Nikon L21 vs Pentax WG-3

Let's look closer at the Nikon L21 vs Pentax WG-3, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Nikon and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the L21 (8MP) and WG-3 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The L21 was manufactured 4 years prior to the WG-3 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a brief summary of how the L21 grades against the WG-3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon Coolpix L21 and Pentax WG-3. The entire galleries are available at Nikon L21 Gallery and Pentax WG-3 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Nikon L21 features external dimensions of 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 169 grams (0.37 lbs) and the Pentax WG-3 has dimensions of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Analyze the Nikon L21 vs Pentax WG-3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view scale comparison of the L21 versus the WG-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the L21 and WG-3 is 93 and 90 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes only by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the L21 and WG-3.

Clearly, both of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different resolution. You should expect to see the Pentax WG-3 to render more detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged L21 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.