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Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1

Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34
Pentax Optio S1 front
 
Pentax Q-S1 front
Portability
92
Imaging
38
Features
54
Overall
44

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Key Specs

Pentax S1
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Introduced March 2011
Pentax Q-S1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • 203g - 105 x 58 x 34mm
  • Released August 2014
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Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Overview

On this page, we are evaluating the Pentax S1 and Pentax Q-S1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both built by Pentax. The sensor resolution of the S1 (14MP) and the Q-S1 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the S1 (1/2.3") and Q-S1 (1/1.7") provide different sensor measurements.

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The S1 was released 4 years before the Q-S1 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the S1 scores against the Q-S1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Pentax S1 over the Pentax Q-S1

 S1 Q-S1 

Reasons to pick Pentax Q-S1 over the Pentax S1

 Q-S1 S1 
ReleasedAugust 2014March 2011More recent by 41 months
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)

Common features in the Pentax S1 and Pentax Q-S1

 S1 Q-S1 
Manual focus More precise focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch friendly display Absent Touch friendly display

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Pentax S1 enjoys physical dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Pentax Q-S1 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax S1 and Pentax Q-S1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the S1 versus the Q-S1.

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 size comparison

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

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 top view buttons comparison

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements just by checking a spec sheet. The graphic here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the S1 and Q-S1.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax S1 will resolve extra detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older S1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 sensor size comparison

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax S1 as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax Q-S1 as a Portrait photography camera
35
has manual focus
decent MP (14 megapixels)
manual exposure not possible
no external flash support
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
46
focusing manually
offers face detect autofocus
delivers RAW formats
low megapixels (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Pentax S1 as a Street photography camera
Pentax Q-S1 as a Street photography camera
56
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
fixed screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
69
image stabilization (Sensor based)
delivers RAW formats
lighter than competition (203g)
fixed screen
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
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Sports Comparison

Pentax S1 Sports photography info
Pentax Q-S1 Sports photography info
39
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent MP (14 megapixels)
provides tracking autofocus
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no phase detect auto focus
37
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers tracking focus
very slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames/s)
low megapixels (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
not so great battery life (250 CIPA)
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Pentax S1 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax Q-S1 as a Travel photography camera
64
decent MP (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
pretty wide (28mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
screen is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
60
lighter than competition (203 grams)
built-in flash
not so great battery life (250 CIPA)
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax S1 Landscape photography advice
Pentax Q-S1 Landscape photography advice
42
has manual focus
pretty wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent MP (14 megapixels)
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
small screen (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not possible
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
does not have Time Lapse recording
55
focusing manually
change lenses (Pentax Q mount)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
delivers RAW formats
low megapixels (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
not so great battery life (250 CIPA)
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax S1 Vlogging highlights
Pentax Q-S1 Vlogging highlights
28
pretty wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have external mic socket
35
image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers face detect autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition (203 grams)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
does not have mic port
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Pentax S1 vs Pentax Q-S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax S1 and Pentax Q-S1
 Pentax Optio S1Pentax Q-S1
General Information
Make Pentax Pentax
Model type Pentax Optio S1 Pentax Q-S1
Type Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2011-03-02 2014-08-04
Body design Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Q Engine
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/1.7"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 7.44 x 5.58mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 41.5mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4288 x 3216 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 6400 12800
Minimum native ISO 80 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 9 -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Pentax Q
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.5-5.5 -
Macro focusing range 1cm -
Total lenses - 8
Crop factor 5.8 4.8
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 2.7 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 230k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/1500 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 1.0 frames per second 5.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.90 m 4.90 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft Auto, redeye reduction, slow sync, trailing curtain sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30,25, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30, 25, 24p), 640 x 480 (30, 25, 24p)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 157 grams (0.35 lbs) 203 grams (0.45 lbs)
Physical dimensions 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") 105 x 58 x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 260 pictures 250 pictures
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI92 D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at release $174 $250