Canon G12 vs Pentax WG-3 GPS

In this write-up, we will be matching up the Canon G12 versus Pentax WG-3 GPS, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Canon and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the G12 (10MP) and WG-3 GPS (16MP) and the G12 (1/1.7") and WG-3 GPS (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The G12 was launched 3 years before the WG-3 GPS and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the G12 scores versus the WG-3 GPS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot G12 & Pentax WG-3 GPS. The complete galleries are viewable at Canon G12 Gallery & Pentax WG-3 GPS Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera often, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Canon G12 has external measurements of 112mm x 76mm x 48mm (4.4" x 3.0" x 1.9") with a weight of 401 grams (0.88 lbs) and the Pentax WG-3 GPS has proportions of 125mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 238 grams (0.52 lbs).

See the Canon G12 versus Pentax WG-3 GPS in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the G12 vs the WG-3 GPS.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the G12 and WG-3 GPS is 83 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizing purely by looking at specifications. The visual here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the G12 and WG-3 GPS.

To sum up, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The G12 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax WG-3 GPS will give more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older G12 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.