Pentax Q-S1 vs Sony a5000

Following is a thorough review of the Pentax Q-S1 vs Sony a5000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the Q-S1 (12MP) and a5000 (20MP) and the Q-S1 (1/1.7") and a5000 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The Q-S1 was released 7 months after the a5000 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the Q-S1 scores versus the a5000 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Q-S1 & Sony Alpha a5000. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax Q-S1 Gallery & Sony a5000 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax Q-S1 features outside measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Sony a5000 has measurements of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Look at the Pentax Q-S1 vs Sony a5000 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the Q-S1 against the a5000.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the Q-S1 and a5000 is 92 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to see the contrast in sensor sizes purely by researching specs. The image below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the Q-S1 and a5000.

All in all, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The Q-S1 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony a5000 will result in greater detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The younger Q-S1 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.