Pentax Q7 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Let's look a bit more closely at the Pentax Q7 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Pentax and Sigma. The image resolution of the Q7 (12MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is pretty well matched but the Q7 (1/1.7") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The Q7 was manufactured 17 months later than the SD1 Merrill which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the Q7 scores against the SD1 Merrill with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Q7 and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax Q7 Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera, you need to consider its weight and size. The Pentax Q7 comes with external measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") and a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

See the Pentax Q7 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the Q7 compared to the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the Q7 and SD1 Merrill is 92 and 57 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to see the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The graphic here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the Q7 and SD1 Merrill.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The Q7 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will resolve greater detail due to its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more recent Q7 will have an edge in sensor technology.