Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony a3500

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Sony a3500, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the WG-3 GPS (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is fairly close but the WG-3 GPS (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

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The WG-3 GPS was revealed 8 months prior to the a3500 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Pentax WG-3 GPS being a Compact camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the WG-3 GPS grades versus the a3500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax WG-3 GPS & Sony Alpha a3500. The full galleries are available at Pentax WG-3 GPS Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax WG-3 GPS has exterior dimensions of 125mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 238 grams (0.52 lbs) and the Sony a3500 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the WG-3 GPS versus the a3500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-3 GPS and a3500 is 90 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through technical specs. The graphic here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the WG-3 GPS and a3500.

As you can tell, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The WG-3 GPS with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony a3500 will provide you with greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older WG-3 GPS will be behind with regard to sensor technology.