Pentax Q-S1 vs Sony A900

Below is a thorough analysis of the Pentax Q-S1 versus Sony A900, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the Q-S1 (12MP) and A900 (25MP) and the Q-S1 (1/1.7") and A900 (Full frame) posses totally different sensor size.

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The Q-S1 was brought out 5 years later than the A900 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A900 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a short introduction of how the Q-S1 scores versus the A900 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Q-S1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax Q-S1 Gallery & Sony A900 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax Q-S1 provides outside dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Sony A900 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Look at the Pentax Q-S1 versus Sony A900 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the Q-S1 and the A900.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the Q-S1 and A900 is 92 and 54 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing specifications. The visual underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the Q-S1 and A900.

To sum up, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The Q-S1 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A900 will produce greater detail having its extra 13 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The more modern Q-S1 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.