Pentax Q-S1 vs Sony HX30V

Below is a detailed overview of the Pentax Q-S1 versus Sony HX30V, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the Q-S1 (12MP) and HX30V (18MP) and the Q-S1 (1/1.7") and HX30V (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

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The Q-S1 was released 2 years later than the HX30V and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the Q-S1 grades vs the HX30V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Q-S1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax Q-S1 Gallery and Sony HX30V Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Pentax Q-S1 offers 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) whilst the Sony HX30V has specifications of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") along with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

See the Pentax Q-S1 versus Sony HX30V in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the Q-S1 vs the HX30V.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the Q-S1 and HX30V is 92 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements purely by seeing technical specs. The graphic here will help give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the Q-S1 and HX30V.

As you can tell, both of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The Q-S1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony HX30V will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more modern Q-S1 provides an edge in sensor technology.