Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3
93 Imaging
37 Features
30 Overall
34


90 Imaging
40 Features
44 Overall
41
Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-110mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
- Released March 2011
(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
- Revealed July 2013

Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Overview
Lets look a little more in depth at the Pentax RS1500 and Pentax WG-3, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof and both are designed by Pentax. The sensor resolution of the RS1500 (14MP) and the WG-3 (16MP) is very close and both cameras posses the same sensor size (1/2.3").

The RS1500 was released 3 years prior to the WG-3 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).
Before going into a complete comparison, here is a concise view of how the RS1500 matches up against the WG-3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio RS1500 and Pentax WG-3. The complete galleries are available at Pentax RS1500 Gallery and Pentax WG-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax RS1500 over the Pentax WG-3
RS1500 | WG-3 |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 over the Pentax RS1500
WG-3 | RS1500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | July 2013 | ![]() | March 2011 | Newer by 28 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Pentax RS1500 and Pentax WG-3
RS1500 | WG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More exact focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Missing Touch display |
Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Physical Comparison
If you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Pentax RS1500 has outside dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax WG-3 has proportions of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).
Check out the Pentax RS1500 and Pentax WG-3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the RS1500 vs the WG-3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the RS1500 and WG-3 is 93 and 90 respectively.

Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by looking through technical specs. The pic here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the RS1500 and WG-3.
As you can tell, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Pentax WG-3 to render greater detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged RS1500 will be behind in sensor technology.

Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax WG-3 Specifications
Pentax Optio RS1500 | Pentax WG-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Pentax | Pentax |
Model | Pentax Optio RS1500 | Pentax WG-3 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
Released | 2011-03-16 | 2013-07-19 |
Body design | 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 area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4608 x 3456 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 80 | 125 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 28-110mm (3.9x) | 25-100mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | f/3.5-5.5 | f/2.0-4.9 |
Macro focus range | 1cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display tech | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 4 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/1500 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 1.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 3.90 m | 3.40 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 157 grams (0.35 lbs) | 230 grams (0.51 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 124 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 260 images | 240 images |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | D-LI92 | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal |
Storage slots | One | One |
Retail price | $150 | $300 |