Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS
86 Imaging
47 Features
43 Overall
45


91 Imaging
39 Features
37 Overall
38
Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
- Introduced May 2010
- Successor is Olympus E-PL1s
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 198g - 122 x 61 x 30mm
- Revealed February 2012

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Overview
Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-PL1 and Pentax WG-2 GPS, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and WG-2 GPS (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and WG-2 GPS (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

The E-PL1 was launched 21 months prior to the WG-2 GPS which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WG-2 GPS being a Compact camera.
Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the WG-2 GPS in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Pentax WG-2 GPS Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1 over the Pentax WG-2 GPS
E-PL1 | WG-2 GPS |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-2 GPS over the Olympus E-PL1
WG-2 GPS | E-PL1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | February 2012 | ![]() | May 2010 | More recent by 21 months |
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL1 and Pentax WG-2 GPS
E-PL1 | WG-2 GPS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither offers Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Physical Comparison
If you're intending to lug around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 offers exterior dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Pentax WG-2 GPS has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Pentax WG-2 GPS in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL1 and the WG-2 GPS.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and WG-2 GPS is 86 and 91 respectively.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it's hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements just by checking out specs. The visual underneath should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and WG-2 GPS.
All in all, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Pentax WG-2 GPS will show more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL1 | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL1 | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Waterproof |
Introduced | 2010-05-17 | 2012-02-07 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Truepic V | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4288 x 3216 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 125 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Largest aperture | - | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focusing range | - | 1cm |
Total lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 2.7" | 3" |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 4 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 3.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 10.00 m | 5.40 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 334 gr (0.74 pounds) | 198 gr (0.44 pounds) |
Dimensions | 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 122 x 61 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 54 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.5 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.1 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 487 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 290 pictures | 260 pictures |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-1 | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at release | $288 | $300 |