Canon SX20 IS vs Pentax WG-3

Let's look a bit more closely at the Canon SX20 IS vs Pentax WG-3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Waterproof by rivals Canon and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the SX20 IS (12MP) and WG-3 (16MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SX20 IS was manufactured 4 years before the WG-3 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Canon SX20 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax WG-3 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the SX20 IS grades versus the WG-3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot SX20 IS & Pentax WG-3. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon SX20 IS Gallery & Pentax WG-3 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Canon SX20 IS offers outer dimensions of 128mm x 88mm x 87mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.4") along with a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Pentax WG-3 has proportions of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX20 IS vs Pentax WG-3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the SX20 IS versus the WG-3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the SX20 IS and WG-3 is 65 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to envision the difference between sensor sizing simply by going over technical specs. The photograph here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX20 IS and WG-3.

As you have seen, the two cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit not the same megapixels. You can count on the Pentax WG-3 to offer you extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older SX20 IS is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.