PENTAX Q7
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 Ms-optics SONNETAR 25mm F1.1.
Review
The Pentax Q7 is the third generation of the Pentax Q series of interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras.
The sensor size is 1/1.7, which is slightly larger than the previous 1/2.3, and the 35mm conversion coefficient has been slightly relaxed from 5.53x of the previous model to 4.55x. In the case of the 8.5mm of the STANDARD 01, the 47mm equivalent is 38.7mm, which is a slightly wide-angle lens. The lenses made in the 1/2.3 era seem to have a slightly poorer peripheral image when photographed with the Q7 and Q-S1. Click here for a review of the Q10.
The camera I own is a customized lime + black color. I also got a lime-colored 01 Standard prime, and the color coordination is perfect.
The camera’s startup speed and shooting tempo are completely fine for general photography, 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. The autofocus (AF) speed of the dedicated lens is sufficient for fast focusing and accurate, unless you are following a moving subject.
There are many buttons for a compact body, and most operations can be performed without changing the menu, so there is no need to call up the menu during shooting. Exposure compensation is assigned to a dial, and there are separate buttons for ISO sensitivity change and white balance.
It supports recording media up to SDXC, so there is no problem with obtaining recording media.
The model number of the included battery is D-LI68, but for some reason the model number has been changed to D-LI122. Fujifilm’s NP-50, NP-50A, and Kodak’s KLIC-7004 are also the same shape.
The metal fittings for attaching the strap are also sturdy enough to attach a relatively wide strap, and if the camera’s planning had been successful, it seems that a dedicated compact lens equivalent to 1000mm in 35mm equivalent might have been released. For example, a 100mm AF mirror lens (500mm in 35mm equivalent) might have made enthusiasts happy.
A common feature of the Q series is that the camera body does not have a mechanical shutter, and the 01, 02, 06, and 08 are equipped with a leaf shutter. Other toy lenses use the camera’s sensor shutter to take pictures. The “K-Mount Lens Adapter Q” for using Pentax K-mount lenses with this camera has a shutter mechanism in the mount adapter, making it a truly luxurious adapter.
The Pentax Q series was popular among camera enthusiasts as a compact interchangeable lens camera, but it did not catch on with the general public and reached the end of its product life in three years.
When using it, I think that the image quality of the Q10 and Q7 is almost the same as that of a compact digital camera.
The fact that it ended in three years clearly shows that the added value of being able to change lenses, as long as the image quality is the same, is not accepted by general users. In order to attract the attention of general users, the color variations were excessively promoted, but it seems that it ended up being a project for enthusiasts.
It seems ironic that the used prices of Q series camera shop lenses have risen so much since the 2020s. I expect that the Q series will not be revived, as Fujifilm must be aware that prices are rising due to competition among enthusiasts.
From the user’s perspective, when considering the purchase of 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 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 this reason, the few years from 2011 were considered to be a crossroads that determined the direction of interchangeable lens digital cameras.
By choosing the 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, I think it would not be surprising if it fell off a cliff at any time, but for now it is supported by enthusiastic users.
In the 2010s, sensors below Micro Four Thirds 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 will become thinner. 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.
Specification
| 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 | ブラック ホワイト シルバー(限定) | オーダーカラー エヴァンゲリオンカラー x3 | 120オーダーカラー | 40パターンのカラーバリエーション |
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 ZOOM | 6.3 | 35 | 33 | 6,000- |
| 05 | TOY-TELE PHOTO ZOOM | 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- |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.06.18
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