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Pentax XG-1

 
Pentax XG-1 front
 
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1248mm (F2.8-5.6) lens
  • 567g - 119 x 89 x 98mm
  • Released July 2014
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
66
Imaging
40
Features
37
Overall
38

Pentax XG-1 summary

Pentax XG-1 is Pentax's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially announced on July of 2014. The camera comes with a 16MP, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 4608 x 3456.

The XG-1 is rated #150 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over-all #757 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please try out our Advanced camera filter to get camera results based on your personal requirements.

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The following is a chart of specific factors used in the rating system.

Pentax XG-1 history

The Pentax XG-1 is part of a family of cameras. You can view the detailed list below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Pentax-XG-1 front thumbnailPentax XG-124-1248mm
F2.8-5.6
16MP1/2.3"2014
Pentax-X-5 front thumbnailPentax X-5
XG-1 vs X-5
22-580mm
F3.1-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Photography Glossary
Pentax-X90 front thumbnailPentax X90
XG-1 vs X90
26-676mm
F2.8-5.0
12MP1/2.3"2010
Pentax-X70 front thumbnailPentax X70
XG-1 vs X70
26-624mm
F2.8-5.0
12MP1/2.3"2009

Pentax XG-1 Pros and Cons

Here is a shortlist of positives and negatives of the Pentax XG-1 based on features that are usually regarded as crucial in a digital camera.

flash built-in
focusing manually
good minimum ISO (100)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
long zoom range (24-1248mm 52.0 x zoom)
pretty wide (24mm)
screen is a decent size (3")
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
very long reach (1248mm)
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
does not have external mic jack
does not have HDMI support
does not have headphone jack
does not have phase detect AF
does not have RAW files
does not have Time Lapse mode
external flash not possible
heavier than competition in class (567g)
low battery life (240 CIPA)
pixelated screen (460 thousand dot)
screen is fixed
screen is not selfie friendly
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
slow max aperture (f2.8)
sluggish at long end (f5.6)
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Pentax XG-1 Sensor specs

The sensor specification in the Pentax XG-1 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Sensor stabilization is superior than digital stabilization as the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 16MP and gives a standard ISO range of 100 - 3200. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The image below illustrates the XG-1's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The XG-1 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

Pentax XG-1 sensor size Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Pentax XG-1 dimensions

Pentax XG-1 has a weight of 1.25 lbs (567g / 20.00 ounces) and features outside dimensions of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g so the Pentax XG-1 is more heavy compared to its competitors.

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The following is a photo of the Pentax XG-1 alongside a soda so you're able to have a sense of its size.

Pentax XG-1 dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show the button design on the XG-1.

Pentax XG-1 topview buttons dials

Pentax XG-1 Lens details

The XG-1 includes a built in lens giving a focal range of 24-1248mm giving it a 52.0 x zoom which is perfect and could let you zoom right in.

At it's widest 24mm, the lens will have an aperture of f2.8 making it pretty sluggish and not ideal in low light conditions and you might struggle to capture a shallow depth of field. You will probably also need to boost your ISO giving you noisy shots. With the long end, 1248mm is phenomenal zoom and comes at f5.6 which is quite slow and you may have to go with slower shutter speeds.

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Pentax XG-1 Connectivity

The XG-1 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes

Digital cameras that consist of NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can easily be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily copy images and oftentimes alter camera settings without connecting physically with the camera.

A few apps also allow a Liveview and release the shutter whenever you are not near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it could be attached to an external display. A lot of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack through the USB port.

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Pentax XG-1 Video details

The highest possible video quality in the Pentax XG-1 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in Motion JPEG file format. 1080p quality gives you an excellent balance for video quality vs file size but 1080p isn't going to leave you with much room to crop. The body does not offer a mic and / or headphone jack which means that you get zero control over your sound. It is perhaps a better idea to buy a different camera should you require decent sound in your videos.

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Pentax XG-1 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing in the Pentax XG-1 so you have to be careful in rainy or dusty conditions.

Pentax XG-1 Screen and Viewfinder

The Pentax XG-1 comes with a 3 inch fixed display with a resolution of 460 thousand dots.

Please be aware that the display screen offers no touch support.

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The ViewFinder specifications regarding Pentax XG-1 are the following:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • Resolution 200 thousand dots

In those bright outdoor conditions that make the camera displays washed out and tricky to view, viewfinders will be rather useful.

Pentax XG-1 Shutter details

Pentax XG-1 has the capability to shoot continuously at 9.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000s.

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Pentax XG-1 Flash and Hot shoe details

Pentax XG-1 boasts just inbuilt flash with no external flash support.

Pentax XG-1 Autofocusing details

Pentax XG-1 has no Auto focusing. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more quicker & accurate compared to Contrast Based focusing.

Pentax XG-1 has manual focusing in case it is needed for low light scenarios or you need more accurate focusing control.

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Pentax XG-1 Battery life

The battery life (LB-060) in the Pentax XG-1 is made to last for 240 shots based on the CIPA requirements making it lesser as compared to its rivals. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the best (600) battery life for this type of cameras.

Listed below is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras with the best battery life:

Pentax XG-1 for varying kinds of photography

The following chart indicates a rundown of the Pentax XG-1 for varying kinds of photography. To find out more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Pentax XG-1 Portrait photography info

The Pentax XG-1 gets a points total of 40 which is bad, and means the camera is not really appropriate for portrait photography. Photographing portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor resolution, support for RAW photos plus the capability to utilize off-camera lighting.

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focusing manually
good resolution (16MP)
can't use external flash
very small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files

Pentax XG-1 Street photography details

Getting a bad rating of 43, the Pentax XG-1 is not really appropriate for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

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built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no articulating screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
heavier than others (567 grams)

Pentax XG-1 Sports photography information

A bad sports photography points tally of 45 indicates the Pentax XG-1 is not really appropriate for photographing sports. A camera must have excellent autofocus plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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long zoom range (24-1248mm 52.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery power (240 shots)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus

Pentax XG-1 Travel photography details

Size is pretty important when picking a travel camera. In general, the Pentax XG-1 gets a decent 52 as a travelling camera which is relatively suitable for your vacations.

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good megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
fairly wide (24mm)
very long zoom (1248mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
terrible battery pack (240 CIPA)
more heavy than competition in class (567g)
does not feature selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)

Pentax XG-1 as a Landscape photography camera

For anyone who is planning to buy a camera for landscape pictures, the most essential aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Pentax XG-1 and it's bad score of 45 as a landscape camera is not really appropriate amongst its competition.

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you can focus manually
relatively wide (24mm)
screen is a good size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
not so great battery (240 per charge)
no Timelapse recording

Pentax XG-1 as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging preferably should have a articulating screen, mic port and preferably image stabilization. Considering every thing, the Pentax XG-1 is not really appropriate as a vlog camera as it receives a bad score of 25.

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fairly wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
does not have selfie friendly display
lack of external microphone port
more heavy than competition in class (567g)

Pentax XG-1 Alternatives

If you are interested in replacements to the XG-1, here is a list of the top placed cameras that fall into the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph listed below shows you a summary of the XG-1 compared to it's highest scored rivals suggested above.

There are a bunch of cameras you may consider as alternate options. To browse through a full comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Pentax
Model type
Pentax XG-1
Type
Small Sensor Superzoom
Released
2014-07-15
Body design
SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution
4608 x 3456
RAW images
Max native ISO
3200
Lowest native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
24-1248mm (52.0x)
Highest aperture
f/2.8-5.6
Macro focusing distance
1cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Range of screen
Fixed Type
Screen size
3"
Resolution of screen
460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
200 thousand dot
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
4s
Fastest shutter speed
1/2000s
Continuous shutter speed
9.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
6.00 m
Flash modes
Force Off, Flash Auto, Force Flash, Slow Sync., Slow Sync. + Red-Eye, Red-Eye Reduction
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (120 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
567g (1.25 pounds)
Physical dimensions
119 x 89 x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9")
Other
Battery life
240 photos
Battery format
Battery Pack
Battery ID
LB-060
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC
Storage slots
1
Launch price
$599