Pentax K-30 vs Pentax Q7

The following is a thorough review of the Pentax K-30 and Pentax Q7, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both produced by Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the K-30 (16MP) and Q7 (12MP) and the K-30 (APS-C) and Q7 (1/1.7") posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The K-30 was released 9 months before the Q7 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the K-30 scores vs the Q7 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax K-30 & Pentax Q7. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax K-30 Gallery & Pentax Q7 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Pentax K-30 provides outside dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs) whilst the Pentax Q7 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Pentax K-30 and Pentax Q7 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have during that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the K-30 compared to the Q7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the K-30 and Q7 is 63 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions only by reading specifications. The image below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the K-30 and Q7.

Plainly, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The K-30 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax K-30 will deliver greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged K-30 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.