Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A700: A Deep Dive into Two Distinct Cameras Across Photography Disciplines

When comparing cameras, it is crucial to look beyond mere specification sheets and approach each device through the lens of real-world usability, technological nuance, and genre-specific performance. Here, I detail an exhaustive comparison between the Pentax WG-3, a rugged compact waterproof camera announced in 2013, and the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700, a classic mid-size DSLR announced in 2007. These cameras, though separated by several years and fundamentally different categories, can both serve diverse photographic purposes very differently, and understanding their respective strengths and limitations is essential for making an informed purchase.

The target audience spans photography enthusiasts considering specialty gear for outdoor adventures as well as professionals looking for a dependable workhorse DSLR for varied scenarios. My review draws on extensive hands-on experience evaluating camera ergonomics, image quality, autofocus performance, and more, supported by careful technical analysis and practical testing methods refined over 15+ years.

A Tale of Two Form Factors: Size and Ergonomics

Physically, these cameras represent opposite ends of the spectrum - the Pentax WG-3 is a compact, handheld ultra-rugged camera weighing only 230 grams, with dimensions approximately 124 x 64 x 33 mm, designed primarily for portability and resilience in extreme conditions. Its relatively minimal control surface is geared toward swift operation outdoors, with limited complex manual settings but some key exposure options.

Conversely, the Sony A700 is a considerably heavier DSLR (768 grams) with a traditional SLR silhouette measuring 142 x 105 x 80 mm. This size facilitates a robust grip, comprehensive button and dial layout, and full manual controls, allowing extensive shooting parameter customization. Such heft and ergonomics lend themselves to professional usage where stability, tactile feedback, and extended handling comfort are priorities.

While the WG-3 advocates simplicity with fewer controls and no electronic viewfinder, the A700 boasts a rich control suite including shutter/aperture priority exposure, manual mode, an optical pentaprism viewfinder with 95% coverage, and more - features highly appreciated in disciplines demanding precise exposure control and quick reflexes.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Compact vs APS-C CMOS

Delving into image formation, the Pentax WG-3 employs a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with 16 megapixels of resolution (4608x3456), a typical size for rugged compact cameras. The sensor area spans roughly 28 mm², and the effective ISO range is 125 to 6400. While this sensor type and size offer adequate performance for casual to moderate photography, they inherently limit dynamic range and low-light sensitivity due to smaller photosites and increased noise potential.

In stark contrast, the Sony A700 integrates a much larger APS-C CMOS sensor measuring 23.5 x 15.6 mm (366.6 mm²), delivering 12 megapixels (4272x2848). This sensor’s significantly greater area fundamentally enhances image quality - enabling superior dynamic range, higher color fidelity (DxO color depth roughly 22.3 bits), improved low-light ISO performance (native range 100–6400, tested low-light ISO score near 581), and better signal-to-noise ratio.

From hands-on evaluations, especially in portraits and landscapes, the A700’s sensor provides noticeably richer tonal gradations, smoother skin tones, and more detail retention in shadows and highlights under challenging lighting, whereas the WG-3 occasionally presents artifacts and has less latitude for post-processing flexibility due to JPG-only output.

User Interface and Displays: Navigating Settings on the Fly

Both cameras feature a 3-inch fixed LCD screen, but their capabilities differ markedly. The WG-3 uses a 460k-dot widescreen TFT with anti-reflective coating, optimized for visibility under bright outdoor conditions - a crucial factor when shooting underwater or under direct sunlight. Yet, it lacks touch capabilities and a live viewfinder, limiting framing precision somewhat.

The Sony A700’s 920k-dot LCD provides a sharper, higher resolution display conducive to reviewing images in detail and adjusting sophisticated settings via its more traditional DSLR menu system. However, it lacks a live view function, which is a limitation becoming noticeable in contemporary workflows but was typical of DSLRs from its era.

Touchscreens or articulating displays are missing from both models, reflective of their generation and design philosophy.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Flexibility

Effective autofocus (AF) is critical across genres, especially wildlife, sports, and macro work. The WG-3 offers contrast-detection AF with 9 selectable focus points, face detection, and limited continuous AF options, optimized for the fixed lens’s focal range and close-up capabilities (minimum macro focus at 1cm). While moderately responsive for landscapes and casual shooting, it lacks the speed and precision necessary for rapid tracking of fast-moving subjects.

The Sony A700 excels with a phase-detection AF system using 11 focus points offering cross-type sensors, phase detection allowing rapid and reliable focus lock even under low light or dynamic conditions. With manual, single, and continuous AF modes, plus multi-area selections, this DSLR is far better suited for demanding environments like sports or wildlife where focus speed and tracking accuracy directly impact success.

Lens Ecosystem: Adaptability vs Built-in Simplicity

One of the most significant distinctions is Pentax’s WG-3 fixed lens versus Sony’s interchangeable lens system.

• Pentax WG-3: Comes with a fixed 25-100mm equivalent (4x zoom), aperture F2.0-4.9, covering moderate telephoto but with limited creative flexibility. The lens’s macro capability shines with a razor-close 1cm focus range. However, no ability to upgrade or tailor optics to specific styles (ultra wide, prime portrait lenses, tele macro) restricts specialization.

• Sony A700: Compatible with any lens in the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount lineup, which includes over 140 lens options encompassing primes and zooms from ultrawide fisheyes to super-telephoto zooms. The 1.5x crop sensor requires considering focal multipliers, but overall this system offers immense adaptability for any photographic pursuit, from portraiture through telephoto wildlife to macro.

The lens choice, combined with sensor, heavily influences image quality and shooting style, making the Sony A700 more versatile but also demanding stricter investment and knowledge.

Performance Across Photography Genres

Let’s analyze practical shooting proficiency per genre to guide user-centric decisions.

Portrait Photography: Skin Tones and Bokeh

The Sony A700, with its APS-C sensor and interchangeable lenses, notably primes with wide apertures (for example f/1.8), produces smooth, creamy bokeh and renders skin tones with enhanced subtlety and depth. Higher bit depth and dynamic range permit faithful color reproduction, preserving desirable tonal gradations critical to pleasing portraiture.

Conversely, the WG-3's smaller sensor and fixed lens, restricted to F2.0-F4.9 apertures, yield shallower depth-of-field possibilities but noticeably less creamy background separation. Its integrated face detection does assist casual portraits, but the compression artifacts and noisier shadows limit professional portrait use.

Landscape Photography: Resolution and Weatherproofing

The WG-3’s ruggedness excels here - its freezeproof, shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof construction uniquely enable shooting in extreme environments without additional housing, invaluable for adventure landscape photographers in wet or harsh conditions.

However, the A700’s larger sensor with more pixels over a broader physical area offers superior resolution for detailed landscape panoramas and better dynamic range to capture skies and shadow areas faithfully, albeit requiring care against environmental hazards since it lacks environmental sealing.

Pentax WG 3 front Pentax WG 3 screen back Sony A700 front Sony A700 screen back

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Autofocus and Burst Rates

Speed is key. The WG-3 provides 10fps continuous shooting, impressive for a compact, but with contrast-detection AF it struggles acquiring instantaneous focus on erratically moving subjects. Telephoto reach maxes near 100mm equivalent, limiting distant wildlife capture.

The Sony A700 offers 5fps burst rate which, while slower, is complemented by phase-detection AF with 11 focus points for reliable subject lock and tracking. Combined with telephoto lens options (300mm+), the A700 is a more competent choice for wildlife and sports photographers needing dependable precision.

Street Photography: Discretion and Portability

Street photographers often value low weight, small footprint, and silent operation - spaces where the WG-3’s compactness and sensor-shift stabilization excel, enabling handheld shooting in dim conditions discreetly.

The A700, larger and louder due to mirror slap, is less inconspicuous but offers better image quality and configurability. Battery life and storage are more robust with dual slots, advantageous for extended urban shoots.

Macro Photography: Magnification and Focus Accuracy

The WG-3's macro mode focusing down to 1cm stands out in close-up work, especially with lens-based stabilization compensating hand tremors. Excellent for casual macro enthusiasts.

In parallel, the A700 relying on compatible macro lenses benefits from superior optical quality, manual focus precision, and sensor-based stabilization but will be heavier and less rugged.

Night and Astrophotography: High ISO and Exposure Control

The A700’s larger sensor shines here - lower noise at ISO 1600+, longer bulb exposures (max shutter 30s), and manual exposure modes empower astrophotographers.

The WG-3 is limited by a maximum 4-second shutter, smaller sensor noise profile, and lack of manual shutter or ISO control, making it less suited for serious night sky work.

Video Capabilities: A Clear Divide

The WG-3 supports Full HD 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps, using MPEG-4/H.264 compression, with sensor-shift stabilization aiding handheld shooting - reasonable for impromptu video clips and adventure filming. Lacking microphone inputs constrains professional audio recording.

The A700, lacking any video mode, is primarily a still photographer’s tool, reflecting its launch era.

Travel and Durability: Balancing Versatility and Resilience

Pentax’s extreme environmental sealing (waterproof to significant depth, freezeproof, dustproof, shockproof, crushproof) and compact contours provide a uniquely rugged travel companion, reducing gear anxiety and supporting adventure photographers.

The Sony A700’s bulkier frame, lack of weatherproofing, but superior image quality suit travelers prioritizing image fidelity and flexibility over compactness. Dual media slots and larger battery capacity enable extended shooting days.

Professional Use and Workflow Integration

The Sony A700 supports RAW file output, essential in professional post-production workflows, paired with wide lens and accessory ecosystems, extensive manual controls, and threaded remote release ports.

The Pentax WG-3 outputs only JPEG, limiting dynamic post-processing capacity, and is more an enthusiast rugged compact rather than a professional tool.

Build Quality and Environmental Sealing

• Pentax WG-3: Engineered for durability with sealing that safeguards against water, dust, shocks, and temperature extremes - a rare feature set in compacts.
• Sony A700: Solid mid-size DSLR construction with weather sealing but not designed for submersion or extreme abuse.

Battery Life and Storage Options

The WG-3 manages approximately 240 shots per charge with a proprietary D-LI92 battery, sufficient for day hikes but less for prolonged sessions.

The A700 uses the NP-FM500H battery, typically permitting over 500 shots, a practical advantage when shooting professionally or on extended trips. Dual card slots (CF and Memory Stick) enhance versatility and redundancy.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The WG-3 impresses with Eye-Fi card compatibility for wireless image transfer and HDMI output, facilitating effortless social sharing or display connectedness.

The Sony A700 lacks wireless features but includes HDMI and USB 2.0 ports. Wireless connectivity on DSLRs was less common in its generation.

Price-to-Performance Considerations

Priced roughly $300, the Pentax WG-3 targets users in need of an affordable, tough, point-and-shoot for active lifestyles or travel.

The Sony A700’s higher approximate price point around $1000 (used markets mainly) reflects its DSLR capabilities, sensor quality, and lens flexibility.

Summary and Recommendations: Who Should Choose What?

• Pentax WG-3 is the ideal choice for adventure photographers, casual video shooters, and anyone requiring a compact, rugged, waterproof system capable of decent all-around imaging with minimal fuss. It shines in all-weather and macro close-up scenarios but falls short of professional image quality or manual control. Its sensor and lens limitations confine creative depth, but its durability and stabilization compensate well for active use.

• Sony A700 is strongly recommended for semi-professionals and enthusiasts valuing excellent image quality, control precision, and lens modularity across portraits, landscapes, sports, and professional workflows. Despite lacking video and wireless connectivity, its phase-detection AF and sensor advantages make it a versatile DSLR for diverse conditions, though its size and absence of modern connectivity render it less compact or agile than newer mirrorless systems.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between the WG-3 and A700 boils down primarily to intended usage environment, image quality demands, and desired control level. For photo adventurers willing to trade full manual nuance for toughness and simplicity, the WG-3 offers a unique solution. For image quality purists and those expanding skillsets across genres requiring precision and adaptability, the Sony A700 remains a competent DSLR platform that benefits from an extensive lens ecosystem and proven ergonomics.

Whichever camera fits your path, understanding their intrinsic design trade-offs ensures your next purchase harmonizes with your creative ambitions and shooting style.

I hope this detailed head-to-head helps clarify the practical strengths and compromises of these two dissimilar but intriguing cameras - empowering you to invest confidently in the system that truly supports your photographic journey.