Sony A100 vs Pentax Q10 Comparison

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Sony A100

10 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CCD Sensor

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Pentax Q10

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

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Sony A100 vs Pentax Q10 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A100, which was introduced in July 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Pentax Q10, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, A100 is 6 years older than Q10. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A100 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-07-31

10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

638g. 133 x 95 x 71 mm

Replaced Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D Compare

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

Sony A100 was replaced by Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Pentax Q10

Pentax Q10 was replaced by Pentax Q7. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax Q7 vs Pentax Q10
Pentax Q7 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 over Pentax Q10

Viewfinder	Optical vs Optical (Optional)	Better framing and control
Color Depth	22.0 vs 21.1	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	11.2 vs 10.9	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	476 vs 183	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	37.14µm² vs 2.34µm²	1487% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Pentax Q10 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	6.400 vs 1.600	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 9	16 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	5.0fps vs 3.0fps	2 fps faster
Weight	200 g vs 638 g	438 g lighter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Pentax Q10

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
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Pentax Q10

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Sony A100 vs Pentax Q10: 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 A100 and Pentax Q10 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A100 has external dimensions of 133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.24 x 3.74 x 2.8″) and weighs 638 g (1.41 lb / 22.50 oz) (including batteries). 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).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A100 and Pentax Q10. Pentax Q10 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 31mm narrower, 37mm shorter and 37mm thinner than Sony A100.

Comparison image of Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax Q10 is significantly lighter (438g ) than the Sony A100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 Sony A100 has an APS-C sized sensor and Pentax Q10 has a smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor, Pentax Q10's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A100 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A100

Q10

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A100

Q10

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 nor Pentax Q10 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax Q10's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A100's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Sony A100 vs Pentax Q10: Sensor Comparison

Sony A100 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Pentax Q10 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the A100 and Q10 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 Cameras

As seen above, Sony A100 has a 13.3x 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 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, A100 has scored 61, 12 points higher than Q10.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A100	61	22.0 bits	11.2 Evs	476 ISO
Pentax Q10	49	21.1 bits	10.9 Evs	183 ISO

Sony A100 vs Pentax Q10 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A100 has an advantage over Pentax Q10. There are 143 lenses for Sony A100's Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, on the other hand there are only 8 lenses for Pentax Q10's Pentax Q lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type	# of Sony A100 Lenses	# of Pentax Q10 Lenses
Standard Zoom	20	1
Standard Prime	9	2
Wideangle Zoom	11	1
Wideangle Prime	18	1
Telephoto Zoom	26	1
Telephoto Prime	12	1
SuperZoom	19	n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	4	1
Macro Prime	12	n/a
Perspective Control Prime	10	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	2	n/a
TOTAL	143	8

What types of Photography are Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A100 and Pentax Q10 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 A100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax Q10 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

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

Sony A100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q10 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

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

Sony A100 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q10 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

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

Sony A100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q10 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
638g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details

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

Sony A100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax Q10 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

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

Sony A100 vs Pentax Q10: 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 A100 and Pentax Q10, 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 A100 and Pentax Q10 scores compare:

Sony A100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #60 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #494 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Pentax Q10

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #59 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #297 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Pentax Q10 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A100. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that Q10 trails behind the A100: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Sony A100. If not, we recommend the Pentax Q10.

Pentax Q10 vs Sony A100 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha DSLR-A100	Pentax Q10
Brand	Sony	Pentax
Announced	2006-07-31	2012-09-10
Body Type	Compact SLR	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	APS-C	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	372.88mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3872 x 2592	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	6,400 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	9	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony/Minolta Alpha	Pentax Q
Number of Available Lenses	143	8
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Optical (optional)
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.55x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	n/a	7.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/160s	1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	n/a	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	638g	200g
Dimensions	133 x 95 x 71mm	102 x 58 x 34mm
Battery Life	n/a	270 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	61	49
DxO Color Depth	22.0	21.1
DxO Dynamic Range	11.2	10.9
DxO Low Light ISO	476	183
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