Clicky

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20

Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
43
Overall
41
Pentax WG-3 GPS front
 
Samsung NX20 front
Portability
83
Imaging
62
Features
73
Overall
66

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Key Specs

Pentax WG-3 GPS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 238g - 125 x 64 x 33mm
  • Introduced July 2013
Samsung NX20
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 341g - 122 x 90 x 40mm
  • Introduced April 2012
  • Previous Model is Samsung NX11
  • Later Model is Samsung NX30
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Overview

Lets take a closer look at the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Samsung NX20, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Pentax and Samsung. The image resolution of the WG-3 GPS (16MP) and the NX20 (20MP) is fairly close but the WG-3 GPS (1/2.3") and NX20 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The WG-3 GPS was brought out 16 months after the NX20 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax WG-3 GPS being a Compact camera and the Samsung NX20 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the WG-3 GPS scores against the NX20 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 GPS over the Samsung NX20

 WG-3 GPS NX20 
IntroducedJuly 2013April 2012Newer by 16 months

Reasons to pick Samsung NX20 over the Pentax WG-3 GPS

 NX20 WG-3 GPS 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution614k460kSharper display (+154k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Samsung NX20

 WG-3 GPS NX20 
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Display dimension3"3"Identical display measurements
Touch display No Touch display

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax WG-3 GPS has outer dimensions of 125mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 238 grams (0.52 lbs) while the Samsung NX20 has measurements of 122mm x 90mm x 40mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.6") and a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Samsung NX20 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the WG-3 GPS against the NX20.

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the WG-3 GPS and NX20 is 90 and 83 respectively.

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 top view buttons comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, its hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by viewing technical specs. The image here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-3 GPS and NX20.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The WG-3 GPS featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Samsung NX20 will result in more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos much more aggressively. The more modern WG-3 GPS will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 sensor size comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Pentax WG-3 GPS
Portrait photography with Samsung NX20
41
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
has face detect focus
lack of manual mode
cannot use external flash
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW format
77
focusing manually
decent MP (20MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
offers face detection focus
supports RAW formats
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Street Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS as a Street photography camera
Samsung NX20 as a Street photography camera
59
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proof
no articulating screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW format
heavier than competitors (238 grams)
77
screen can move to multiple angles
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
lighter than average (341g)
no image stabilization
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Sports Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Sports photography highlights
Samsung NX20 Sports photography highlights
45
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
has tracking focus
environment proof
no shutter priority
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
terrible battery pack (240 shots)
no phase detect auto focus
61
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
decent MP (20MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
no image stabilization
lacks phase detect auto focus
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

Travel Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Travel photography features
Samsung NX20 Travel photography features
69
environment proof
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
has built in flash
really wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
terrible battery pack (240 shots)
heavier than competitors (238 grams)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
77
lighter than average (341g)
decent MP (20MP)
flash built-in
selfie friendly screen
no Timelapse recording
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Landscape Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Landscape photography advice
Samsung NX20 Landscape photography advice
54
focusing manually
really wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
environment proof
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of manual mode
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW format
terrible battery pack (240 CIPA)
70
focusing manually
change lenses (Samsung NX mount)
screen size is good (3")
decent MP (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
no image stabilization
no Timelapse recording
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Vlogging advice
Samsung NX20 Vlogging advice
34
really wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
no mic support
heavier than competitors (238g)
78
selfie friendly screen
offers face detection focus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have external microphone support
lighter than average (341 grams)
no image stabilization
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Samsung NX20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax WG-3 GPS and Samsung NX20
 Pentax WG-3 GPSSamsung NX20
General Information
Company Pentax Samsung
Model type Pentax WG-3 GPS Samsung NX20
Class Waterproof Advanced Mirrorless
Introduced 2013-07-19 2012-04-20
Physical type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Maximum native ISO 6400 12800
Lowest native ISO 125 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 9 15
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Samsung NX
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Highest aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Amount of lenses - 32
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 460 thousand dots 614 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating Active Matrix OLED screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate - 8.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.40 m 11.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, 1st/2nd Curtain, Smart Flash, Manual
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 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 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1920 x 810 (24 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn Optional
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 238 grams (0.52 lb) 341 grams (0.75 lb)
Dimensions 125 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") 122 x 90 x 40mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 75
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.9
DXO Low light rating not tested 785
Other
Battery life 240 pictures 360 pictures
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI92 BP1130
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 sec to 30 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Single Single
Cost at release $350 $1,100