Pentax S1

Pentax S1 is Pentax's Small Sensor Compact camera first launched on March of 2011. The camera features a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 4288 x 3216.

The S1 stands at #113 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and all around #968 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to test our Smart camera finder to get camera rankings based on your custom criteria.

Here is a diagram of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

You can look at the S1 from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a selection of pluses and minuses of the Pentax S1 based on aspects which are normally viewed as important in a camera.

The spec of the sensor on the Pentax S1 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can resolve 4288 x 3216 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Sensor stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter may cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 14MP and includes a native ISO range of 80 to 6400. Sadly, RAW files are not supported which means that you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath displays the S1's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The S1 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Pentax S1 weighs about 0.35 lb (157 grams / 5.54 oz) and the dimensions of the camera is 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams and the Pentax S1 is on par in comparison with other competitors.

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Here is a picture of the Pentax S1 besides a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its size.

The top view underneath will highlight the button layout on the S1.

The S1 is equipped with an inbuilt lens offering a focal range of 28-140mm making it a 5.0 x zoom which is not at all outstanding nevertheless it is going to be very helpful in a few cases.

At it's widest 28mm, it offers an aperture of f3.5 which will be really sluggish and not good in low light occasions and you might struggle to capture a shallow depth of field. You could also have to increase your ISO setting resulting in noisy pictures. At the long end, 140mm comes to f5.5 making it quite sluggish and you will have to go with slow shutter speeds.

The S1 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras that contain NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You can easily copy photos and sometimes adjust settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Many apps also allow a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be attached to an external display. Virtually all cameras enable you to charge the battery using the USB socket.

The maximum video quality on the Pentax S1 is 1280 x 720 and it can record in Motion JPEG format. 720p is awful by today's standards. You should go for a minimum 1080p quality for decent video. The body doesn't feature a mic and / or headphone port which means you get absolutely no control over your audio. It is probably a better idea to order an alternative model if you want better audio in your video clips.

Pentax S1 doesn't have weather proofing so damp conditions can ruin the camera.

The Pentax S1 features a 2.7 inch fixed display having a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Sadly the display is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specifications regarding Pentax S1 are as follows:

• ViewFinder None

In those sunny outdoor conditions that make the camera screens washed out and hard to view, viewfinders will be rather useful.

Pentax S1 can shoot continuously at 1.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1500 seconds.

Pentax S1 includes just integrated flash lacking external flash ability.

Pentax S1 includes only Contrast Detect AF and does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier & accurate as compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.

The Sensor features 9 focus points to select from. It also includes Tracking AF for objects that move. Pentax S1 has got manual focus if required during low light or you need to have more accurate control on focus.

The battery (D-LI92) in the Pentax S1 is designed to last for 260 photographs according to the CIPA standards making it comparable with its rivals. The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 features the highest possible (470) battery life within this group of cameras.

Underneath is a list of Small Sensor Compact cameras which have the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X30
S1 vs Fujifilm X30470 yesnono

Casio EX-10
S1 vs EX-10455 yesnono

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Ricoh GR Digital IV
S1 vs GR Digital IV390 yesnono

Canon G12
S1 vs G12370 yesnono

Canon G16
S1 vs G16360 yesnono

The following graph displays a summation of the Pentax S1 for varying categories of photography. To understand more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Pentax S1 receives a points tally of 35 which is low, and means the camera is not suitable for portrait photography. Shooting portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimensions, support for RAW photos plus the potential to utilize external lighting.

Having a decent score of 56, the Pentax S1 is relatively adequate to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of image quality and portability.

A low sports photography score of 39 suggests the Pentax S1 is not suitable for taking photos of sports. A camera needs very good focusing plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Size is super important in buying a travel camera. Over-all, the Pentax S1 gets a very good 64 for a travelling camera which makes it a good pick to take on your vacations.

For anybody who is looking to buy a camera for landscape pictures, the most important aspect will be image quality. The Pentax S1 at it's low rating of 42 for a landscape camera is not suitable compared to its competition.

A vlogging camera should have a moving display, mic port and preferably IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Pentax S1 is not suitable as a vlog camera as it receives a low rating of 28.

If you are trying to find replacements to the S1, here is a number of the top rated cameras which fall into the family of Small Sensor Compact.

The chart listed below provides you a bird's eye view of the S1 versus it's highest ranked rivals shown previously.

There are a bunch of cameras you might view as alternatives. To browse through a detailed comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.