Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony A290

Let's examine more closely at the Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony A290, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the WG-3 GPS (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very well matched but the WG-3 GPS (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The WG-3 GPS was revealed 3 years after the A290 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax WG-3 GPS being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the WG-3 GPS scores vs the A290 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax WG-3 GPS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax WG-3 GPS Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera often, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Pentax WG-3 GPS features outer measurements of 125mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 238 grams (0.52 lbs) and the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony A290 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the WG-3 GPS against the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-3 GPS and A290 is 90 and 66 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The image here will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the WG-3 GPS and A290.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The WG-3 GPS using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax WG-3 GPS will give you extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The younger WG-3 GPS will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.