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Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS

Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34
Pentax Optio S1 front
 
Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS front
Portability
91
Imaging
39
Features
37
Overall
38

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Key Specs

Pentax S1
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Released March 2011
Pentax WG-2 GPS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 198g - 122 x 61 x 30mm
  • Announced February 2012
Photography Glossary

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Overview

In this article, we are contrasting the Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Waterproof and they are both created by Pentax. The sensor resolution of the S1 (14MP) and the WG-2 GPS (16MP) is fairly close and they possess the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The S1 was manufactured 11 months prior to the WG-2 GPS and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the S1 scores versus the WG-2 GPS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Pentax S1 over the Pentax WG-2 GPS

 S1 WG-2 GPS 

Reasons to pick Pentax WG-2 GPS over the Pentax S1

 WG-2 GPS S1 
AnnouncedFebruary 2012March 2011Fresher by 11 months
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)

Common features in the Pentax S1 and Pentax WG-2 GPS

 S1 WG-2 GPS 
Focus manually Very precise focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither comes with Touch friendly display

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Physical Comparison

If you're going to carry your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Pentax S1 comes with physical measurements of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax WG-2 GPS has sizing of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the S1 vs the WG-2 GPS.

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S1 and WG-2 GPS is 93 and 91 respectively.

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS top view buttons comparison

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing purely by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the S1 and WG-2 GPS.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Pentax WG-2 GPS to provide you with more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older S1 will be behind in sensor tech.

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS sensor size comparison

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax S1 Portrait photography info
Pentax WG-2 GPS Portrait photography info
35
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
manual mode not possible
external flash not possible
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
40
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has face detect focusing
no manual control
can't use external flash
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Pentax S1
Street photography with Pentax WG-2 GPS
56
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no articulating screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
54
environment proof
no moving screen
no image stabilization
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Pentax S1
Sports photography with Pentax WG-2 GPS
39
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
supports tracking autofocus
low fps (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
38
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has tracking focus
environment proof
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Pentax S1 Travel photography details
Pentax WG-2 GPS Travel photography details
64
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
flash built-in
really wide (28mm)
does not have Time Lapse mode
does not feature selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
70
environment proof
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
built-in flash
reasonably wide (28mm)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax S1 Landscape photography details
Pentax WG-2 GPS Landscape photography details
42
has manual focus
really wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
manual mode not possible
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
does not have Time Lapse mode
47
has manual focus
reasonably wide (28mm)
nice screen size (3 inch)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
environment proof
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
no image stabilization
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Pentax S1
Vlogging with Pentax WG-2 GPS
28
really wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external mic jack
30
reasonably wide (28mm)
has face detect focusing
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
does not have mic jack
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Pentax S1 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax S1 and Pentax WG-2 GPS
 Pentax Optio S1Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS
General Information
Make Pentax Pentax
Model type Pentax Optio S1 Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS
Class Small Sensor Compact Waterproof
Released 2011-03-02 2012-02-07
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4288 x 3216 4288 x 3216
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Lowest native ISO 80 125
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.5-5.5 f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing range 1cm 1cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 2.7 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen technology TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4 secs 4 secs
Max shutter speed 1/1500 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 1.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.90 m 5.40 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
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), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic 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 BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 157 grams (0.35 lbs) 198 grams (0.44 lbs)
Dimensions 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") 122 x 61 x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2")
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 260 photos 260 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI92 D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Launch cost $174 $300