3rd gen micro mirrorless PENTAX Q7
A review and photo examples of the Pentax Q7 interchangeable lens mirrorless digital camera
Table of contents
Gallery
- The lens used in the photo examples is the :
Review
1．Overview
The Pentax Q7 was released in 2013 and is the third generation of the Pentax Q series of interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras.
The size of the image sensor, the heart of the digital camera, has been changed to 1/1.7 inches (7.5mm x 5.6mm = 42mm2). The sensor area is 1.5 times (1.448 times to be exact) larger than the 1/2.3 inch (6.2mm x 4.7mm = 29mm2) of the original Q and its predecessor, the Q10. This change means that the coefficient for converting the focal length to a 35mm version is about 4.6 times, which means that you can take slightly wider shots than with the Q and Q10. The shorter focal length and wider shots are an advantage when taking landscapes, etc. The specific focal length in 35mm format is listed in the dedicated lens linked below, but for example, for the standard lens 01 Standard prime with a focal length of 8.5mm, the focal length in 35mm format is 47mm in Q and Q10, and 38.7mm in Q7 and Q-S1.
The change in sensor size means that some lenses made during the 1/2.3-inch sensor era of the Q and Q10 may result in slightly worse image quality in the periphery when shooting with the Q7 and Q-S1. Click here for a review of the Q10.
The Q7 supports SDXC cards, which have the largest capacity of all SD cards, so another major advantage is that there are no problems with the availability of recording media on the market.
The model number of the included battery is D-LI68, but for unknown reasons the model number was later changed to D-LI1221. Fujifilm’s NP-50, NP-50A and Kodak’s KLIC-7004 are also compatible and have the same shape.
A common feature of the Pentax Q series is that the camera body does not have a mechanical shutter; the 01, 02, 06, and 08 are equipped with a leaf shutter. Other toy lenses use the camera’s sensor shutter for shooting. The K Mount Lens Adapter Q, which allows Pentax K mount lenses to be used with this camera, is a luxurious adapter that has a shutter mechanism in the mount adapter.
2．Usage
The Q7 I own is a customized lime + black color, and I also got a 01 Standard prime in the same lime color, so the color coordination is perfect.
The thing I feel most when using it is that the image quality of the Q10 and Q7 is almost the same as that of a compact digital camera. I have seen people say that the poor image quality of compact cameras is not only due to small sensors but also to poor lenses, but even if you use the 01 Standard prime lens dedicated to the Pentax Q, you cannot get such amazing images, so I think the theory that the image quality is limited by the capabilities of the image sensor in the 2010s is more correct. As seen in smartphone cameras in the 2020s, when you look at the improvement in image processing performance even with extremely small sensors, I sometimes think that the Q series was about 10 years ahead.
The camera’s startup speed and shooting tempo are completely fine for general shooting, and it can shoot 5 frames per second in JPEG (Hi). Continuous shooting is not possible in Raw format, but if you shoot with a certain amount of leeway, you will not encounter buffer overflow.
Considering the compact body, there are many buttons, and most operations can be performed without going into the menu screen to make changes, so there is no need to call up the menu while shooting. Exposure compensation is also assigned to a dial, and there are separate buttons for changing ISO sensitivity and white balance, so the camera is highly refined.
The metal fittings for attaching the strap are sturdy and can accommodate relatively wide straps, and it seems that if the camera’s planning had been successful, a dedicated compact 1000mm 35mm equivalent lens might have been released. For example, a 100mm AF mirror lens (500mm 35mm equivalent) might have made enthusiasts happy.
3．Summary
To sum up the PENTAX Q7, the image sensor is slightly larger than the previous Q series, but the fundamental image quality remains the same.
This can be said about the Q series in general, but it shatters the illusion that a good lens will produce good image quality even with a small sensor, and it put an end to small sensor cameras.
If you aim to create pictures like paintings using image processing, like smartphones in 2025, there is no need to use an interchangeable lens camera. This camera is like a flower that appeared at a turning point in the times, and that is why it is loved by a small number of enthusiasts.
Digression
The Pentax Q series was popular among camera enthusiasts because it was a compact interchangeable lens camera, but it did not catch on with the general public and the product reached the end of its lifespan in three years.
The fact that it ended after three years clearly shows that the added value of being able to change lenses while maintaining the same image quality is not accepted by general users. In order to attract the attention of general users, the company made excessive efforts to promote color variations, but it seems that this ended up being a project aimed at enthusiasts. Even Nikon, whose main product is cameras, failed in its plan for a small-sensor interchangeable lens camera, so Pentax, whose camera business is small in scale, probably did not have the resources to continue.
It is ironic that the used prices of Q series lenses at camera stores have risen so much since the 2020s. They must be aware that prices are rising due to competition among enthusiasts, but I still don’t think the Q series will be revived.
From the user’s perspective, when considering purchasing a relatively expensive interchangeable lens camera, it is easy to understand that even Olympus and Panasonic’s M4/3 are avoided because of their small sensors, and that the choice is always to choose at least an APS-C size sensor, and if possible a full-size sensor. For this reason, the failure of the Nikon 1, which was released around the same time in 2011 and used a 1-inch sensor, was probably inevitable.
For these reasons, the few years from 2011 were considered to be a crossroads that determined the direction of interchangeable lens digital cameras.
By choosing an APS-C size sensor, Fujifilm seems to be staying in the market into the 2020s, but looking at its product supply policy that seems to be fueling a sense of hunger in Japan, it would not be surprising if the company fell off a cliff at any time, but for now it is supported by enthusiastic users.
In the 2010s, sensors below Micro Four Thirds 2 were abandoned, and in the 2020s, Sony, the pioneer of full-frame 35mm sensors, and the two major players, Nikon and Canon, are seriously supplying 35mm full-frame sensor cameras. However, it is very unclear whether the market will converge to 35mm full-frame sensor cameras, and the prices of camera bodies and lenses are steadily rising, and when sales of new cameras slow, the supply of used cameras becomes thin. Combined with the poverty of Japanese people, it is very interesting to see how the camera market will develop in the future.
It is not impossible that in the future, cameras will be replaced by smartphones and settle into a position similar to that of film cameras today.
Specifications and series camera comparison
| Items | Q | Q10 | Q7 | Q-S1 |
| Number of pixels | 12.4 megapixels | ← | ← | ← |
| Sensor type | CMOS | ← | ← | ← |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3 | ← | 1/1.7 | ← |
| Image Stabilization | Image sensor shift method | ← | ← | ← |
| Back LCD size | 3 | ← | ← | ← |
| Back LCD | 460,000 dots | ← | ← | ← |
| Electronic Leveler | None | ← | Exist | ← |
| Battery | D-LI68 | ← | ← | ← |
| Record media | SD、SDHC、SDXC | ← | ← | ← |
| Size(mm) W x H x D | 98 × 57.5 × 31 | 102.0 × 58.0 × 33.5 | ← | 105.0 × 58.0 × 34.0 |
| Weight (g) *1: Main unit only *2: Battery + media | 180 *1 200 *2 | ← | ← | 183 *1 203 *2 |
| Release date | 2011.8.31 | 2012.10.12 | 2013.7.5 | 2014.8.28 |
| Body color | Black White Silver (limited edition) | Order Color Evangelion Color x3 | 120 Order Color | 40 color variations |
Options
- Waterproof remote control O-RC1
- Auto flash AF201FG
- Auto flash AF200FG
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery D-LI68
- Battery charger kit K-BC115J
- Camera bag O-CB133
- Camera case (with strap) O-CC131
- Soft case O-CC1333
- Camera case (with front) O-CC133
- K-mount lens adapter Q
・Pentax Q Lenes
| Number | Lens name | Focal length | Q10 | Q7 | PPrice(Yen/No-tax) |
| 01 | STANDARD PRIME | 8.5 | 47 | 39 | 17,000- |
| 02 | STANDARD ZOOM | 5〜15 | 27.5〜82.5 | 23〜69 | 25,000- |
| 03 | FISH EYE | 3.2 | 17.6 | 16.5 | 10,000- |
| 04 | TOY-WIDE | 6.3 | 35 | 33 | 6,000- |
| 05 | TOY-TELE | 18 | 99 | 94 | 6,000- |
| 06 | TELE PHOTO ZOOM | 15〜45 | 82.5〜247.5 | 69〜207 | 14,000- |
| 07 | SHEILD | 11.5 | 63 | 53 | 3,000- |
| 08 | WIDE ZOOM | 3.8〜5.9 | 21〜32 | 17.5〜27 | 40,000- |
| Ms-optics | Sonnetar 25mm F1.1 | 25 | 137.5 | 115 | 48,000- |
・Patent pending lenses
According to a patent filed and published by Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd., a total of four interchangeable lenses were planned: two wide-angle prime lenses, a medium telephoto macro, and a telephoto prime lens.
Unfortunately, these plans never came to fruition as the camera bodies didn’t sell well.
Even Nikon had failed with its plans for a small-sensor interchangeable lens camera, so it seems that Pentax, with its small camera business, did not have the resources to continue with the Q series.
| Patent Publication Number | Name (guess) | Focal length | F number | Q10 | Q7 | |
| Patent Publication 2016-4093 (P2016-4093A) January 12, 2016 (2016.1.12) | WIDE PRIME | 4.20 *3 | 1.8 | 23 | 19 | |
| Patent Publication 2014-109711 (P2014-109711A) June 12, 2014 (2014.6.12) | WIDE PRIME | 4.40 *3 | 1.4 | 24 | 20 | |
| Patent Publication 2015-4717 (P2015-4717A) January 8, 2015 (January 8, 2015) | TELEPHOTO MACRO | 18.0 *3 | 2.8 | 99 | 83 | |
| Patent Publication 2014-81457 (P2014-81457A) May 8, 2014 (2014.5.8) | TELEPHOTO PRIME | 44.65 *3 | 1.8 | 249 | 205 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.06.18
Affiliate link
- Amazon Affiliate link of Pentax Q
- Amazon Affiliate link of Pentax Q lens
- Amazon Affiliate link Pentax Q books
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