Canon SD970 IS vs Pentax WG-2 GPS
94 Imaging
34 Features
24 Overall
30
91 Imaging
38 Features
37 Overall
37
Canon SD970 IS vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 37-185mm (F3.2-5.7) lens
- 160g - 96 x 57 x 26mm
- Revealed February 2009
- Other Name is Digital IXUS 990 IS
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 125 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 198g - 122 x 61 x 30mm
- Revealed February 2012
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In this write-up, we are matching up the Canon SD970 IS and Pentax WG-2 GPS, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof by rivals Canon and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the SD970 IS (12MP) and WG-2 GPS (16MP) but they possess the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe SD970 IS was announced 4 years earlier than the WG-2 GPS and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SD970 IS scores vs the WG-2 GPS in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SD970 IS and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS. The whole galleries are available at Canon SD970 IS Gallery and Pentax WG-2 GPS Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SD970 IS over the Pentax WG-2 GPS
| SD970 IS | WG-2 GPS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display resolution | 461k | 460k | Sharper display (+1k dot) |
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-2 GPS over the Canon SD970 IS
| WG-2 GPS | SD970 IS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | February 2012 | February 2009 | More recent by 36 months | |
| Manually focus | Very accurate focus |
Common features in the Canon SD970 IS and Pentax WG-2 GPS
| SD970 IS | WG-2 GPS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display sizing | 3" | 3" | Equivalent display measurement | |
| Selfie screen | Neither provides selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Neither provides Touch friendly display |
Canon SD970 IS vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Physical Comparison
If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon SD970 IS provides external measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 26mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 160 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax WG-2 GPS has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).
See the Canon SD970 IS and Pentax WG-2 GPS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the SD970 IS and the WG-2 GPS.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SD970 IS and WG-2 GPS is 94 and 91 respectively.
Canon SD970 IS vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading a spec sheet. The visual here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SD970 IS and WG-2 GPS.
As you can see, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Pentax WG-2 GPS to offer extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos far more aggressively. The older SD970 IS is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.
Canon SD970 IS vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon SD970 IS vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Specifications
| Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Canon | Pentax |
| Model | Canon PowerShot SD970 IS | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS |
| Otherwise known as | Digital IXUS 990 IS | - |
| Type | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
| Revealed | 2009-02-18 | 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 | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4288 x 3216 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
| Minimum native ISO | 80 | 125 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Tracking autofocus | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | 37-185mm (5.0x) | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | f/3.2-5.7 | f/3.5-5.5 |
| Macro focus distance | 2cm | 1cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Display resolution | 461 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Display tech | - | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 15 seconds | 4 seconds |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/1600 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting speed | 1.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 3.50 m | 5.40 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 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 | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| 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 | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 160 grams (0.35 lb) | 198 grams (0.44 lb) |
| Dimensions | 96 x 57 x 26mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") | 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 shots |
| Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | NB-5L | D-LI92 |
| Self timer | Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HD /MMCplus | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Price at launch | - | $300 |