Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99
90 Imaging
40 Features
44 Overall
41
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57 Imaging
69 Features
88 Overall
76
Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Key Specs
(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
- Revealed July 2013
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 812g - 147 x 111 x 78mm
- Introduced December 2012
- Superseded the Sony A900
- Newer Model is Sony A99 II
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Overview
Lets take a closer look at the Pentax WG-3 versus Sony A99, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the WG-3 (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the WG-3 (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) boast different sensor sizing.
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The WG-3 was brought out 8 months later than the A99 so they are both of a similar age. Both cameras have different body design with the Pentax WG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the WG-3 scores versus the A99 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax WG-3 & Sony SLT-A99. The entire galleries are available at Pentax WG-3 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-3 over the Sony A99
WG-3 | A99 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | July 2013 | ![]() | December 2012 | Fresher by 8 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A99 over the Pentax WG-3
A99 | WG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1229k | ![]() | 460k | Clearer screen (+769k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Pentax WG-3 and Sony A99
WG-3 | A99 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen measurement |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither offers Touch friendly screen |
Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Physical Comparison
When you are going to carry your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Pentax WG-3 offers external measurements of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 has proportions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).
Check out the Pentax WG-3 versus Sony A99 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the WG-3 vs the A99.
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Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the WG-3 and A99 is 90 and 57 respectively.
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is very hard to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing purely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the WG-3 and A99.
Clearly, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The WG-3 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Sony A99 will resolve extra detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively. The newer WG-3 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Pentax WG-3 vs Sony A99 Specifications
Pentax WG-3 | Sony SLT-A99 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Pentax | Sony |
Model type | Pentax WG-3 | Sony SLT-A99 |
Category | Waterproof | Advanced DSLR |
Revealed | 2013-07-19 | 2012-12-12 |
Body design | Compact | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 35.8 x 23.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 852.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 24 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 6000 x 4000 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Lowest native ISO | 125 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 19 |
Cross type focus points | - | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens zoom range | 25-100mm (4.0x) | - |
Largest aperture | f/2.0-4.9 | - |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | - |
Available lenses | - | 143 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Display size | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 460 thousand dot | 1,229 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display technology | Widescreen TFT color LCD with anti-reflective coating | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.71x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 3.40 m | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | - | 1/250 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 230 gr (0.51 lb) | 812 gr (1.79 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 124 x 64 x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 147 x 111 x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 89 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 25.0 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 14.0 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1555 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 240 images | 500 images |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | D-LI92 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal | Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo; SD, SDHC and SDXC |
Storage slots | 1 | Dual |
Price at launch | $300 | $1,998 |