Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1
89 Imaging
52 Features
63 Overall
56


93 Imaging
37 Features
31 Overall
34
Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 269g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Announced May 2013
- Earlier Model is Olympus E-PM1
(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
- 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
- Introduced February 2011

Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Overview
Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the WG-1 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and WG-1 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

The E-PM2 was launched 2 years after the WG-1 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WG-1 being a Compact camera.
Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PM2 grades versus the WG-1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Pentax Optio WG-1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Pentax WG-1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM2 over the Pentax WG-1
E-PM2 | WG-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | May 2013 | ![]() | February 2011 | Newer by 28 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-1 over the Olympus E-PM2
WG-1 | E-PM2 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PM2 and Pentax WG-1
E-PM2 | WG-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen |
Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM2 provides outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Pentax WG-1 has sizing of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-PM2 vs the WG-1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM2 and WG-1 is 89 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, its hard to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions just by viewing specs. The pic below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM2 and WG-1.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM2 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PM2 will result in extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The younger E-PM2 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PM2 vs Pentax WG-1 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PM2 | Pentax Optio WG-1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PM2 | Pentax Optio WG-1 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Waterproof |
Announced | 2013-05-21 | 2011-02-07 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4288 x 3216 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
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 | 35 | 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 | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
Resolution of display | 460k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display technology | - | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 4s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1500s |
Continuous shooting rate | 8.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 3.90 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 269 gr (0.59 pounds) | 157 gr (0.35 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 72 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.7 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.2 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 932 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 photographs | 260 photographs |
Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail price | $448 | $350 |