Pentax WG-3 GPS Review

Construction and Handling

The WG-3's durable body is made mostly of reinforced plastic and some rubber.  The outside of the camera has been completely redesigned since the WG-2.  While most of the changes may appear to be purely cosmetic, Pentax have in fact made the camera much, much easier to hold and carry.

The camera has been designed to match the shape of your hand so that you can hold it securely while moving about.  Your thumb easily wraps around the rounded grip on the left side of the body, and the rest of your fingers can wrap around the indent at the top of the camera.

Around the rear LCD you will find four small prongs which protect the screen from scratches when you lie the camera down on a flat surface. These are also found on previous WG models.

While previous models had a door for the battery and memory card and a door for the USB and HDMI connectors, the WG-3 houses all these components behind a single door.  This improved design means that there will be fewer places for water to get in on the WG-3.  The watertight seal around the WG-3's battery door is nice and big; this design seeks to prevent small amounts of dust from compromising the seal.  The door is held shut by not one but two small bolts, and this further improves the waterproofing.

In addition to this change, unlike on previous WG's, the WG-3's battery charger doesn't charge the battery directly.  You must connect the charger cable to the camera in order to charge the battery.  This design improvement will prevent wear on the battery compartment in the long run.

Waterproofing

While the WG-3 is designed to be a durable camera, sometimes manufacturing defects lead to lemons.  You should always start by testing the camera's seals by dipping it in a glass of water or putting it in the sink.  If there are any leaks, get your camera replaced by your dealer.

If you do get a WG-3, please be aware that the camera is not designed to be kept underwater for extended periods of time, as over time, its seals may be overcome by the resulting pressure.  Never store the camera in water and try not to keep it underwater for more than two hours.  Also, do not subject the camera to violent motions or impacts while underwater.

Tripod Mount

On the right side of the camera you will find a traditional tripod mount.  While we realize that most users of the WG-3 will not find themselves using this mount, we do want to mention that due to the placement of the mount, the camera is poorly balanced when placed on a tripod.  In addition, the shape of the underside of the camera may get your tripod plate to attach at an angle.  Finally, because the mount is made of plastic, it is susceptible to damage, especially if a crooked plate is forcefully tightened.

Buttons

The WG-3 has a total of 13 buttons: the on/off switch, shutter release button, zoom buttons, playback button, red button, green button, menu button, OK button, and the 4-way pad.  Despite the fact that they are sealed against water, the buttons are relatively easy to press, with the exception of the shutter release button.  The shutter release button requires a considerable amount of force to go down all the way, and this can introduce unwanted camera shake when taking photos.

Front LCD

As we mentioned on the previous page, the front of the WG-3 GPS includes a small monochrome LCD screen which can be used to display the time and air pressure, relative depth, or relative height.  The air pressure is only displayed when the pressure sensor is enabled through the menu.

Handling Verdict

The grip on the right side of the WG-3 is rather small, and users with big hands will find the camera rather difficult to hold steadily with a single hand.  Thus, even though the camera is very easy to hold while moving about thanks to its shape, its handling during actual image capture is not stellar.  Furthermore, as mentioned above, the shutter button needs to be pressed down firmly, and this can alter your framing just before image capture or cause blur.

There is nothing wrong with the actual button layout, however, as the buttons are laid out very logically, making most features easy to access, such as zooming and changing capture mode.

Product Photos