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Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Comparison

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Pentax Q10

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax Q10
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Pentax Q7

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Pentax Q7
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Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing Q10 and Q7, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by Pentax. Both cameras have 12.0MP sensors but Pentax Q10's sensor is 1/2.3-inch sized whereas Pentax Q7 has a 1/1.7-inch sensor. Pentax Q10 was introduced to market in September 2012 and Pentax Q7 was launched in August 2013. There is only 11 months difference between Q10 and Q7 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Q10 and Q7 are members of Pentax's Q series of cameras. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Pentax Q Series History
Model Release Date Sensor Max FPS Dimensions Weight
Pentax Q-S1
  
2014 12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch 5.0 fps 105 x 58 x 34mm 203g
Pentax Q7
2013 12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch 5.0 fps 102 x 58 x 34mm 200g
Pentax Q10
2012 12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch 5.0 fps 102 x 58 x 34mm 200g
Pentax Q
  
2011 12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch 2.0 fps 98 x 57 x 31mm 180g

Here is a brief look at the main features of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Pentax Q10 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-09-10
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 200g. 102 x 58 x 34 mm
  • Replaced Pentax Q Compare

Pentax Q7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-08-08
  • 12MP - 1/1.7-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 200g. 102 x 58 x 34 mm
  • Replaced Pentax Q10 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Pentax Q10 over Pentax Q7
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
270 shots vs 250 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
7.0m vs 4.9m 2.1m longer range


Reasons to choose Pentax Q7 over Pentax Q10
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Sensor Pixel Area
3.46µm2 vs 2.34µm2 47% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical (Optional) vs Optical (Optional) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 460k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7: 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 Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Pentax Q10 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 34 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.34″) and weighs 200 g (0.44 lb / 7.05 oz) (including batteries). Pentax Q7 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 34 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.34″) and weighs 200 g (0.44 lb / 7.05 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7. In this case, we can see that Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 have the exact same height, width and thickness.

Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7.

Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7.
Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 have exactly the same weight of 200g.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 have the same Pentax Q lens mount and Small Sensor sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

Q10
Q7
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

Q10
Q7
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Pentax Q10 nor Pentax Q7 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7: Sensor Comparison

Both Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Pentax Q10's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Pentax Q7's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Pentax Q7's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Pentax Q10.

Below you can see the Q10 and Q7 sensor size comparison.

Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax Q7 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Pentax Q10. 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.

Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 have the same Pentax Q lens mount and currently there are 8 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Pentax Q10 Lenses # of Pentax Q7 Lenses
Standard Zoom 1 1
Standard Prime 2 2
Wideangle Zoom 1 1
Wideangle Prime 1 1
Telephoto Zoom 1 1
Telephoto Prime 1 1
SuperZoom n/a n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 1 1
Macro Prime n/a n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 8 8

Here are some of the most popular Pentax Q Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Pentax Q Mount Lenses for Q10 and Q7
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
Pentax 01 Standard Prime Lens Pentax 01 Standard Prime
1/1.7" 37gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 08 Wide Zoom Lens Pentax 08 Wide Zoom
1/1.7" 75gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 06 Telephoto 15-45mm Lens Pentax 06 Telephoto 15-45mm
1/1.7" 90gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 03 Fish-Eye Lens Pentax 03 Fish-Eye
1/1.7" 29gr MF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 02 Standard Zoom Lens Pentax 02 Standard Zoom
1/1.7" 96gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 07 Mount Shield Lens Lens Pentax 07 Mount Shield Lens
1/1.7" 8gr MF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 04 Toy Lens Wide Lens Pentax 04 Toy Lens Wide
1/1.7" 21gr MF Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 05 Toy Lens Telephoto Lens Pentax 05 Toy Lens Telephoto
1/1.7" 18gr MF Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 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.

Pentax Q10 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax Q7 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Pentax Q10 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q7 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Pentax Q10 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q7 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details

Pentax Q10 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q7 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
200g
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details
200g
Medium size Body
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Pentax Q10 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax Q7 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Pentax Q10 vs Pentax Q7: 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 Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 Pentax Q10 and Pentax Q7 scores compare:

Pentax Q10
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #59 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #296 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Pentax Q7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #84 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #373 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax Q10 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax Q7 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Pentax Q10
Pentax Q10
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Pentax Q7
Pentax Q7
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Pentax Q7 vs Pentax Q10 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Pentax Q10 Pentax Q7
Brand Pentax Pentax
Announced 2012-09-10 2013-08-08
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/1.7-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 28.07mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 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 25 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Pentax Q Pentax Q
Number of Available Lenses 8 8
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (optional) Optical (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.00 m 4.90 m (ISO100/m)
Max Flash Sync 1/2000s 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 200g 200g
Dimensions 102 x 58 x 34mm 102 x 58 x 34mm
Battery Life 270 shots 250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 49 not tested
DxO Color Depth 21.1 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 10.9 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 183 not tested
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