Pentax Q7 vs Pentax ist DS2

Lets look a little more closely at the Pentax Q7 versus Pentax ist DS2, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR and both of them are created by Pentax. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the Q7 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the Q7 (1/1.7") and ist DS2 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The Q7 was manufactured 8 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a simple view of how the Q7 matches up versus the ist DS2 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Q7 and Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax Q7 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Pentax Q7 offers outer dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

See the Pentax Q7 versus Pentax ist DS2 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the Q7 against the ist DS2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the Q7 and ist DS2 is 92 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to see the difference between sensor sizing only by reading through technical specs. The graphic here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the Q7 and ist DS2.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The Q7 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Pentax Q7 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The more recent Q7 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.