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Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3

Portability
95
Imaging
34
Features
10
Overall
24
Pentax Optio E85 front
 
Pentax WG-3 front
Portability
90
Imaging
39
Features
44
Overall
41

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Key Specs

Pentax E85
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 32-96mm (F2.9-5.2) lens
  • 145g - 93 x 58 x 24mm
  • Revealed September 2009
Pentax WG-3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 230g - 124 x 64 x 33mm
  • Announced July 2013
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Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Overview

Its time to look more closely at the Pentax E85 versus Pentax WG-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof and both are produced by Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the E85 (12MP) and WG-3 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The E85 was revealed 4 years before the WG-3 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the E85 matches up versus the WG-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Pentax E85 over the Pentax WG-3

 E85 WG-3 

Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 over the Pentax E85

 WG-3 E85 
AnnouncedJuly 2013September 2009Fresher by 46 months
Focus manually Dial exact focus
Display size3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)

Common features in the Pentax E85 and Pentax WG-3

 E85 WG-3 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch display Absent Touch display

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to carry your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Pentax E85 offers external dimensions of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs) whilst the Pentax WG-3 has sizing of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax E85 versus Pentax WG-3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E85 vs the WG-3.

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E85 and WG-3 is 95 and 90 respectively.

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 top view buttons comparison

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing purely by reading technical specs. The visual here should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E85 and WG-3.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Pentax WG-3 to offer extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E85 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 sensor size comparison

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax E85 Portrait photography info
Pentax WG-3 Portrait photography info
20
focusing manually not possible
no manual exposure
no external flash support
low MP (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
40
has manual focus
good MP (16MP)
has face detection focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Pentax E85 as a Street photography camera
Pentax WG-3 as a Street photography camera
47
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather sealing
screen does not articulate
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Pentax E85 as a Sports photography camera
Pentax WG-3 as a Sports photography camera
17
continuous shooting slow (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
does not have image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
44
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good MP (16MP)
has tracking autofocus
weather sealing
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
not so great battery pack (240 CIPA)
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Pentax E85 Travel photography advice
Pentax WG-3 Travel photography advice
51
built-in flash
missing Timelapse function
low MP (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (32mm)
sluggish max aperture (f2.9)
72
weather sealing
good MP (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
fairly wide (25mm)
fast max aperture (f2.0)
not so great battery pack (240 per charge)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax E85 Landscape photography info
Pentax WG-3 Landscape photography info
23
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (32mm)
sluggish max aperture (f2.9)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual exposure
does not have image stabilization
low MP (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
missing Timelapse function
53
has manual focus
fairly wide (25mm)
fast max aperture (f2.0)
good sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good MP (16 megapixels)
weather sealing
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
no manual control
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
not so great battery pack (240 shots)
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax E85 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax WG-3 as a Vlogging camera
22
wide angle not the best (32mm)
sluggish max aperture (f2.9)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low res video (640 x 480 resolution)
missing external microphone jack
36
fairly wide (25mm)
fast max aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have external microphone socket
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Pentax E85 vs Pentax WG-3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax E85 and Pentax WG-3
 Pentax Optio E85Pentax WG-3
General Information
Make Pentax Pentax
Model type Pentax Optio E85 Pentax WG-3
Class Small Sensor Compact Waterproof
Revealed 2009-09-17 2013-07-19
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Max resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 3200 6400
Minimum native ISO 80 125
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 32-96mm (3.0x) 25-100mm (4.0x)
Highest aperture f/2.9-5.2 f/2.0-4.9
Macro focusing range 10cm 1cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 2.7 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 230k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech - Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 2s 4s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 1.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.00 m 3.40 m
Flash settings - 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 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps)
Max video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None 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 145 gr (0.32 lbs) 230 gr (0.51 lbs)
Physical dimensions 93 x 58 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") 124 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3")
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 - 240 shots
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI95 D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal
Card slots One One
Price at release $0 $300