD – 230k dots		3.0" LCD – 460k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
8 shutter flaps per second		0.8 shutter flaps per second
Waterproof body (14m)		not weather sealed
300 shots per battery charge		350 shots per battery charge
123 x 62 x 30 mm, 193 g		128 x 89 x 92 mm, 590 g

Check WG-60 offers at
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Check H300 offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Ricoh WG-60 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Ricoh WG-60 and the Sony H300. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The WG-60 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the H300 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony H300 is considerably larger (49 percent) than the Ricoh WG-60. Moreover, the H300 is substantially heavier (206 percent) than the WG-60. It is worth mentioning in this context that the WG-60 is splash and dust resistant, while the H300 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing. More than that, the WG-60 is water-proof up to 14m and can, thus, be used for underwater photography.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Ricoh WG-60	123 mm	62 mm	30 mm	193 g	300	Y	Oct 2018	279	ebay.com
2.		Sony H300	128 mm	89 mm	92 mm	590 g	350	n	Feb 2014	219	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX600	104 mm	61 mm	26 mm	188 g	290	n	Jan 2014	249	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX610	105 mm	61 mm	27 mm	191 g	270	n	Jan 2015	249	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm XP120	110 mm	71 mm	28 mm	203 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	229	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm XP130	110 mm	71 mm	28 mm	207 g	240	Y	Jan 2018	229	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm XP140	110 mm	71 mm	28 mm	207 g	240	Y	Feb 2019	229	ebay.com
8.		Nikon P1000	146 mm	119 mm	181 mm	1415 g	250	n	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
9.		Nikon W300	112 mm	66 mm	29 mm	231 g	280	Y	May 2017	389	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic TS7	117 mm	76 mm	37 mm	319 g	300	Y	May 2018	449	ebay.com
11.		Pentax WG-90	123 mm	62 mm	30 mm	194 g	300	Y	Nov 2023	279	amazon.com
12.		Ricoh WG-6	118 mm	66 mm	33 mm	246 g	340	Y	Feb 2019	399	amazon.com
13.		Sony H200	123 mm	83 mm	87 mm	530 g	240	n	Jan 2013	249	ebay.com
14.		Sony H400	130 mm	95 mm	122 mm	628 g	300	n	Feb 2014	319	ebay.com
15.		Sony HX90V	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	360	n	Apr 2015	429	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX400V	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	660 g	300	n	Feb 2014	499	ebay.com
17.		Sony WX800	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	233 g	370	n	Oct 2018	399	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The H300 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 22 percent) than the WG-60, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a 1/2.3-inch sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 5.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the smaller-sensor digicams that favor affordability and compact design. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the H300 offers a higher resolution of 19.9 megapixels, compared with 15.9 MP of the WG-60. This megapixels advantage translates into a 12 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the H300 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 1.19μm versus 1.33μm for the WG-60). Moreover, it should be noted, that the WG-60 is much more recent (by 4 years and 8 months) than the H300, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony H300 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the H300 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.8 x 19.3 inches or 65.4 x 49.1 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.6 x 15.5 inches or 52.3 x 39.3 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.2 x 12.9 inches or 43.6 x 32.7 cm. The corresponding values for the Ricoh WG-60 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Ricoh WG-60 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 125 to ISO 6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300 are ISO 80 to ISO 3200 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the WG-60 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the H300 uses a CCD imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Ricoh WG-60	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.6	12.2	1072	51
2.		Sony H300	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
3.		Canon SX600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.0	11.4	620	45
4.		Canon SX610	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/30p	20.2	11.6	712	47
5.		Fujifilm XP120	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	900	49
6.		Fujifilm XP130	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.6	12.1	1000	51
7.		Fujifilm XP140	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/15p	20.7	12.2	1102	52
8.		Nikon P1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1044	51
9.		Nikon W300	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.5	12.0	938	50
10.		Panasonic TS7	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1028	51
11.		Pentax WG-90	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.9	12.8	1570	54
12.		Ricoh WG-6	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1104	52
13.		Sony H200	1/2.3	15.2	5184	2930	720/30p	19.9	11.2	529	44
14.		Sony H400	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
15.		Sony HX90V	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	738	47
16.		Sony HX400V	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.1	11.4	629	45
17.		Sony WX800	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.2	1070	51
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the WG-60 provides a higher video resolution than the H300. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Sony is limited to 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The WG-60 and the H300 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Ricoh WG-60 and Sony H300 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Ricoh WG-60	none	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony H300	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX600	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/2000s	3.9/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon SX610	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/2000s	2.5/s	Y	Y
5.		Fujifilm XP120	none	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Fujifilm XP130	none	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Fujifilm XP140	none	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Nikon P1000	2359	n	3.2 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon W300	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic TS7	1170	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/1300s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Pentax WG-90	none	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
12.		Ricoh WG-6	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony H200	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony H400	210	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/2000s	0.7/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony HX90V	638	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony HX400V	210	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony WX800	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The Ricoh WG-60 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Both the WG-60 and the H300 have zoom lenses built in. The WG-60 has a 28-140mm f/3.5-5.5 optic and the H300 offers a 25-875mm f/3.4-6.5 (focal lengths in full frame equivalent terms). Hence, the Sony provides a wider angle of view at the short end, as well as more tele-photo reach at the long end than the Ricoh. The H300 offers the faster maximum aperture.

The WG-60 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the H300 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Ricoh WG-60 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Ricoh WG-60	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Sony H300	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Canon SX600	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX610	-	- / -	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Fujifilm XP120	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Fujifilm XP130	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Fujifilm XP140	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon P1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Nikon W300	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Panasonic TS7	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Pentax WG-90	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Ricoh WG-6	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	-	-	-
13.		Sony H200	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony H400	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Sony HX90V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony HX400V	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony WX800	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the H300 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the WG-60 does not provide wifi capability.

Both the WG-60 and the H300 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Ricoh and Sony. Further information on the features and operation of the WG-60 and H300 can be found, respectively, in the Ricoh WG-60 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony H300 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Ricoh WG-60 better than the Sony H300 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Ricoh WG-60:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (1080/60p vs 720/30p).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/1500s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8 vs 0.8 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (123x62mm vs 128x89mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 397g or 67 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Water-proof: Is rugged and sealed and can thus be used for underwater photography (up to 14m).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 8 months of technical progress since the H300 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (19.9 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 12%.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (460k vs 230k dots).
• Better light gathering: Has a lens with a wider maximum aperture (f/3.4 vs f/3.5).
• Wider view: Has a wider-angle lens that facilitates landscape or interior shots.
• More tele-reach: Has a longer tele-lens for perspective compression and subject magnification.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (350 versus 300) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (22 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2014).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the H300 emerges as the winner of the match-up (11 : 9 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Ricoh WG-60 and the Sony H300 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Superzoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the WG-60 and the H300 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Ricoh WG-60	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	279	ebay.com
2.		Sony H300	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2014	219	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX600	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jan 2014	249	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX610	..	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jan 2015	249	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm XP120	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Jan 2017	229	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm XP130	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Jan 2018	229	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm XP140	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	229	ebay.com
8.		Nikon P1000	..	+	3.5/5	73/100	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
9.		Nikon W300	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	May 2017	389	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic TS7	..	+	..	..	..	3.5/5	May 2018	449	ebay.com
11.		Pentax WG-90	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2023	279	amazon.com
12.		Ricoh WG-6	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2019	399	amazon.com
13.		Sony H200	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jan 2013	249	ebay.com
14.		Sony H400	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2014	319	ebay.com
15.		Sony HX90V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	429	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX400V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2014	499	ebay.com
17.		Sony WX800	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	399	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Check H300 offers at
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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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