Pentax Q-S1 vs Sony RX100 IV

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Pentax Q-S1 and Sony RX100 IV, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the Q-S1 (12MP) and RX100 IV (20MP) and the Q-S1 (1/1.7") and RX100 IV (1") boast different sensor size.

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The Q-S1 was announced 10 months before the RX100 IV so they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a short view of how the Q-S1 scores vs the RX100 IV in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Q-S1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax Q-S1 Gallery & Sony RX100 IV Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Pentax Q-S1 provides physical measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Sony RX100 IV has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax Q-S1 and Sony RX100 IV in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the Q-S1 and the RX100 IV.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the Q-S1 and RX100 IV is 92 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The visual underneath will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the Q-S1 and RX100 IV.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The Q-S1 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX100 IV will show extra detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older Q-S1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.