Panasonic TS2 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Comparison

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Panasonic TS2

14 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Pentax WG-2 GPS

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

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Panasonic TS2 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing TS2 and WG-2 GPS, two Waterproof cameras from Panasonic and Pentax. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Panasonic TS2 has a 14.0 MP and Pentax WG-2 GPS has a 16.0 MP resolution. Panasonic TS2 was introduced to market in January 2010 and Pentax WG-2 GPS was launched in February 2012. As you can see, TS2 is 2 years older than WG-2 GPS. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic TS2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-01-26

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.7" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

188g. 99 x 63 x 24 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Also known as Lumix DMC-FT2

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 Compare

Pentax WG-2 GPS 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

Built-in GPS

198g. 122 x 61 x 30 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Panasonic TS2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 (Lumix DMC-FT2)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 vs Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 over Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Number of Focus Points	11 vs 9	2 more focus points
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	1 fps faster
Weight	188 g vs 198 g	10 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	3.30 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide

Reasons to choose Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2

GPS	BuiltIn vs None	track your location
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 14 MP	14% more pixels
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/1300s	faster mechanical shutter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele	140mm vs 128mm	12 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	5× vs 4.6×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.50 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	2.04µm² vs 1.98µm²	3% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

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
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control

Panasonic TS2 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS: 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 Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic TS2 has external dimensions of 99 x 63 x 24 mm (3.9 x 2.48 x 0.94″) and weighs 188 g (0.41 lb / 6.63 oz) (including batteries). Pentax WG-2 GPS has external dimensions of 122 x 61 x 30 mm (4.8 x 2.4 x 1.18″) and weighs 198 g (0.44 lb / 6.98 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS. Panasonic TS2 is 23mm narrower and 6mm thinner than Pentax WG-2 GPS but it is also 2mm taller.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic TS2 is 10g lighter than the Pentax WG-2 GPS but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

TS2

WG-2 GPS

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

TS2

WG-2 GPS

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax WG-2 GPS's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic TS2's 2.7" screen.

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

Panasonic TS2 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic TS2 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine HD II processor. On the other hand, Pentax WG-2 GPS has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the TS2 and WG-2 GPS sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS Cameras

Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic TS2 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic TS2 features a 28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 4.6× zoom lens whereas Pentax WG-2 GPS features a 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 5× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.30, Panasonic TS2 is faster than Pentax WG-2 GPS at this focal length. On the tele end, Pentax WG-2 GPS has 12mm longer reach than the Panasonic TS2. At f5.50, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TS2

WG-2 GPS

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TS2

WG-2 GPS

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TS2

WG-2 GPS

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TS2

WG-2 GPS

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS 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.

Panasonic TS2 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Pentax WG-2 GPS for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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

Panasonic TS2 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax WG-2 GPS for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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

Panasonic TS2 for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax WG-2 GPS for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
11 Focus Points
128 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: 2.0fps
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1300s
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
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

Panasonic TS2 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax WG-2 GPS for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
188g
4.6X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
198g
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Panasonic TS2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax WG-2 GPS for Landscape Photography

POOR

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
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

Panasonic TS2 vs Pentax WG-2 GPS: 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 Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS, 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 Panasonic TS2 and Pentax WG-2 GPS scores compare:

Panasonic TS2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #196 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #765 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Pentax WG-2 GPS

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #97 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #570 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Pentax WG-2 GPS has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic TS2 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Pentax WG-2 GPS vs Panasonic TS2 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2	Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS
Brand	Panasonic	Pentax
Announced	2010-01-26	2012-02-07
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	27.72mm²	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	11	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	28-128 mm (4.6×)	28-140 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-5.9	F3.5-5.5
Macro Focus Range	5cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.7"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1300s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.10 m	5.40 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 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	AVCHD Lite	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	188g	198g
Dimensions	99 x 63 x 24mm	122 x 61 x 30mm
Battery Life	n/a	260 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction