Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
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91 Imaging
39 Features
37 Overall
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Launched February 2008
- Replaced the Olympus E-1
- Replacement is Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 192g - 122 x 61 x 30mm
- Revealed February 2012
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On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and WG-2 (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and WG-2 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe E-3 was unveiled 5 years before the WG-2 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax WG-2 being a Compact camera.
Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-3 grades versus the WG-2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Pentax Optio WG-2. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Pentax WG-2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Pentax WG-2
| E-3 | WG-2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-2 over the Olympus E-3
| WG-2 | E-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | February 2012 | February 2008 | More recent by 48 months | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Crisper screen (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Pentax WG-2
| E-3 | WG-2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial precise focus | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Neither has Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 has physical dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Pentax WG-2 has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the E-3 against the WG-2.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and WG-2 is 56 and 91 respectively.
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through specs. The graphic underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and WG-2.
All in all, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Pentax WG-2 will provide you with extra detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots more aggressively. The older E-3 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax WG-2 Specifications
| Olympus E-3 | Pentax Optio WG-2 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model | Olympus E-3 | Pentax Optio WG-2 |
| Class | Advanced DSLR | Waterproof |
| Launched | 2008-02-20 | 2012-02-07 |
| Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic III | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 16MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4288 x 3216 |
| Highest native ISO | 3200 | 6400 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 125 |
| RAW files | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
| Max aperture | - | f/3.5-5.5 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 1cm |
| Number of lenses | 45 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 230k dot | 460k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Screen tech | - | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 4 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 5.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 13.00 m | 5.40 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | 1/250 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | - | 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 | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 890 grams (1.96 pounds) | 192 grams (0.42 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 122 x 61 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 56 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.6 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.5 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 571 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 260 shots |
| Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | D-LI92 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Launch pricing | $670 | $350 |