Pentax Q series mirrorless cameras - open thread

lindsay

lindsay

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I recently discovered Pentax's foray into mirrorless cameras and took the plunge to buy an original white Q body with 01standard prime 8.5mm lens. I'm thinking of acquiring more of the lenses for this tiny but highly functional camera. From Wikipedia:
The Pentax Q series is a series of mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras made by Pentax and introduced in 2011 with the initial model Pentax Q.[1] As of September 2012, it was the world's smallest, lightest interchangeable lens digital camera.[2] The first models used a 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) back-illuminated sensor CMOS image sensor. The Q7, introduced in June 2013, uses a larger 1/1.7" type sensor (7.44 x 5.58 mm).[3] The Q system is now discontinued.
Although needing small hands to operate, typically of the Pentax film cameras of old especially the MX and MZ3, I am intrigued by this system and hoping to use it more and more as a walkabout camera.
20230507-IMGP0039-Enhanced-NR by Lindsay Pennell, on Flickr

(The LR AI Denoise didn't make much difference but it was marginally better)
ThornbyHall-Gardens-1 by Lindsay Pennell, on Flickr
 
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That's interesting. I didn't even know Pentax had dallied with mirrorless.
 
exactly - about 11 years ago
 
Looks like an interesting system. In many ways ahead of its time.
 
Adapters are available to enable use of non-Pentax and Pentax K mount glass. The Pentax official adapter allows full functionality of Pentax K mount lenses I believe.

Of course, you'll lose the benefit of a small system if you don't use the Q lenses, but OTOH gain huge FOV advantage because of its 5.53x crop factor.
 
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It seems to have been very successful in Japan, but far less popular in the west. Basically true of Pentax generally in the digital era.
 
Pentax Q7, 5-15mm lens, taken at Murlough nature Reserve, Keel Point. NB all SOOC, no editing at all.

Murlough by Lindsay Pennell, on Flickr

Murlough by Lindsay Pennell, on Flickr

Although a bit fiddly as it's such a small camera, and tricky too because it has no EVF just live view on the screen at the back, which is not great in sunshine, I really like this outfit. For a small sensor, 12Mp, and taken one-handed thanks to holding a frenetic Collie dog's lead in the other, I'm rather pleased with these. Not perfect but encouraging. I shall return to do some panoramas with film and digital kit.
 
Please do. I know nothing about the Pentax Q, so it'll be fun seeing some results.
 
I'm a long-term Pentax Q and Q7 owner, and absolutely love these little cameras. The level of control is just like any large sensor mirrorless or DSLR camera, while the image quality - of the Q7 in particular, but even the original Q - is really very good indeed (considering the small sensor).

Below, a photo of Herd Groyne lighthouse, South Shields, England - early morning, November 2015. Taken with the Q7 and excellent 06 telephoto zoom lens; raw file processed in my old copy of Lightroom 6...

full
 
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Using my Pentax Q7 with 02 Standard zoom lens today at Keel Point, looking for Rust & Decay for the TP52; How about Ryust-coloured decaying ferns?
Rust&Decay-1 by Lindsay Pennell, on Flickr
 
I'm another fan of the Q series, having both an original Q & the later Q-S1 (which has a slightly larger sensor) with 5 different native lenses to use with them
(Fish-eye, std prime, std zoom, telephoto zoom & toy telephoto)
In addition I find them good cameras to adapt small lenses onto. The lenses from Pentax's Auto 110 are my favorites here (despite loosing aperture control which was in body for the Auto 110) c-mount lenses typically work well & it's one of the few cameras you can adapt d-mount cine lenses on - though coverage can be an issue here.

These cameras are particularly good when flying off on holiday & restricted in weight :)
sicilian coast.jpgsicily Q.jpg
 
I agree Mike, the Q's are great. I've got an auto 110 as well, which is fun although very fiddly to focus and control the exposure. I've got the Q and Q7, with 01 prime and 02 std zoom lenses, though I'm going to try to get the fisheye and std telephoto lenses as well. As you say, they are small and light but very capable cameras.
 
lindsay said:
I agree Mike, the Q's are great. I've got an auto 110 as well, which is fun although very fiddly to focus and control the exposure. I've got the Q and Q7, with 01 prime and 02 std zoom lenses, though I'm going to try to get the fisheye and std telephoto lenses as well. As you say, they are small and light but very capable cameras.
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If you have the auto 110 it's worth getting an adapter to use the lenses on the Q.
The 24mm/2.8 is really tiny (12g) and effectively becomes a telephoto on the Q. Image quality is better than the O's toy tele as well. :)
 
Thanks Mike, I'll look out for one. This discussion has already led me to buying the 04 and 06 lenses from Japan today...hopefully they arrive ok with not too much duty to pay.
 
lindsay said:
Thanks Mike, I'll look out for one. This discussion has already led me to buying the 04 and 06 lenses from Japan today...hopefully they arrive ok with not too much duty to pay.
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Just found out where my wife hid mine. It's made by Pixco (I don't think there are many types around)
I've not tried the toy wide, but I hear the toy telephoto is better, so going by mu copy of that I have no plans to bother.
 
I just received the 06 Telephoto (15-45mm) and 03 Fisheye (3.2mm) from Japan, the two together cost £155 including Fedex shipping. No sign of a duty invoice yet so that's a really good deal. I'll be experimenting with them in the coming week.
 
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