Hands on: Pentax Q launches at Jessops today
We get our large hands on this very small camera
IN USE
Shooting around the Jessops store with the Pentax Q was quite fun. This tiny little camera has enough settings to please almost all photographers, It may be small, but its easy to keep hold of, the controls are well placed and the menus are clear and easy to understand. It was quick to focus and can turn out 5fps in continuous shooting.
Pentax Q test shot – F1.9, 1/60 second, ISO 1600, 47mm equivalent – click to enlarge
Olympus E-PM1 test shot – F2.8, 1/60 second, ISO 640, 34mm equivalent – click to enlarge
We took a couple of quick test shots to compare the quality against a potential competitor – the Olympus E-PM1, the smallest of the new PEN lineup. You can instantly see above how much crisper, more colourful and less noisy the PEN was, when compared to the Q. However, even the PEN – among the smallest of the other interchangeable lens cameras – is far larger and heavier than the Q.
PRICE
We knew the Pentax Q wouldn’t be cheap, but even then the price for the body and prime kit lens came as a shock – a whopping £600 – rising to £729 for the twin lens kit. Image quality, both in our quick test and just looking at the specs, isn’t going to be great, so the Pentax Q is going to be a hard sell compared to its immediate competitors. However, its small size, weight and desirability – plus Pentax’s insistence of packing in lots of features and controls – actually puts it a class of its own.
Olympus’s flagship PEN designs, and cameras such as Leicas, have shown there’s a market for those who want to look good while taking pictures, as much as they want to take good-looking pictures. Depsite its fast lenses, the Pentax Q doesn’t seem to offer a massive step up in quality from many compact cameras, however its photographic flexibility is to be applauded.
We’ll bring you a full review in the very near future.