Douglas vs Esci / Italeri, Crimean foot

The photo above compares Esci Russian Crimean figures (infantry and artillery) with Crimean British artillery and infantry from Douglas Miniatures. From left to right the models are: Esci Russian gunner; Douglas British gunner (partly painted); Douglas regular infantry; Esci Russian infantry; Douglas British officer (painted as an infantry officer in this case). Click on the images for a larger version.

Manufacturers’ designations:

The Esci models are from box 221 “Crimean War Russian Infantry and Artillery.” They were also reissued by Italeri in box 6053, "Russian Artillery."

The Douglas infantry and gunner are from their Crimean War range, but I don’t have the set information.

Height compatibility (measured from sole of foot to eyes):
Esci / Italeri figures – 23mm.
Douglas models – 23mm.

Body Build compatibility (from 5 categories):
Esci / Italeri – C (Average)
Tumbling Dice – B (Slender)

Overall conclusions:

This comparison shows the danger of relying just on height as a way of determining compatibility. Both of these ranges measure 23mm, foot to eye, yet in the picture the Esci / Italeri figures simply look smaller. It is probably something like an optical illusion. Due to the slender nature of the Douglas figures, as well as the larger head size, longer arms and higher waists, they somehow seem bigger than they really are, an effect exaggerated by the taller headgear.

Of course this phenomenon is not going to have much impact on fielding these figures in large wargaming armies. When kept in separate units, the two manufacturers work together well.