Olympus XZ-1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Pentax WG-2 GPS, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Waterproof by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and WG-2 GPS (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and WG-2 GPS (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was manufactured 12 months prior to the WG-2 GPS so they are both of a similar age. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the XZ-1 scores versus the WG-2 GPS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Pentax WG-2 GPS Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-1 offers physical measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Pentax WG-2 GPS has measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-1 versus Pentax WG-2 GPS in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the WG-2 GPS.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and WG-2 GPS is 88 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through specs. The photograph below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and WG-2 GPS.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 because of its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Pentax WG-2 GPS will render extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be behind in sensor innovation.