Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3
92 Imaging
42 Features
37 Overall
40


90 Imaging
39 Features
44 Overall
41
Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-550mm (F) lens
- 205g - 110 x 60 x 31mm
- Released January 2013
- Old Model is Nikon S9300
- Newer Model is Nikon S9700
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
- 230g - 124 x 64 x 33mm
- Announced July 2013

Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Overview
Lets look more closely at the Nikon S9500 and Pentax WG-3, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Waterproof by rivals Nikon and Pentax. The image resolution of the S9500 (18MP) and the WG-3 (16MP) is pretty close and they enjoy the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

The S9500 was brought out 5 months before the WG-3 so they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief overview of how the S9500 matches up vs the WG-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S9500 & Pentax WG-3. The entire galleries are available at Nikon S9500 Gallery & Pentax WG-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon S9500 over the Pentax WG-3
S9500 | WG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 614k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+154k dot) |
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 over the Nikon S9500
WG-3 | S9500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing |
Common features in the Nikon S9500 and Pentax WG-3
S9500 | WG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | January 2013 | ![]() | July 2013 | Same age |
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly screen |
Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you need to think about its weight and size. The Nikon S9500 offers exterior dimensions of 110mm x 60mm x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Pentax WG-3 has specifications of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).
Look at the Nikon S9500 and Pentax WG-3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the S9500 vs the WG-3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S9500 and WG-3 is 92 and 90 respectively.

Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it is very tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes just by looking through specs. The image underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the S9500 and WG-3.
As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can expect the Nikon S9500 to result in more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively.

Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon S9500 vs Pentax WG-3 Specifications
Nikon Coolpix S9500 | Pentax WG-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Nikon | Pentax |
Model | Nikon Coolpix S9500 | Pentax WG-3 |
Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Waterproof |
Released | 2013-01-29 | 2013-07-19 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.16 x 4.62mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 28.5mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 18 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | - | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4896 x 3672 | 4608 x 3456 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 125 | 125 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 99 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 25-550mm (22.0x) | 25-100mm (4.0x) |
Max aperture | - | f/2.0-4.9 |
Macro focus distance | - | 1cm |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 614k dots | 460k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | OLED monitor | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 4s | 4s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/1500s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.5 frames per second | 10.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | - | 3.40 m |
Flash options | - | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | - | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 205 grams (0.45 lbs) | 230 grams (0.51 lbs) |
Dimensions | 110 x 60 x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") | 124 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") |
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 | 230 photos | 240 photos |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | EN-EL12 | D-LI92 |
Self timer | - | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch price | $230 | $300 |