Pentax RS1500 vs Pentax Q-S1

Following is a extensive assessment of the Pentax RS1500 versus Pentax Q-S1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are manufactured by Pentax. The sensor resolution of the RS1500 (14MP) and the Q-S1 (12MP) is very close but the RS1500 (1/2.3") and Q-S1 (1/1.7") boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The RS1500 was manufactured 4 years prior to the Q-S1 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summation of how the RS1500 matches up vs the Q-S1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio RS1500 & Pentax Q-S1. The entire galleries are available at Pentax RS1500 Gallery & Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax RS1500 provides external dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Pentax Q-S1 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Pentax RS1500 versus Pentax Q-S1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the RS1500 vs the Q-S1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the RS1500 and Q-S1 is 93 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing specs. The picture here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the RS1500 and Q-S1.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The RS1500 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax RS1500 will result in more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged RS1500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.