Not a review
The Pentax Q in general is a very nicely put together litle camera. I have the original version with magnesium shell build. I had not relaised that the Q10 and Q7 were not also of similar underlying build. The Q-S1 has 'aluminium plates" and therefore probably "feels" more solid in the hand. However I don't doubt the quality of construction of any of the series - it is bound to be very good. As soon as any camera is fitted out with a lens mount it is the mount plus the lens itself that adds volume ot the size. Unless a mount is devised where the lens can collapse inside the camera as the various fixed lens Ricoh cameras allow. But this only seems to be practical for a prime 28mm eq lens or a slow(ish) zoom.
The Q has increased slightly in size and also Pentax is playing with the serial number sequence presumably as a marketing device to disguise the fact that there is no really significant progression from the original idea. Furthermore marketing in a huge variety of colour combinations seems to be putting fashion statement in front of innovation. Not that the first Q was not innovative but over the models released the Q has lost its magnesium shell and gained a larger sensor and that is about it.
The original Q is actually smaller than the GR, but the GR with retracting lens is more highly portable because of that fact. But the native Q lenses are to a point smaller than the M4/3 lenses which fit on the Panasonic GM1 with 4/3 sensor. The GM1 has a body that is fractionally smaller than the original Q but suffers from the extra bulk from the need/advantage of multiple lens choices. It is also very solidly built and feels solid and comfortable in the hand "weights well".
The Q is arguably less fiddly in use than the GM1 but streets behind the GR in user interface. The Q may have found more DNA from Ricoh over the models but the one I have is distinctly "Pentax'" in outlook, but that is not necessarily bad as Pentax have some good ideas of thier own. They include good physical controls and in body image stabilisation. The delete button is a little hard to access but otherwise no real problem. The worst non-feature of the Q in my book is the continuation of the 460K lcd. At the very least this should be upgraded but I suspect the battery might not be up to the challenge. Ricoh good naturedly added mode1 focus peaking assist to the Q but the lcd lets it down and while still useful at 2x screen magnification it is less useful at higher magnifications. However those that use the Q with AF lenses might not be particularly worried as mode1 is most useful for manual focus lenses.
However the lack of a hi-resolution lcd, the Pentax mania with style combinations of colour and the avoidance of real advances between models disguised in a complicated model number sequencing makes one wonder what the Q-S1 might offer to attract.
The sensor from the Q7 is now the same size as the high performing GRDIV but I think that Pentax have not yet pumped it up as a GRDIV on steriods, maybe they don't wish to frighten their market as the Q does apparently sell quite well. Furthermore slow and more "fashion" changes keep R&D costs low and they can be sold fairly cheaply into a larger market.
One other puzzle that has not been clarified is a post on a Chinese language site that described a new Ricoh patent that used the moving sensor as a means of a form of phase detect focus by taking readings at various points of movement and thereby determining focus accurately by using what is effectively the same technique as phase detect and presumably at similar speeds. There seems to be no word so far that this patent is part of the Q-S1 mechanism - it it is then this little camera would be a focus-demon in the mirrorless interchaneable lens camera category. If focus speed makes you smile then it is quite possible that the Q-S1 will make it a broad one.
Getting back to the Q vis a vis the GM1 - the GM1 has developed a very useful touch screen interface, which among other things puts five configurable function keys on the touch screen, a 15 slot configurable quickmenu is also provided. The interface is well thought out but severely let down by the only wheel being the single multi-function wheel that surrounds the ok button. This MF wheel often develops and mind of its own to a user's high level frustration. Also like most cameras the red video button which although is not over-large is still red and cannot be configured to do anything but either dead or alive. On a camera with limited external controls this is a real oversight - not everyone wants to do video. The GM1 also eschews simple icons for really sensible indications which shows that Panasonic really intended to market this camera at power level users and as it has their very latest sensor it can do pretty well everything that any 4/3 sensor camera can do with the only negatives being the absence of the user conveniences of larger grip, built in evf, tilt screen, multiple wheels, on board image stabilisation, etc - the very things that those looking for the smallest bodied camera to have built back in but of course it should not be appreciably larger
If you don't already have a Q then the Q-S1 is a good start for a long and happy relationship, but if you have a Q then the Q-S1 is merely "interesting".
A summary - correct me if I am wrong:
Q = magnesium body, innovative design, better lenses are good toy lenses are overpriced
Q10 = new "plastic" body but otherwise much the same camera (slightly larger)
Q7 = same body as Q10, much the same as before but has a larger sensor - eveyone gratified by the fact that the larger sensor works fine with existing lenses
Q-S1 = new body with "aluminium plates", slightly larger again, same as Q7 but sensor has "improved focus" which might indicate sensor movement phase detect capability.
Worth it over the smaller GM1 with even larger sensor and access to a huge range of lenses? Don't know, I like both, the Q is marginally nicer to use and takes quite acceptable images - but with deep enough pockets I can slap a 85mm equivalent f1.2 image stabilised AF lens on the GM1 and turn it into a rocket. Both cameras work better with a extenal lens on a stick to turn the evf into a very large evf screen. The Clearviewer is available and can be bought today and can be recommended. I have made my own version which I call the "VEfinder" to distinguish it.
Tom
