Pentax Q7 vs Sony A57

Below, we will be looking at the Pentax Q7 and Sony A57, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the Q7 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the Q7 (1/1.7") and A57 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The Q7 was announced 11 months later than the A57 so they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the Q7 matches up vs the A57 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Q7 and Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are available at Pentax Q7 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and size. The Pentax Q7 has got physical measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs) and the Sony A57 has specifications of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check out the Pentax Q7 and Sony A57 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the Q7 compared to the A57.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the Q7 and A57 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing only by checking out specs. The graphic here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the Q7 and A57.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The Q7 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A57 will show more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The younger Q7 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.