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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550

Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Pentax WG-3 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 front
Portability
96
Imaging
37
Features
28
Overall
33

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Key Specs

Pentax WG-3
(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
  • 230g - 124 x 64 x 33mm
  • Introduced July 2013
Sony W550
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-104mm (F2.7-5.7) lens
  • 110g - 94 x 56 x 19mm
  • Revealed July 2011
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Overview

Here, we are reviewing the Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the WG-3 (16MP) and the W550 (14MP) is very similar and both cameras have the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The WG-3 was released 2 years later than the W550 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax WG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the WG-3 scores against the W550 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 over the Sony W550

 WG-3 W550 
RevealedJuly 2013July 2011Fresher by 25 months
Manually focus Very precise focusing
Display resolution460k230kClearer display (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony W550 over the Pentax WG-3

 W550 WG-3 

Common features in the Pentax WG-3 and Sony W550

 WG-3 W550 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display size3"3"Same display dimensions
Selfie screen Neither offers selfie screen
Touch friendly display Lack of Touch friendly display

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to carry your camera often, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Pentax WG-3 offers physical measurements of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) whilst the Sony W550 has proportions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Compare the Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the WG-3 vs the W550.

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability score of the WG-3 and W550 is 90 and 96 respectively.

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 top view buttons comparison

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Sensor Comparison

Generally, its difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the WG-3 and W550.

As you can see, the two cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Pentax WG-3 to offer extra detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger WG-3 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 sensor size comparison

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax WG-3 Portrait photography details
Sony W550 Portrait photography details
41
focusing manually
decent MP (16 megapixels)
includes face detect autofocus
manual mode not possible
no external flash support
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
28
good megapixels (14MP)
manual focus not available
manual mode not possible
cannot use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Pentax WG-3
Street photography with Sony W550
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
screen is fixed
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Pentax WG-3 Sports photography information
Sony W550 Sports photography information
45
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
weather proof
no shutter priority
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
bad battery pack (240 shots)
no phase detect autofocus
35
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Pentax WG-3 as a Travel photography camera
Sony W550 as a Travel photography camera
72
weather proof
decent MP (16MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
bad battery pack (240 shots)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
65
good megapixels (14MP)
flash built-in
decently wide (26mm)
missing Timelapse mode
display isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.7)
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax WG-3 Landscape photography factors
Sony W550 Landscape photography factors
54
focusing manually
rather wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent MP (16MP)
weather proof
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
manual mode not possible
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
bad battery pack (240 per charge)
42
decently wide (26mm)
good sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.7)
manual mode not possible
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
missing Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Pentax WG-3
Vlogging with Sony W550
36
rather wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect autofocus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
no mic support
29
decently wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.7)
display isn't selfie friendly
video res low (1280 x 720 pxls)
missing external microphone port
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony W550 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax WG-3 and Sony W550
 Pentax WG-3Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550
General Information
Brand Name Pentax Sony
Model Pentax WG-3 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550
Type Waterproof Ultracompact
Introduced 2013-07-19 2011-07-24
Body design Compact Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Chip - BIONZ
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
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 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4320 x 3240
Maximum native ISO 6400 3200
Minimum native ISO 125 80
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 25-100mm (4.0x) 26-104mm (4.0x)
Max aperture f/2.0-4.9 f/2.7-5.7
Macro focus range 1cm 5cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3"
Display resolution 460 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating Clear Photo LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 4 secs 2 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shooting speed 10.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 3.40 m 3.80 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 230g (0.51 lb) 110g (0.24 lb)
Physical dimensions 124 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") 94 x 56 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 240 photos -
Form of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model D-LI92 NP-BN1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One -
Retail price $300 $119