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Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS

Portability
85
Imaging
55
Features
78
Overall
64
Olympus PEN E-PL9 front
 
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Key Specs

Olympus E-PL9
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 6400 (Boost to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
  • Released February 2018
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-PL8
Pentax WG-1 GPS
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 167g - 116 x 59 x 29mm
  • Announced August 2011
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Overview

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the WG-1 GPS (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and WG-1 GPS (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was revealed 6 years after the WG-1 GPS which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WG-1 GPS being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the WG-1 GPS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Pentax WG-1 GPS

 E-PL9 WG-1 GPS 
AnnouncedFebruary 2018August 2011Newer by 79 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1040k230kClearer display (+810k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax WG-1 GPS over the Olympus E-PL9

 WG-1 GPS E-PL9 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax WG-1 GPS

 E-PL9 WG-1 GPS 
Focus manually More accurate focus
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Physical Comparison

In case you're going to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 comes with outer dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Pentax WG-1 GPS has sizing of 116mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.6" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL9 versus the WG-1 GPS.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and WG-1 GPS is 85 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Sensor Comparison

Often, its hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reading through specifications. The pic below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and WG-1 GPS.

To sum up, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will give you more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The younger E-PL9 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Portrait photography information
Pentax WG-1 GPS Portrait photography information
73
has manual focus
good MP (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detection focus
exports RAW formats
35
focusing manually
good resolution (14 megapixels)
no manual mode
external flash not possible
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Street photography details
Pentax WG-1 GPS Street photography details
84
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
provides touch focus
54
weather proofing
no moving screen
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Sports photography highlights
Pentax WG-1 GPS Sports photography highlights
69
quiet mode (1/16,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
lacks phase detect auto focus
37
good resolution (14MP)
supports tracking focus
weather proofing
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Travel photography features
Pentax WG-1 GPS Travel photography features
77
supports bluetooth
provides touch focus
good MP (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
display is not selfie friendly
71
weather proofing
good resolution (14MP)
has built in flash
decently wide (28mm)
display is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-PL9
Landscape photography with Pentax WG-1 GPS
80
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
42
focusing manually
decently wide (28mm)
good resolution (14MP)
weather proofing
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7 inches)
no manual mode
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-PL9
Vlogging with Pentax WG-1 GPS
35
has touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection focus
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
display is not selfie friendly
no external mic jack
25
decently wide (28mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low res video (1280 x 720 pixels)
missing microphone socket
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax WG-1 GPS
 Olympus PEN E-PL9Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL9 Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Released 2018-02-08 2011-08-16
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VIII -
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 16MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 -
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4288 x 3216
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Highest enhanced ISO 25600 -
Lowest native ISO 200 80
RAW images
Lowest enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 121 9
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing range - 1cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 2.7"
Resolution of display 1,040k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 4 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1500 secs
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shutter rate 8.6fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 7.60 m (at ISO 200) 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 3840x2160 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In 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 380 grams (0.84 pounds) 167 grams (0.37 pounds)
Physical dimensions 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") 116 x 59 x 29mm (4.6" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photos 260 photos
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at release $599 $350