- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS
- 13.8 MP
- 5x f/3.5
- 1/2.5" CCD
- 2.7" LCD
Released February, 2011
Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)The super macro mode can get in as close as 1cm which is great for shooting high resolution fine detail pictures of small items or creatures.
Conclusion Check out the Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS
13.8 MP
1/2.5"
Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)We love the close focusing of the WG-1 and the addition of the macro lights is a great idea to bring light to photos that would otherwise be lost.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 16 MP    | 30 MP |
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 14 megapixel JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 4.5Mb.
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)However, the downside is that the camera drops the resolution to 2 megapixels.
sensor size
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)At low ISO image quality on the Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS is nice.
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)Noise control does its job adequately because the same image quality seen at ISO 80 remains through to ISO 400 which is pretty good.
wide angle lens
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)At wide-angle the flash gives mild vignetting at the corners of the frame which remains but softer when the camera is zoomed out.
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)The Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS' 5x zoom lens provides a focal length of 28-140mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.
aperture size
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)This mode gives the camera a 1cm close focusing mode and once you've fixed the unique macro stand to the Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS, you can enjoy evenly lit close ups of insects.
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)When the picture is enlarged or if if you were to zoom in on a certain part of the picture it does look a bit soft and certainly benefits from a standard boost of sharpening in Photoshop.
zoom range
| 0x | 7.1x   | 30x |
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)At the top is a small zoom rocker with the playback button beneath.
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)Given the amount of space available on top, the power button could've been moved to make space for the zoom switch and the face detection could be placed in the menu.
body size
116 x 59 x 29 mm
125 x 96 x 77 mm
104 x 70 x 80 mm
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)According to the Pentax specification, the WG-1 can cope with having a weight of up to 100kg on it.
Optio WG-1 GPS by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)We can see the logic: the camera is supposed to be robust and if it looks slim and slinky, people may think it won't cope with the dropping and the crushing.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
5x -
10 mm -
6,400 ISO -
Records the location of your photos automatically -
80%
cons
-
HD video -
0.7 fps -
You'll have to protect your camera from the elements -
230 k dots -
Feb, 2011 -
No automatic stitching -
No automatic 3D -
No automatic HDR
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
Sensor
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)There's a definite colour shift at ISO 800 and edge definition starts to decline.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)Salt & pepper noise starts to appear more noticeably at ISO 1600 with green colouring in shadow areas.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)At ISO 3200, the Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS knocks the resolution down to 5 megapixels in a bid to combat invasive noise.
Lens
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)The problem with that is the lack of light available once the lens starts to get in really close.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)At the bottom is an option to switch on the macro light.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)It appears similar to a lens adapter that simply clips onto the front of the camera and then to get close to your subject, you lean the camera forward and the "stand" supports it at an angle.
Iso
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)If you were to zoom into the picture at ISO 80, you may be a little disappointed to see a very small amount of image breakdown.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)We also kept getting annoyed at the fact that the ISO would reset back to auto whenever the camera was switched off.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)It uses a longer shutter speed to bring out detail in dark areas and the great thing is that even though it's a pre-set mode, the ISO can be adjusted to increase the shutter speed and reduce the chance of noise.
Image quality
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)It has decent enough colours and and the picture is sharp enough but does benefit from a little help in Photoshop.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)It looks as though Pentax are hitting the nail on the head in terms of image quality.
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)Colour fringing isn't much of an issue although we found that it did appear in some instances where we wouldn't expect it.
Zoom
Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Aug, 2011)Pentax have released the Optio WG-1 GPS, a robust compact camera which sports 14 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom offering a focal range of 28-140mm, 720p HD video, 2.7 inch LCD screen and is water-, shock-, cold- and crush proof.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D3200 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark Nikon D3200 vs Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
 | 2 | Canon PowerShot G15 Fastest lens Canon PowerShot G15 vs Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
 | 3 | Nikon Coolpix P7700 Long long exposure Nikon Coolpix P7700 vs Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
 | 4 | Fujifilm X-E1 Largest sensor Fujifilm X-E1 vs Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
 | 5 | Sony NEX-5 More contrast-detection focus points Sony NEX-5 vs Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
 | 7 | Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS Fastest rapid fire mode WG-2 GPS vs WG-1 GPS |
 | 8 | Olympus TG-820 Highest resolution screen Olympus TG-820 vs Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
May 1, 2012
In the pool
I'm a well versed DSLR user but want this for swimming and snapshots from my pocket
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April 17, 2012
Which camera is better for me the Olympus SZ-12 or the Pentax Optio RZ-18
A beginner love to have her first camera.
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