Pentax WG-3 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Here, we will be comparing the Pentax WG-3 and Sigma SD1 Merrill, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Pentax and Sigma. The image resolution of the WG-3 (16MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is pretty comparable but the WG-3 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The WG-3 was manufactured 16 months after the SD1 Merrill which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Pentax WG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the WG-3 scores vs the SD1 Merrill for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax WG-3 & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax WG-3 Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and size. The Pentax WG-3 enjoys outer measurements of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

See the Pentax WG-3 and Sigma SD1 Merrill in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the WG-3 vs the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the WG-3 and SD1 Merrill is 90 and 57 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions simply by going through a spec sheet. The image here might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the WG-3 and SD1 Merrill.

As you can see, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The WG-3 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Pentax WG-3 will produce greater detail due to its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots way more aggressively. The newer WG-3 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.