Preview based on a pre-production Pentax Q running firmware 1.0
The Pentax Q is the smallest interchangeable lens camera on the market. And, just like the company's famously diminutive Auto 110 SLR from the late 70's, it achieves this by embracing a smaller format than its peers. Being built around a 1/2.3" sensor, the Q is a fraction of the size of even the smallest existing mirrorless cameras and is the first really pocketable model (though the protruding lens still means that'll have to be the pocket of your jacket, rather than your shirt or trousers).
To make clear what the rather opaque 1/2.3" figure actually means, it equates to a surface area of around 28mm2. This is around 1/8th the size of the sensor used in Micro Four Thirds cameras and 1/13th the size of the the APS-C format sensor in Sony's NEX. The advantage of this is that the lenses for the Q mount can be made a lot smaller than those for other systems, but the downside is that the image quality is more likely to resemble that of a compact camera than a DSLR.
You can glean a lot about Pentax's approach to the Q from the lenses it has announced: a 47mm equivalent F1.9 prime lens for the enthusiasts but accompanied with a healthy dose of fun in the form of two fixed focal length 'toy' lenses (a wide-angle and a telephoto version, both sub-$100). On the fun side of things there will also be a fisheye lens or, at the more serious end, a 28-83mm equivalent standard zoom with a built-in shutter, allowing flash sync at any shutter speed.
Coupled with the 47mm equiv. prime or the standard zoom the Q, with its sturdy magnesium-alloy build, appears to be offering an alternative take on the photographers' compacts such as the Canon G12, Olympus XZ-1 and even the Ricoh GRD. However, the fact that it can take different lenses means that in a matter of seconds it can be converted into a fun little camera that should still offer a more satisfying shooting experience than a mobile phone and image processing app.
And the Q is no toy camera, despite its modest sensor size it boasts a magnesium alloy body with rubber front coating, a 460,000 dot LCD on the rear and raw output in the DNG format. Interestingly, Pentax bucks the recent trend of trying to attract point-and-shoot users by removing those intimidating buttons with all those mysterious symbols on them, and includes plenty of external controls.
Pentax Q key specifications:
- 12.4MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor (1/2.3" size - 6.17 x 4.55 mm)
- Q-mount interchangeable lens mount
- 12-bit DNG raw file option
- 3" 460,000 dot LCD
- Sensor-shift image stabilization and dust-removal
- 1080p30 HD movie recording in H.264 format
- 5 frame-per-second continuous shooting capability
- Quick-dial control giving access to four image settings
- In-camera HDR option blends three images
- Built-in flash
- Flash hot shoe (also used for mounting optional viewfinder)
- Front and rear IR remote sensors
Compared to the Sony NEX-C3
The Q's well-proportioned design makes it a little hard to work out how large it is until you see it in comparison to another camera. The sensor is around 1/13th the size of that in the NEX-C3 but does means it's the closest a mirrorless camera has yet come to being truly pocketable.Pentax Q specifications
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| Price (with 49mm equiv. kit lens) | • US: $800 • EU: TBC |
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | • 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor • 12.4 million effective pixels • 12.7 million total pixels |
| Image sizes | 4:3 • 12 MP - 4000 x 3000 • 9 MP - 3456 x 2592 • 5 MP - 2688 x 2016 • 3 MP - 1920 x 1440 3:2 • 10 MP - 4000 x 2664 • 8 MP - 3456 x 2304 • 5 MP - 2688 x 1792 • 2 MP - 1920 x 1280 16:9 • 9 MP - 4000 x 2248 • 6 MP - 3456 x 1944 • 4 MP - 2688 x 1512 • 2 MP - 1920 x 1080 1:1 • 9 MP - 2992 x 2992 • 6 MP - 2592 x 2592 • 4 MP - 2016 x 2016 • 2 MP - 1440 x 1440 |
| Image sizes (Video) | • MPEG-4 AVC/H.264: • 1920 x 1080, 30fps • 1280 x 720, 30fps • 640 x 480, 30fps |
| Aspect ratios | • 4:3 • 3:2 • 16:9 • 1:1 |
| File formats | • RAW (DNG) • RAW + JPEG • RAW + JPEG Fine • JPEG (EXIF 2.2) - Best • JPEG (EXIF 2.2) - Better • JPEG (EXIF 2.2) - Good |
| File formats (Movie) | • MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 |
| Lenses | • Pentax Q-mount |
| Focus modes | • Auto Focus (25-point contrast-detection AF system) • Manual focus • Face Detection • AF Tracking • AF Select • Spot AF |
| AF assist lamp | Yes, dedicated LED lamp |
| Image stabilization | Sensor shift Shake Reduction |
| Extended optical zoom | N/A |
| Digital zoom | N/A |
| Exposure modes | • Program AE • Aperture priority AE • Shutter priority AE • Manual • Auto (Standard) • Bulb • Blur control (JPEG only) |
| Auto Picture modes | • Standard • Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Night scene portraits • Night scene • Forest |
| Scene modes | • Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Moving object • Night scene portrait • Sunset • Blue sky • Night scene • Night scene HDR • Night snap • Food • Quick macro • Pet • Kids • Forest • Surf & snow • HDR • Backlight silhouette • Candlelight • Stage lighting • Museum |
| Custom image | • Bright • Natural • Portrait • Landscape • Vibrant • Radiant • Muted • Bleach bypass • Reversal film • Monochrome • Cross processing |
| Digital filter | • Toy camera • High-contrast • Shading • Slim • HDR • Invert color • Extract color • Color • Watercolor • Posterization • Fish-eye |
| Smart effect | • Brilliant color • Unicolor bold • Vintage color • Cross processing • Warm fade • Tone expansion • Bold monochrome • Water color • Vibrant color enhance • USER 1, 2, 3 |
| Sensitivity | • Auto • ISO 125 • ISO 160 • ISO 200 • ISO 250 • ISO 320 • ISO 400 • ISO 500 • ISO 640 • ISO 800 • ISO 1000 • ISO 1250 • ISO 1600 • ISO 2000 • ISO 2500 • ISO 3200 • ISO 4000 • ISO 5000 • ISO 6400 |
| ISO steps | 1/3 EV |
| Metering range | 1.3 to 17 EV |
| Metering modes | • TTL image sensor metering • Segment metering • Centre-weighted metering • Spot metering |
| AE Lock | • Can be assigned to the green/delete button • With shutter release half-press |
| AE Bracketing | • 3 frames |
| Exposure compensation | • -3 to +3 EV • 1/3 EV steps |
| Shutter speed | • 30 -1/2000 sec. • Bulb |
| White balance | • Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Fluorescent (D: Daylight color, N: Daylight white, W: cool white, L: warm white) • Tungsten • Flash • CTE • Manual |
| WB fine tuning | Yes (amber/blue or magenta/green bias) |
| WB Bracketing | No |
| Color space | • sRGB • Adobe RGB |
| Drive modes | • Single • Continuous Hi (5 fps) • Continuous Lo (1.5 fps) |
| Self-timer | • 2 sec • 12sec |
| Flash | • Manual pop-up • TTL auto • Guide no. 5.6 (ISO 125) • Sync modes: P-TTL, Red-eye reduction, Slow-sped sync, Trailing-curtain sync • Flash exposure compensation: -2 - +1EV |
| Flash X-sync speed | • 1/2000 sec (electronic shutter: 1/13 sec) |
| External flash | • Hot shoe |
| Orientation sensor | No |
| LCD monitor | • 3.0in TFT color LCD monitor • 460,000 pixels • Approx 100% frame coverage • Auto / Manual brightness adjustment |
| Playback functions | • Grid display (4x4, Golden section, Scale display) • Highlight/shadow warning • Histogram • Magnified review mode (1.2x - 16x in 16 steps) |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 (High Speed) / AV • HDMI type D |
| Storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Power | • D-LI68 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (supplied) • Battery charger included • Optional AC adapter |
| Battery life (CIPA standard) | • 230 shots |
| Dimensions | 98 x 57 x 31 mm (3.8 x 2.2 x 1.2in) |
| Weight (camera body) | Approx180g (6.3oz) |
| Weight (camera w/battery and card) | |
Body & Design
The Q gives the impression it might be a product of its namesake from the James Bond films - it's easy to conceal about one's person, there's a hint of cold-war camera chic in its apparently impeccable engineering and the overall concept is just ever-so-slightly eccentric.
The magnesium alloy body, with its rubber coating along the front panel feels very well built and the body has been scaled-down about as far as possible without requiring preadolescent hands. The buttons are a little small but despite this, we've not found ourselves having any difficulty in operating them, and the control dial on the top right-hand shoulder makes it child's play to change settings quickly.
We particularly like the customizable Quick Dial on the front of the Q. Not only does it add to the classic look of the camera, it also offers a very simple way of gaining access to one of the camera's functions that might otherwise be lost in a menu. One of four features can be applied to the quick dial: Smart Effect (image processing filters), Custom Image (JPEG parameters), Digital Filters (more image processing filters), or Aspect Ratio. Once you've chosen which feature you want access to, you can then apply four of that feature's options to each of the positions on the dial.
In the same way that the aspect-ratio switch on Panasonic's LX3 and LX5 does a great job of encouraging use of a function that could otherwise be easily overlook, the Q's Quick Dial brings some of the camera's fun functions to the fore.
Beyond that, the camera shares many of its firmware features with the company's DSLRs, so you have access to an array of high-end features such as Multi Exposure mode, Interval Shooting and HDR mode. You also have control over everything from noise reduction to how the camera attempts to handle highlights and shadows, giving a good degree of control over the final image, even if you don't resort to using the DNG Raw output.
In the same way that the aspect-ratio switch on Panasonic's LX3 and LX5 does a great job of encouraging use of a function that could otherwise be easily overlook, the Q's Quick Dial brings some of the camera's fun functions to the fore.
Beyond that, the camera shares many of its firmware features with the company's DSLRs, so you have access to an array of high-end features such as Multi Exposure mode, Interval Shooting and HDR mode. You also have control over everything from noise reduction to how the camera attempts to handle highlights and shadows, giving a good degree of control over the final image, even if you don't resort to using the DNG Raw output.
In your hand
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| The Pentax Q is small for an interchangeable lens camera but, since its lens can't retract, it's still not quite as pocketable as something like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 or Olympus XZ-1. From the front and top, the Q has a pleasantly 'retro' look to it, but from the back, it just looks like any other modern digital compact, and this view is dominated by a 3" 460,000 dot LCD screen. | |
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Body Elements
 | The Q features a small flash that does its best to distance itself from the lens, to minimise the risk of shading and to help offer less-stark flash images. A menu option lets you choose whether the flash can fire in its unextended position. |
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 | Despite its compact size, the Q has a good range of external buttons, including an INFO button that brings up a function menu detailing the camera's current settings. This can be navigated using the four-way controller and each setting adjusted without leaving this screen, using the control dial. |
 | The Quick Dial on the front of the camera provides quick access to one of four special features that might otherwise be lost in the menu system somewhere. It also adds to the camera's retro look, of course. |
 | The battery slots into the camera's left flank (as viewed from behind). This is probably a consideration of packaging but is a huge bonus for anyone using the camera on a tripod. The D-LI68 battery pack is good for 230 shots according to CIPA standard testing (or 250 without flash). |
 | Likewise, the side-mounted card door means swapping cards is simple, even if you've got the camera fixed in position. The Q is compatible with the latest SDXC standard. |
 | Looking at the sensor shift mechanism it becomes apparent why the camera hasn't been made even smaller. |
 | Unlike Pentax's K mount, the Q mount doesn't have a mechanical aperture control mechanism. Instead the 01 Standard Prime lens and 02 Standard Zoom have lens shutter mechanisms, such as the one pictured. |
Lenses
Alongside the Q, Pentax has announced a series of lenses, which will become available in the coming months. In addition to the 47mm equiv. '01 Standard Prime' there will be the '02 Standard Zoom.' This $299 28-83mm equivalent F2.8-4.5 lens will, like the Standard Prime, offer a built-in ND filter and lens shutter, allowing flash sync all the way up to 1/2000th of a second.
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