Pentax Q7 vs Sony A100

On this page, we will be comparing the Pentax Q7 and Sony A100, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the Q7 (12MP) and the A100 (10MP) is relatively similar but the Q7 (1/1.7") and A100 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The Q7 was manufactured 7 years later than the A100 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the Q7 scores versus the A100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Q7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are available at Pentax Q7 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera often, you will have to consider its weight and size. 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) while the Sony A100 has specifications of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax Q7 and Sony A100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the Q7 versus the A100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the Q7 and A100 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its tough to envision the difference between sensor measurements only by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the Q7 and A100.

As you can see, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The Q7 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax Q7 will offer you more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more recent Q7 will have an edge in sensor innovation.