Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A9

Below, we will be evaluating the Pentax WG-3 and Sony A9, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the WG-3 (16MP) and A9 (24MP) and the WG-3 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) possess different sensor dimensions.

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The WG-3 was manufactured 4 years before the A9 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax WG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the WG-3 scores versus the A9 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax WG-3 and Sony Alpha A9. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax WG-3 Gallery and Sony A9 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Pentax WG-3 features outside dimensions of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) and the Sony A9 has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") along with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Analyze the Pentax WG-3 and Sony A9 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the WG-3 against the A9.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the WG-3 and A9 is 90 and 65 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading through specs. The pic below will give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the WG-3 and A9.

All in all, each of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The WG-3 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A9 will resolve more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged WG-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.