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Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1

Portability
77
Imaging
44
Features
36
Overall
40
Olympus E-420 front
 
Pentax Optio WG-1 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Key Specs

Olympus E-420
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
  • Revealed June 2008
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-410
Pentax WG-1
(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
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Released February 2011
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Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Overview

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-420 versus Pentax WG-1, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and WG-1 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and WG-1 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-420 was launched 3 years earlier than the WG-1 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax WG-1 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-420 matches up vs the WG-1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Pentax WG-1

 E-420 WG-1 

Reasons to pick Pentax WG-1 over the Olympus E-420

 WG-1 E-420 
ReleasedFebruary 2011June 2008Newer by 31 months

Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Pentax WG-1

 E-420 WG-1 
Focus manually Very exact focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimensions2.7"2.7"Equal screen size
Screen resolution230k230kExact same screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch screen Absent Touch screen

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Physical Comparison

For those who are going to travel with your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 comes with outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Pentax WG-1 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-420 versus Pentax WG-1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-420 compared to the WG-1.

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and WG-1 is 77 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, its tough to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by checking technical specs. The picture below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and WG-1.

As you have seen, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Pentax WG-1 will give extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-420 Portrait photography advice
Pentax WG-1 Portrait photography advice
56
you can focus manually
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
resolution not great (10MP)
35
manual focus
megapixel count good (14 megapixels)
no manual control
can't use external flash
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-420
Street photography with Pentax WG-1
64
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
lighter than average in class (426g)
screen does not articulate
does not have image stabilization
54
environment proof
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-420
Sports photography with Pentax WG-1
38
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports phase detect auto focus
low frames per second (4.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
resolution not great (10MP)
bad battery power (500 per charge)
37
megapixel count good (14MP)
features tracking autofocus
environment proof
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-420 Travel photography advice
Pentax WG-1 Travel photography advice
52
lighter than average in class (426 grams)
flash built-in
does not have Time Lapse mode
bad battery power (500 shots)
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
71
environment proof
megapixel count good (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
relatively wide (28mm)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-420 Landscape photography highlights
Pentax WG-1 Landscape photography highlights
47
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
screen is small (2.7 inch)
does not have image stabilization
resolution not great (10MP)
bad battery power (500 shots)
does not have Time Lapse mode
42
manual focus
relatively wide (28mm)
megapixel count good (14 megapixels)
environment proof
cannot switch lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7")
no manual control
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-420 Vlogging info
Pentax WG-1 Vlogging info
9
no video
25
relatively wide (28mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
missing external microphone support
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Olympus E-420 vs Pentax WG-1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-420 and Pentax WG-1
 Olympus E-420Pentax Optio WG-1
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus E-420 Pentax Optio WG-1
Type Entry-Level DSLR Waterproof
Revealed 2008-06-23 2011-02-07
Physical type Compact SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic III -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 3648 x 2736 4288 x 3216
Max native ISO 1600 6400
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points 3 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus range - 1cm
Number of lenses 45 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 2.7 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of display 230k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display tech - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60s 4s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1500s
Continuous shooting rate 4.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/180s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Max video resolution None 1280x720
Video file format - Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
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 sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 426g (0.94 pounds) 157g (0.35 pounds)
Physical dimensions 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.5 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.4 not tested
DXO Low light score 527 not tested
Other
Battery life 500 photographs 260 photographs
Type of battery Battery Pack 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, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Retail price $999 $350