Pentax Q7 vs Sony A330

Its time to examine more closely at the Pentax Q7 and Sony A330, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the Q7 (12MP) and the A330 (10MP) is pretty well matched but the Q7 (1/1.7") and A330 (APS-C) feature different sensor size.

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The Q7 was announced 4 years later than the A330 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the Q7 matches up vs the A330 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Q7 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The whole galleries are available at Pentax Q7 Gallery & Sony A330 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Pentax Q7 has physical measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs) while the Sony A330 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax Q7 and Sony A330 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is the front view scale comparison of the Q7 against the A330.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the Q7 and A330 is 92 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements purely by checking technical specs. The graphic below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the Q7 and A330.

As you have seen, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The Q7 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax Q7 will give you greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The newer Q7 should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.