Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS
87 Imaging
33 Features
28 Overall
31


93 Imaging
37 Features
31 Overall
34
Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 36-360mm (F2.8-4.3) lens
- 285g - 111 x 71 x 45mm
- Launched August 2009
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 167g - 116 x 59 x 29mm
- Revealed August 2011

Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Overview
Let's look a bit more closely at the Canon SX120 IS versus Pentax WG-1 GPS, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by brands Canon and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and WG-1 GPS (14MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and WG-1 GPS (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

The SX120 IS was manufactured 24 months earlier than the WG-1 GPS which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the SX120 IS matches up against the WG-1 GPS for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS & Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS. The entire galleries are available at Canon SX120 IS Gallery & Pentax WG-1 GPS Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon SX120 IS over the Pentax WG-1 GPS
SX120 IS | WG-1 GPS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-1 GPS over the Canon SX120 IS
WG-1 GPS | SX120 IS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | August 2011 | ![]() | August 2009 | Fresher by 24 months |
Common features in the Canon SX120 IS and Pentax WG-1 GPS
SX120 IS | WG-1 GPS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Same screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | No Touch friendly screen |
Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Physical Comparison
When you are looking to carry your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Canon SX120 IS features external dimensions of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") and a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) while the Pentax WG-1 GPS has proportions of 116mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.6" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Analyze the Canon SX120 IS versus Pentax WG-1 GPS in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the SX120 IS compared to the WG-1 GPS.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SX120 IS and WG-1 GPS is 87 and 93 respectively.

Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Sensor Comparison
Often, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SX120 IS and WG-1 GPS.
As you can see, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SX120 IS because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Pentax WG-1 GPS will offer more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots far more aggressively. The older SX120 IS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX120 IS vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Specifications
Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Canon | Pentax |
Model | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
Type | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
Launched | 2009-08-19 | 2011-08-16 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Digic 4 | - |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.5" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 5.744 x 4.308mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 24.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 14MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 3:2 | - |
Peak resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4288 x 3216 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 36-360mm (10.0x) | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Max aperture | f/2.8-4.3 | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focus range | 1cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 6.3 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen technology | - | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 15 seconds | 4 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/2500 seconds | 1/1500 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 1.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 3.00 m | 3.90 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/500 seconds | - |
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), 160 x 120 (15 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 640x480 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Mic 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 | 285 gr (0.63 lb) | 167 gr (0.37 lb) |
Dimensions | 111 x 71 x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") | 116 x 59 x 29mm (4.6" x 2.3" x 1.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall 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 pictures |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | 2 x AA | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch cost | $249 | $350 |