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Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1 Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S
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Pentax MX-1

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

Pentax MX-1
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Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Pentax MX-1, which was introduced in July 2013 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7" sensor. There is only 9 months difference between A7S and MX-1 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

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 Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax MX-1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-07-01
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • 28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 391g. 122 x 61 x 51 mm

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Pentax MX-1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Pentax MX-1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max ISO
409.600 vs 12.800 3100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 920k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 1.0fps 4 fps faster
Battery Life
360 shots vs 290 shots 70 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
23.9 vs 20.4 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 11.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 208 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 3.46µm2 1958% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Pentax MX-1 over Sony Alpha A7S
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
391 g vs 489 g 98 g lighter

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Pentax MX-1
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Pentax MX-1
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Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1: 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 Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Pentax MX-1 has external dimensions of 122 x 61 x 51 mm (4.8 x 2.4 x 2.01″) and weighs 391 g (0.86 lb / 13.79 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1. Pentax MX-1 is 5mm narrower and 33mm shorter than Sony A7S but it is also 3mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Pentax MX-1 has a built-in lens but Sony A7S doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7S, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1.

Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1.
Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax MX-1 is significantly lighter (98g ) than the Sony A7S 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 A7S, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over MX-1 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.
Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Sony A7S's sensor is Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) and Pentax MX-1's sensor is 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Sony A7S'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 MX-1.

Below you can see the A7S and MX-1 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 20.6x Larger sensor area than Pentax MX-1. 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A7S has scored 87, 38 points higher than MX-1.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S 87 23.9 bits 13.2 Evs 3702 ISO
Pentax MX-1 49 20.4 bits 11.3 Evs 208 ISO
What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 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.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax MX-1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax MX-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax MX-1 for Sports Photography

POOR
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
112 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax MX-1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Compact Body
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
391g
Body Thickness 51mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax MX-1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Pentax MX-1: 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 Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1, 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 Sony A7S and Pentax MX-1 scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Pentax MX-1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #22 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #374 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Pentax MX-1 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 Sony A7S.

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Pentax MX-1
Pentax MX-1
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Pentax MX-1 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Pentax MX-1
Brand Sony Pentax
Announced 2014-04-06 2013-07-01
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame 1/1.7"
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 855.62mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28-112 mm (4×)
Max Aperture no lens F1.8-2.5
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 12.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 391g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 122 x 61 x 51mm
Battery Life 360 shots 290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 49
DxO Color Depth 23.9 20.4
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 208
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