Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A500

Its time to look more closely at the Pentax WG-3 versus Sony A500, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the WG-3 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the WG-3 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The WG-3 was manufactured 3 years later than the A500 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Pentax WG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a short introduction of how the WG-3 grades vs the A500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax WG-3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax WG-3 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Pentax WG-3 features outer dimensions of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) and the Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Look at the Pentax WG-3 versus Sony A500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the WG-3 against the A500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the WG-3 and A500 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Generally, its tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements only by looking at a spec sheet. The visual below will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the WG-3 and A500.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The WG-3 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax WG-3 will give greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The fresher WG-3 will have a benefit in sensor technology.