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Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Fujifilm X-A5

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Fujifilm X-A5
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Pentax S1

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Pentax S1
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Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Fujifilm X-A5, which was introduced in January 2018 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Pentax S1, which was introduced in March 2011 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, S1 is 7 years older than X-A5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Fujifilm X-A5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-01-31
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 12800 ( expands to 100 - 51200)
  • Fujifilm X Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 361g. 117 x 68 x 40 mm
  • Replaced Fujifilm X-A3 Compare

Pentax S1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-03-02
  • 14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.70" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 157g. 114 x 58 x 28 mm

Fujifilm X-A5 was replaced by Fujifilm X-A7. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Fujifilm X-A7 vs Fujifilm X-A5
Fujifilm X-A7 vs Pentax Optio S1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Fujifilm X-A5 over Pentax Optio S1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 14 MP 71% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
91 vs 9 82 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 230k dots 352% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
6.0fps vs 1.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
450 shots vs 260 shots 190 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
5.7m vs 3.9m 1.8m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
15.37µm2 vs 2.04µm2 653% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK X-A5 PRICE


Reasons to choose Pentax Optio S1 over Fujifilm X-A5
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Weight
157 g vs 361 g 204 g lighter
CHECK S1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax Optio S1
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax Optio S1
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
LCD Screen Size
2.70" vs 2.70" Small display
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Fujifilm X-A5 has external dimensions of 117 x 68 x 40 mm (4.61 x 2.68 x 1.57″) and weighs 361 g (0.80 lb / 12.73 oz) (including batteries). Pentax S1 has external dimensions of 114 x 58 x 28 mm (4.49 x 2.28 x 1.1″) and weighs 157 g (0.35 lb / 5.54 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1. Pentax S1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 10mm shorter and 12mm thinner than Fujifilm X-A5. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Pentax S1 has a built-in lens but Fujifilm X-A5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on X-A5, its thickness will increase significantly.

Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1.

Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1.
Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax S1 is significantly lighter (204g ) than the Fujifilm X-A5 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on X-A5, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Fujifilm X-A5 nor Pentax Optio S1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Fujifilm X-A5's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Pentax S1's 2.7" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Fujifilm X-A5 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Pentax S1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to X-A5.
Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1: Sensor Comparison

Fujifilm X-A5 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Pentax S1 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Fujifilm X-A5's sensor provides 10MP more than Pentax S1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the X-A5 and S1 sensor size comparison.

Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 Cameras


As seen above, Fujifilm X-A5 has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Pentax S1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Fujifilm X-A5 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax S1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Fujifilm X-A5 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax S1 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Fujifilm X-A5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax S1 for Sports Photography

POOR
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
91 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
140 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Read the details

Fujifilm X-A5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax S1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
361g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details
Compact Body
157g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Fujifilm X-A5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax S1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Fujifilm X-A5 vs Pentax S1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Fujifilm X-A5 and Pentax S1 scores compare:

Fujifilm X-A5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #25 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #167 out of 1243 in all Cameras
Pentax S1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #258 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #881 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Fujifilm X-A5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Pentax S1 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Fujifilm X-A5.

Fujifilm X-A5
Fujifilm X-A5
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CHECK PRICE

Pentax S1
Pentax S1
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax S1 vs Fujifilm X-A5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Fujifilm X-A5 Pentax Optio S1
Brand Fujifilm Pentax
Announced 2018-01-31 2011-03-02
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size APS-C 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.7 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 368.95mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 14 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 4288 x 3216
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 80 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 91 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Fujifilm X fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28-140 mm (5×)
Max Aperture no lens F3.5-5.5
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 2.70"
Resolution 1,040k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/1500s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/32000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.70 m (at ISO 200) 3.90 m
Max Flash Sync 1/180s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 361g 157g
Dimensions 117 x 68 x 40mm 114 x 58 x 28mm
Battery Life 450 shots 260 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


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