Canon EOS R8 vs Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS R8 and the Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Canon EOS R8 was introduced in February 2023 and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS was introduced in February 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS R8 over Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS over Canon EOS R8.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Canon EOS R8 and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS have 3.0" screens with 1,620k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Canon EOS R8 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has a Fixed screen Canon EOS R8 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Electronic (OLED) Viewfinder on Canon EOS R8

Canon EOS R8 has a built-in 0.39" Electronic (OLED) viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 0.70x magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS.

Canon EOS R8 features a 24.2 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 858 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 102,400 and expands to 50 - 204,800 in boosted mode. Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS features a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 125 - 6,400.

Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Canon EOS R8 is equipped with DIGIC X processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS can take pictures up to 4288 x 3216 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4288 x 3216, 4224 x 2376, 3216 x 3216, 3072 x 2304, 3072 x 1728, 2592 x 1944, 2592 x 1464, 2048 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS R8 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS nothing can be done.

Built-in GPS on Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS R8

Canon EOS R8 has a built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac/b/g/n, 2.4/5 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Canon EOS R8

Canon EOS R8 has a built-in Bluetooth (version 4.2) which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS R8 has a Micro HDMI and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has a Type D Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS R8 comes with LP-E17 battery pack with battery life of 290 shots and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS comes with D-LI92 battery pack with battery life of 260 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS R8 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot. Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Canon EOS R8 has Electronic 1st curtain shutter and Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/4000 sec with electronic 1st curtain shutter on Canon EOS R8, and up to 1/4000 sec on Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS. Canon EOS R8 can shoot continuously up to 40.0 fps with electronic shutter and up to 6.0 fps with electronic 1st curtain shutter. Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS can shoot continuously up to 1.0 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS R8 has Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system with 1053 focusing points and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has 9 focusing points. Canon EOS R8 has detection range from -6.5 to +21 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS R8 ranges from -3 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Canon EOS R8. You can also do exposure lock and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS R8 and exposure bracketing on Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS.

Flash

Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.40 m. Canon EOS R8 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Intelligent Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Canon EOS R8.

Canon EOS R8 body has dimensions of 133 x 86 x 70 mm (5.24 x 3.39 x 2.76") and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS body has dimensions of 122 x 61 x 30 mm (4.8 x 2.4 x 1.18"). Canon EOS R8 weighs 461 g (1.02 lb / 16.26 oz) and Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS weighs 198 g (0.44 lb / 6.98 oz).

Canon EOS R8

Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS

133 mm

86 mm

122 mm

61 mm

86 mm

61 mm

70 mm

30 mm