Nikon L120 vs Pentax WG-2 Comparison

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Nikon L120

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Pentax WG-2

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Nikon L120 vs Pentax WG-2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon L120, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Pentax WG-2, which was introduced in February 2012 is a Waterproof camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. There is 12 months difference between L120 and WG-2 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger WG-2, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L120 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-02-09

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

431g. 110 x 77 x 78 mm

Replaced Nikon Coolpix L110 Compare

Pentax WG-2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-02-07

16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400

28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 Zoom Lens

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

192g. 122 x 61 x 30 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Pentax Optio WG-2

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Battery Life	330 shots vs 260 shots	70 more frames with a single charge
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 28mm	3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	525mm vs 140mm	385 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	21× vs 5×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	3.10 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage	6.0m vs 5.4m	0.6m longer range

Reasons to choose Pentax Optio WG-2 over Nikon Coolpix L120

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 14 MP	14% more pixels
Weight	192 g vs 431 g	239 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Tele	5.50 vs 5.80	faster lens at tele
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Pentax Optio WG-2

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Pentax Optio WG-2

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Continuous Shooting	1.0fps vs 1.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control

Nikon L120 vs Pentax WG-2: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L120 has external dimensions of 110 x 77 x 78 mm (4.33 x 3.03 x 3.07″) and weighs 431 g (0.95 lb / 15.20 oz) (including batteries). Pentax WG-2 has external dimensions of 122 x 61 x 30 mm (4.8 x 2.4 x 1.18″) and weighs 192 g (0.42 lb / 6.77 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2. Pentax WG-2 is 16mm shorter and 48mm thinner than Nikon L120 but it is also 12mm wider.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax WG-2 is significantly lighter (239g ) than the Nikon L120 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

L120

WG-2

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

L120

WG-2

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon L120 vs Pentax WG-2: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Pentax WG-2 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the L120 and WG-2 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 Cameras

Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon L120 vs Pentax WG-2 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Pentax WG-2 features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5× zoom lens.

Nikon L120 has 3mm wider coverage than the Pentax WG-2. At f3.10, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 385mm longer reach than the Pentax WG-2. However, with a max aperture of f5.50, Pentax WG-2 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120

WG-2

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

L120

WG-2

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

L120

WG-2

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

L120

WG-2

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon L120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Pentax WG-2 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax WG-2 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax WG-2 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
525 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
140 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax WG-2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
21.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
431g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

Compact Body
192g
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax WG-2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Pentax WG-2: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon L120 and Pentax WG-2 scores compare:

Nikon L120

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #216 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #792 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax WG-2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #97 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #568 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax WG-2 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon L120 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon L120

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Pentax WG-2

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Pentax WG-2 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix L120	Pentax Optio WG-2
Brand	Nikon	Pentax
Announced	2011-02-09	2012-02-07
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4320 x 3240	4288 x 3216
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	125 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-525 mm (21×)	28-140 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F3.1-5.8	F3.5-5.5
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.00 m	5.40 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	431g	192g
Dimensions	110 x 77 x 78mm	122 x 61 x 30mm
Battery Life	330 shots	260 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction