Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2
93 Imaging
33 Features
19 Overall
27


91 Imaging
39 Features
37 Overall
38
Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
- 186g - 94 x 61 x 31mm
- Introduced January 2011
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 192g - 122 x 61 x 30mm
- Launched February 2012

Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Overview
Here is a comprehensive review of the Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by manufacturers Canon and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the A800 (10MP) and WG-2 (16MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

The A800 was released 13 months prior to the WG-2 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).
Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the A800 scores versus the WG-2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot A800 & Pentax Optio WG-2. The complete galleries are viewable at Canon A800 Gallery & Pentax WG-2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon A800 over the Pentax WG-2
A800 | WG-2 |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-2 over the Canon A800
WG-2 | A800 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | February 2012 | ![]() | January 2011 | Fresher by 13 months |
Focus manually | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 115k | Sharper screen (+345k dot) |
Common features in the Canon A800 and Pentax WG-2
A800 | WG-2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | No Touch screen |
Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Canon A800 comes with outer dimensions of 94mm x 61mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 186 grams (0.41 lbs) while the Pentax WG-2 has measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs).
Compare the Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the A800 against the WG-2.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the A800 and WG-2 is 93 and 91 respectively.

Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing purely by going through specifications. The photograph underneath might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A800 and WG-2.
To sum up, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You can count on the Pentax WG-2 to provide more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older A800 will be behind in sensor technology.

Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon A800 vs Pentax WG-2 Specifications
Canon PowerShot A800 | Pentax Optio WG-2 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Canon | Pentax |
Model type | Canon PowerShot A800 | Pentax Optio WG-2 |
Category | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
Introduced | 2011-01-05 | 2012-02-07 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | DIGIC 3 | - |
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 | 10 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4288 x 3216 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 125 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 37-122mm (3.3x) | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Max aperture | f/3.0-5.8 | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focusing distance | 1cm | 1cm |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 115 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 15 seconds | 4 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter rate | 1.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 3.00 m | 5.40 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
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) |
Highest video resolution | 640x480 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 186 grams (0.41 pounds) | 192 grams (0.42 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 94 x 61 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 Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 photos | 260 photos |
Battery style | AA | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | 2 x AA | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HCMMCplus | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at release | $90 | $350 |