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Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55

Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
43
Overall
41
Pentax WG-3 GPS front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 front
Portability
97
Imaging
39
Features
46
Overall
41

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Key Specs

Pentax WG-3 GPS
(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
  • 238g - 125 x 64 x 33mm
  • Announced July 2013
Sony TX55
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 26-130mm (F3.5-4.8) lens
  • 109g - 93 x 54 x 13mm
  • Launched July 2011
Photography Glossary

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Overview

Below is a thorough analysis of the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Sony TX55, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the WG-3 GPS (16MP) and the TX55 (16MP) is pretty comparable and they enjoy the exact same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The WG-3 GPS was introduced 2 years later than the TX55 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax WG-3 GPS being a Compact camera and the Sony TX55 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a simple summary of how the WG-3 GPS matches up vs the TX55 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 GPS over the Sony TX55

 WG-3 GPS TX55 
LaunchedJuly 2013July 2011More recent by 25 months

Reasons to pick Sony TX55 over the Pentax WG-3 GPS

 TX55 WG-3 GPS 
Screen dimension3.3"3"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1230k460kCrisper screen (+770k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Sony TX55

 WG-3 GPS TX55 
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Pentax WG-3 GPS has exterior measurements of 125mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 238 grams (0.52 lbs) and the Sony TX55 has dimensions of 93mm x 54mm x 13mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.5") along with a weight of 109 grams (0.24 lbs).

Check the Pentax WG-3 GPS and Sony TX55 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the WG-3 GPS against the TX55.

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the WG-3 GPS and TX55 is 90 and 97 respectively.

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 top view buttons comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, its tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The photograph underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the WG-3 GPS and TX55.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same resolution therefore you should expect comparable quality of pictures but you may want to take the production date of the cameras into account. The younger WG-3 GPS is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 sensor size comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Portrait photography advice
Sony TX55 Portrait photography advice
41
has manual focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
has face detection focus
no manual exposure
no external flash support
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
36
has manual focus
resolution is good (16MP)
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Street photography information
Sony TX55 Street photography information
59
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proofing
no moving screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
more heavy than competition (238 grams)
58
image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Pentax WG-3 GPS
Sports photography with Sony TX55
45
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
has tracking autofocus
weather proofing
no shutter priority
small sensor (1/2.3")
not so great battery life (240 shots)
lack of phase detect auto focus
44
image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16MP)
good battery (250 shots)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS Travel photography factors
Sony TX55 Travel photography factors
69
weather proofing
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
relatively wide (25mm)
fast maximum aperture (f2.0)
not so great battery life (240 CIPA)
more heavy than competition (238g)
display isn't selfie friendly
69
good battery (250 shots)
resolution is good (16MP)
built-in flash
relatively wide (26mm)
no Timelapse mode
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony TX55 as a Landscape photography camera
54
has manual focus
relatively wide (25mm)
fast maximum aperture (f2.0)
screen size is good (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
weather proofing
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
no manual exposure
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
not so great battery life (240 CIPA)
50
has manual focus
relatively wide (26mm)
screen size is good (3.3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16MP)
good battery (250 CIPA)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
lack of manual exposure
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax WG-3 GPS as a Vlogging camera
Sony TX55 as a Vlogging camera
34
relatively wide (25mm)
fast maximum aperture (f2.0)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detection focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
missing external microphone socket
more heavy than competition (238g)
34
relatively wide (26mm)
has touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
no microphone jack
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Pentax WG-3 GPS vs Sony TX55 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax WG-3 GPS and Sony TX55
 Pentax WG-3 GPSSony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55
General Information
Brand Name Pentax Sony
Model type Pentax WG-3 GPS Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55
Type Waterproof Ultracompact
Announced 2013-07-19 2011-07-24
Body design Compact Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - BIONZ
Sensor type BSI-CMOS 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 16 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 6400 3200
Min native ISO 125 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) 26-130mm (5.0x)
Max aperture f/2.0-4.9 f/3.5-4.8
Macro focusing distance 1cm 3cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 3.3 inches
Display resolution 460k dot 1,230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display tech Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating XtraFine OLED display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shooting speed - 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.40 m 3.70 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 238g (0.52 lbs) 109g (0.24 lbs)
Dimensions 125 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") 93 x 54 x 13mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around 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 240 pictures 250 pictures
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI92 NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal microSD/SDHC, Memory Stick Micro
Storage slots 1 1
Retail price $350 $350