Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80
59 Imaging
65 Features
85 Overall
73


95 Imaging
33 Features
20 Overall
27
Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
- Introduced April 2014
- New Model is Pentax K-3 II
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 64 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 35-175mm (F3.8-4.7) lens
- 125g - 92 x 60 x 22mm
- Released August 2009

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Overview
Below, we are matching up the Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Waterproof and they are both offered by Pentax. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the K-3 (24MP) and WS80 (10MP) and the K-3 (APS-C) and WS80 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

The K-3 was unveiled 4 years after the WS80 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax WS80 being a Compact camera.
Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the K-3 scores vs the WS80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K-3 and Pentax Optio WS80. The full galleries are available at Pentax K-3 Gallery and Pentax WS80 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 over the Pentax WS80
K-3 | WS80 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | April 2014 | ![]() | August 2009 | Newer by 57 months |
Display dimension | 3.2" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+807k dot) |
Reasons to pick Pentax WS80 over the Pentax K-3
WS80 | K-3 |
---|
Common features in the Pentax K-3 and Pentax WS80
K-3 | WS80 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More precise focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither offers selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Neither offers Touch display |
Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Physical Comparison
If you're intending to travel with your camera, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-3 offers outer dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Pentax WS80 has measurements of 92mm x 60mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).
Take a look at the Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the K-3 and the WS80.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the K-3 and WS80 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions only by checking specifications. The image below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the K-3 and WS80.
Plainly, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The K-3 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Pentax K-3 will resolve extra detail having an extra 14MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer K-3 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax WS80 Specifications
Pentax K-3 | Pentax Optio WS80 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Pentax | Pentax |
Model | Pentax K-3 | Pentax Optio WS80 |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Waterproof |
Introduced | 2014-04-10 | 2009-08-05 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Prime III | Prime |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | APS-C | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 366.6mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 24 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 6016 x 4000 | 3648 x 2736 |
Max native ISO | 51200 | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 64 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 27 | 9 |
Cross focus points | 25 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Pentax KAF2 | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 35-175mm (5.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/3.8-4.7 |
Amount of lenses | 151 | - |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3.2" | 2.7" |
Screen resolution | 1,037k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD monitor | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.64x | - |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 4 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/1500 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 8.0 frames per sec | 1.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) | 3.40 m |
Flash settings | Auto, on, off, red-eye, slow sync, slow sync + red-eye, trailing curtain sync, high speed, wireless, manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Optional | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 800g (1.76 lb) | 125g (0.28 lb) |
Dimensions | 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") | 92 x 60 x 22mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 80 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.7 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 13.4 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 1216 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 560 photographs | - |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | D-LI90 | D-LI68 |
Self timer | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
Storage slots | Dual | One |
Cost at launch | $639 | $220 |