Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS
93 Imaging
33 Features
10 Overall
23


91 Imaging
39 Features
37 Overall
38
Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
- 175g - 94 x 62 x 31mm
- Introduced January 2010
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 198g - 122 x 61 x 30mm
- Launched February 2012

Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Overview
Following is a in depth overview of the Canon A490 versus Pentax WG-2 GPS, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Canon and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the A490 (10MP) and WG-2 GPS (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

The A490 was unveiled 3 years before the WG-2 GPS which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go through a full comparison, below is a quick view of how the A490 grades against the WG-2 GPS for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot A490 & Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS. The full galleries are available at Canon A490 Gallery & Pentax WG-2 GPS Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon A490 over the Pentax WG-2 GPS
A490 | WG-2 GPS |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-2 GPS over the Canon A490
WG-2 GPS | A490 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | February 2012 | ![]() | January 2010 | More modern by 25 months |
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 115k | Sharper screen (+345k dot) |
Common features in the Canon A490 and Pentax WG-2 GPS
A490 | WG-2 GPS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither comes with selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Lack of Touch screen |
Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Physical Comparison
When you are planning to carry around your camera, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Canon A490 comes with outside measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) while the Pentax WG-2 GPS has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).
Examine the Canon A490 versus Pentax WG-2 GPS in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the A490 compared to the WG-2 GPS.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A490 and WG-2 GPS is 93 and 91 respectively.

Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very difficult to see the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading technical specs. The image below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the A490 and WG-2 GPS.
As you have seen, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You can expect the Pentax WG-2 GPS to offer you greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more aged A490 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon A490 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Specifications
Canon PowerShot A490 | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Canon | Pentax |
Model | Canon PowerShot A490 | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS |
Category | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
Introduced | 2010-01-05 | 2012-02-07 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 16MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4288 x 3216 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 125 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Number of focus points | 5 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 37-122mm (3.3x) | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Maximum aperture | f/3.0-5.8 | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focus range | 1cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 2.5 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 115 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display tech | - | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 15 secs | 4 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 1.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 3.00 m | 5.40 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Max video resolution | 640x480 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 175 grams (0.39 lb) | 198 grams (0.44 lb) |
Dimensions | 94 x 62 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") | 122 x 61 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 260 images |
Form of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | 2 x AA | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom, Face) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail cost | $99 | $300 |