Pentax Q review

Our biggest reservations are regarding performance. Pentax quotes a 5fps burst speed, and although it surpassed this in our tests, hitting 5.3fps, it only lasted for six frames before slumping to 1.8fps. Raw burst shooting was much worse at 1.1fps, slowing to 0.5fps after six frames. These aren’t terrible results but they’re disappointing for the price. Its performance in normal use was more worrying, taking almost four seconds to switch on and shoot, and 2.1 seconds between shots. This is largely down to the autofocus speed, which is squarely in compact rather than SLR territory. The 0.4-second delay between autofocus confirmation and the shutter being released didn’t help, either.

The menus are clearly laid out and easy to navigate

Videos are recorded at 1080p in AVC format, giving dependable picture quality with effective video stabilisation. There’s no manual exposure control for videos but a custom button can be assigned to AE lock. Focus is fixed for the duration of clips. It isn’t as problematic as on large-sensor cameras with their shallow depths of field, but it’s disappointing all the same. The built-in stereo microphone sounded excellent but levels weren’t managed well, with dialogue captured very quietly.

It’s hard to rate a camera that’s so radically different to anything else currently available. However, its price and the general principles of its design put it in direct competition with the GF3 and NEX-C3. That it’s able to compete at all is astonishing, but it doesn’t quite come out on top. The GF3 is the victor for outdoor photography and video, while the NEX-C3 wins in low light. Both cameras beat it for performance.

At around £130, the additional fish eye and ‘toy’ lenses are reasonably priced, but they aren’t yet available to buy – or to review

We like the Q, though. We like the almost comic miniaturisation, and how Pentax’s initial line up of Q Mount lenses include a fish-eye and two so-called Toy lenses – none of which was available for review. Its small sensor may prove to be its undoing – after all, Pentax and its customers are making a long-term commitment to this 1/2.3in format. However, it also unlocks the possibility of some unusual lenses that simply aren’t possible or practical on large-sensor cameras – perhaps a 30x ultra-zoom, or an incredibly powerful telephoto. We wouldn’t buy one yet, but we hope there are enough wealthy, eccentric photographers out there to give Pentax the support and courage to carry on.