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Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1

Portability
60
Imaging
58
Features
82
Overall
67
Pentax K-5 II front
 
Pentax Optio WG-1 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Key Specs

Pentax K-5 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Increase to 51200)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 760g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
  • Revealed June 2013
  • Succeeded the Pentax K-5
Pentax WG-1
(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
  • Revealed February 2011
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Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Overview

Below is a thorough overview of the Pentax K-5 II versus Pentax WG-1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Waterproof and both are manufactured by Pentax. The sensor resolution of the K-5 II (16MP) and the WG-1 (14MP) is fairly similar but the K-5 II (APS-C) and WG-1 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The K-5 II was brought out 2 years later than the WG-1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax WG-1 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the K-5 II grades against the WG-1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Pentax K-5 II over the Pentax WG-1

 K-5 II WG-1 
RevealedJune 2013February 2011More recent by 29 months
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution921k230kClearer display (+691k dot)

Reasons to pick Pentax WG-1 over the Pentax K-5 II

 WG-1 K-5 II 

Common features in the Pentax K-5 II and Pentax WG-1

 K-5 II WG-1 
Manually focus More exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither offers selfie screen
Touch display Neither offers Touch display

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-5 II offers exterior dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs) and the Pentax WG-1 has measurements of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax K-5 II versus Pentax WG-1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the K-5 II compared to the WG-1.

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the K-5 II and WG-1 is 60 and 93 respectively.

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 top view buttons comparison

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The photograph below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the K-5 II and WG-1.

As you can tell, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The K-5 II because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Pentax K-5 II will deliver extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The younger K-5 II is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 sensor size comparison

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax K-5 II as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax WG-1 as a Portrait photography camera
74
manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
35
has manual focus
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
manual mode not available
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Pentax K-5 II as a Street photography camera
Pentax WG-1 as a Street photography camera
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
weather proofing
screen does not articulate
54
weather proofing
screen is fixed
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Pentax K-5 II Sports photography details
Pentax WG-1 Sports photography details
79
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with tracking focus
weather proofing
comes with phase detect autofocus
37
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
has tracking focus
weather proofing
low frames per second (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Pentax K-5 II
Travel photography with Pentax WG-1
65
weather proofing
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
screen is not selfie friendly
71
weather proofing
resolution is good (14MP)
built-in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
display is not selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax K-5 II as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax WG-1 as a Landscape photography camera
79
manual focus
change lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
weather proofing
42
has manual focus
fairly wide (28mm)
resolution is good (14MP)
weather proofing
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
manual mode not available
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax K-5 II Vlogging advice
Pentax WG-1 Vlogging advice
33
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have microphone socket
screen is not selfie friendly
25
fairly wide (28mm)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
no mic port
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Pentax K-5 II vs Pentax WG-1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax K-5 II and Pentax WG-1
 Pentax K-5 IIPentax Optio WG-1
General Information
Brand Pentax Pentax
Model type Pentax K-5 II Pentax Optio WG-1
Class Advanced DSLR Waterproof
Revealed 2013-06-04 2011-02-07
Body design Mid-size SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Prime II -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.7 x 15.7mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 372.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4928 x 3264 4288 x 3216
Max native ISO 12800 6400
Max boosted ISO 51200 -
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW support
Minimum boosted ISO 80 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 11 9
Cross type focus points 9 -
Lens
Lens support Pentax KAF2 fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing range - 1cm
Available lenses 151 -
Crop factor 1.5 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 2.7"
Resolution of display 921 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology TFT LCD monitor TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.61x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30 seconds 4 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1500 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 7.0 frames per sec 1.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 13.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, High speed, Rear curtain and Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (25 fps), 1280 x 720 (25, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 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 format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS Optional None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 760 gr (1.68 pounds) 157 gr (0.35 pounds)
Dimensions 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 82 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 14.1 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1235 not tested
Other
Battery life 980 images 260 images
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI90 D-LI92
Self timer Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots One One
Price at launch $830 $350