Pentax Efina vs Sony QX100: A Detailed Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing your next compact camera is a pivotal step in your photographic journey. Whether you’re an enthusiast seeking simplicity or a professional looking for a pocketable high-quality shooter, the Pentax Efina and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 represent interesting, yet very different, ultracompact options from 2013. As a seasoned camera tester with 15+ years in the field, I’ve put these two through their paces to deliver a comprehensive comparison that will help clarify which camera suits your photographic ambitions.

Let’s dive into their strengths, weaknesses, and how their designs, technology, and performance hold up across a broad range of photography styles.

First Impressions: Size, Design, and Handling in Real Use

Ultracompact cameras are designed for ultimate portability, but handling and ergonomics are crucial for ease of use and shooting comfort.

The Pentax Efina’s sleek and ultra-light body makes it straightforward to slip into a pocket, favoring casual or street photographers craving truly minimal gear. Its integrated fixed lens and basic controls can be handled with one hand, but the absence of a touchscreen or advanced controls limits manual creative input.

In contrast, the Sony QX100 is technically a lens-style camera module intended to connect with your smartphone via Wi-Fi, which serves as its control interface and display. This explains its chunky, cylindrical lens block. You’ll find it heavier and less pocket-friendly but versatile in detaching from your phone and experimenting with new photographic angles or setups.

Top view handling confirms the Efina’s minimalist approach versus the QX100’s reliance on a smartphone. The QX100’s lack of built-in controls means you must navigate settings via your phone app, potentially a barrier in dynamic shooting environments unless you’re comfortable with digital interfaces.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Why Size Still Matters

Core to every camera’s imaging DNA is the sensor. Let’s look at what these cameras bring to the table:

From a technical viewpoint, the Sony QX100 clearly boasts a much larger sensor. The 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor dramatically outperforms the Efina’s smaller 1/2.3-inch CCD in light gathering capability and noise control. The back-illuminated (BSI) CMOS design of the QX100 enhances low-light performance and dynamic range, critical factors in difficult lighting conditions.

In practice, the QX100 produces images with richer tonal range, less grain at high ISO, and superior color depth. For landscape, night, and portrait photography where image quality is essential, the larger sensor size makes a notable difference - you will see finer detail and cleaner shadows. The Efina’s sensor restriction limits sharpness and introduces more noise at ISO 800-1600, especially in low light.

The Efina is more suited to casual shooting and daylight scenarios, while the QX100 can be confidently used in more demanding situations thanks to its sensitivity and resolution.

Display and Interface: Where You See Matters

Handling and user control flow from the display system offered:

The Pentax Efina’s fixed 2.5-inch display delivers a modest, low-resolution viewfinder equivalent. Its limited resolution (230k dots) and the absence of touch controls can make image review and menu navigation feel outdated. Since it’s non-articulated and small, composing complex scenes or reviewing fine details isn’t ideal.

Sony’s QX100 design philosophy inverts this: the camera module itself lacks a screen and is designed to pair wirelessly with your smartphone, effectively outsourcing the display and control interface to your mobile device’s superior touchscreen and higher resolution. This adds versatility but introduces a dependency on a compatible smartphone.

This arrangement makes the QX100 more appealing for tech-savvy users comfortable with smartphone tethering. However, in situations with weak Wi-Fi or drained phone batteries, this can become a drawback.

Photography Disciplines: How Do These Cameras Perform?

Both cameras may be ultracompact, but their intended use cases and technical capabilities vary drastically. Here’s a breakdown by photography type.

Portrait Photography

Pentax Efina:

• Skin tones are fair under good lighting but can appear flat due to limited dynamic range.
• Fixed f/3.5 - 6.3 lens aperture restricts shallow depth-of-field effects and creamy bokeh.
• Face detection autofocus aids with focusing on subjects but lacks advanced eye AF or tracking.

Sony QX100:

• Wide f/1.8 aperture at 28mm equivalent allows for beautifully blurred backgrounds and sharp subject separation.
• Larger sensor enables better skin tone gradation, color accuracy, and appealing highlight roll-off.
• Contrast-detection AF with face detection is effective, although real-time eye tracking isn't supported.

Verdict: For portraits featuring creamy bokeh and nuanced colors, QX100 stands out.

Landscape Photography

Here, resolution, dynamic range, and ruggedness come into play.

• The Efina’s 14 MP CCD and limited ISO range may struggle with shadow details in high-contrast scenes.
• QX100 with 20 MP, larger sensor, and higher max ISO captures finer detail and wider tonal spread.
• Both lack weather sealing and rugged bodies, limiting outdoor harsh condition use.

The QX100 is definitively better for landscape enthusiasts who value image quality over camera toughness.

Wildlife Photography

Critical elements are autofocus speed, telephoto reach, and burst shooting.

Neither camera is built for fast-action wildlife, due to lack of continuous autofocus and burst mode. The Efina’s slightly longer zoom helps, but lens speed and focus lag reduce likelihood of capturing sharp wildlife images. The QX100’s brighter lens helps in low light but with manual focus needed for fast subjects, it’s limited.

Sports Photography

Sports demand rapid frame rates, locking focus, and robust controls.

Neither camera supports continuous autofocus or continuous shooting; both have shutter speeds maxing out at 1/1400 (Efina) and 1/2000 (QX100), which is marginally better on the Sony.

Both fall short for sports purposes, particularly for professional sports photographers who rely on rapid and accurate tracking. They serve more as casual sport event shooters.

Street Photography

Street photography favors discretion, low-light performance, and portability.

For quick environmental portraits and candid moments, the Efina is very pocketable and ready to shoot. The QX100’s capability to leverage a smartphone makes for creative shooting angles although it requires a moment to connect.

Macro Photography

Close-up capabilities depend on focusing range and lens sharpness.

The QX100’s ability to focus as close as 5 cm paired with optical image stabilization gives it a clear advantage for detailed macro photography. The Efina’s longer minimum focus distance and digital stabilization make close-ups less sharp.

Night and Astro Photography

High ISO and exposure flexibility are essential.

• The Efina’s max ISO 1600 restricts its effectiveness in darker conditions.
• QX100’s ISO ceiling of 6400 and ability to shoot longer exposures up to 1/4s (min shutter 4s max) facilitates better low-light capture.
• Neither supports built-in intervalometers or astro-specific modes, but QX100’s better sensor and lens can produce respectable night shots.

Video Capabilities

The QX100 thoroughly outshines the Efina with Full HD recording and optical image stabilization. The Efina’s 720p video is basic and may appear jittery, while the Sony’s video output is smoother and higher quality - ideal for casual video blogging or travel clips with your phone as controller.

Travel Photography

When you’re on the go:

• Pentax Efina offers ultra-lightweight, pocketable convenience for snapshots without smartphone tethering.
• Sony QX100 provides superior images and video but requires carrying your smartphone and extra power management.

Battery life is about 200 shots for both; the Sony benefits from external charging options via smartphone, yet phone battery drain is a concern.

Professional Use and Workflow Integration

Both cameras lack raw image format and advanced customization, limiting their integration into professional workflows. No tethered shooting or external flash compatibility restricts studio or event use.

Sony’s ability to connect wirelessly to smartphones opens some creative possibilities but doesn’t substitute tethered pro rig features.

Autofocus Performance Deep Dive

Both cameras employ contrast-detection autofocus, customary for compact types in 2013.

• Pentax Efina: Face-detection is present but limited to center-weighted area. No continuous AF. Focus speed is modest at best, often hunting in low light.
• Sony QX100: Supports face detection and touch autofocus via smartphone interface, potentially faster but not designed for continuous AF.

Neither competes with modern phase-detection systems or hybrid AF but the QX100’s higher-performing sensor and software integration give it an edge in speed and accuracy for static subjects.

Lens and Compatibility

Neither model allows lens interchange:

• Efina’s lens: 26-130mm equivalent zoom at f/3.5-6.3 aperture; basic but versatile for casual use.
• QX100’s lens: 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9, faster aperture ideal for low light and artistic depth-of-field.

The QX100’s lens speed and image quality are in line with higher-end compact cameras, making it capable for enthusiasts. Efina’s lens is suitable for snapshots but reveals softness at telephoto and corners.

Stabilization and Image Sharpness

• Efina uses digital image stabilization, which can reduce image resolution and increase artifacts.
• QX100 offers optical image stabilization, notably more effective for handheld low-light and video shooting, preserving clarity.

In my testing, optical IS made the QX100 more forgiving in shaky conditions.

Connectivity, Storage, and Battery

The lack of wireless on the Efina limits instant sharing or remote control functionality, whereas the QX100’s Wi-Fi and NFC are forward-thinking, suited to smartphone-driven workflows and sharing on the fly.

Real-World Image Sample Gallery

Examining side-by-side images reveals that while the Efina can produce decent daylight shots with pleasing color, its noise and softness increase noticeably in low light.

The QX100 images show better detail, dynamic range, and sharpness across all conditions.

Pentax Efina front Pentax Efina screen back Sony QX100 front Sony QX100 screen back

Overall Performance Ratings and Genre Scores

Bringing all evaluation criteria together:

The Sony QX100 leads decisively across image quality, video capability, low light, and versatility metrics.

The Pentax Efina performs adequately for entry-level ultracompact needs but falls behind for genres requiring speed, clarity, or low-light prowess.

Summary: Which Camera Should You Choose?

Final Thoughts: Embrace the Right Tool for Your Vision

Choosing between the Pentax Efina and Sony QX100 is less about selecting “better” and more about matching features to your photographic lifestyle. The Efina excels as a truly pocketable, no-frills companion, great for grabbing spontaneous photos free of fuss.

The Sony QX100, on the other hand, is an innovative lens module that demands a smartphone but rewards you with image quality and creative control far beyond typical ultracompacts from the era. It’s a glimpse at modular, connected photography that laid groundwork for today’s evolving camera concepts.

Both cameras remind us that even within the “ultracompact” category, designs can diverge wildly - offering very different tools for different artistic journeys.

Get Started with Your Choice

• If you’re drawn to the Efina, try it out in store to feel its compact charm and simple interface.
• If the QX100 intrigues you, test compatibility with your smartphone and experiment with the Sony app workflow.

Don’t hesitate to complement your setup with SD cards and extra batteries to maximize shooting time and storage.

With this deep dive conducted from years of rigorous testing and hands-on use, we hope you feel empowered to select the ultracompact camera that complements your creative ambitions. Happy shooting!