We try once again to resist the lure of tiny
Pentax cameras
My very first film SLR was a Pentax, and
that camera took some excellent pictures during my degree. However, the Pentax
Q reminds me of another Pentax I once owned: the implausibly small and cute
Pentax 110 SLR.
What that camera offered was a remarkably
small body that took a complete range of interchangeable lenses, yet it fit in
the palm of my hand. The Q isn't quite Pentax 110 diminutive, being 57.5 x 98 x
31 mm, but it offers the same DSLR-like features and a entirely new 'Q Mount'
for interchangeable specialist lenses.
The basic camera comes with a Prime 8.5mm
F1.9 lens, equivalent to a 47mm lens on a 35mm SLR. This is great for low light
conditions and group portraits, but with no zoom facility it's not much use for
sporting or wildlife shoots. Pentax makes four additional 'Q' series lenses,
including a zoom, wide-angle, telephoto and a fish-eye. These lenses range from
about $144 for the wide angle, to $400 for the Zoom, although you can get a kit
with the camera, prime and zoom included for around $800 if you hunt.
What it doesn't offer in the standard
configuration is a viewfinder, although there's an option for a flash-bayonet
mounted one if you part with another $160.
If you think that's too steep, then you'll
be framing with the 3" rear LCD panel, which presents an impression of
what light is currently striking the small (by DSLR standards) CMOS sensor
(1/2.3").
The size of the sensor sort of suggests
that this is a compact camera with delusions that it might grow up to be a DSLR
one day, although Pentax would undoubtedly claim it grabs the middle ground.
Examining the test shots I took, the colour
saturation is excellent and they were generally pin-sharp, probably because the
image stabilisation works very well. Although not on par with a full-scale
DSLR, the results, especially at lower ISO settings, were surprisingly good.
It's better than many compacts I've used, though possibly not as good as some
of the higher-end models, or better bridge designs. While it was never going to
be DSLR good, I must salute Pentax for its endeavours to get the very most out
of this camera and its sensor.
What's less endearing is just how long it
takes for the Q to be ready to shoot, because this isn't a design that embraces
spontaneity. It takes at least five times what my Canon IXUS takes to wake up,
and the lack of a genuinely fast focusing mechanism can generate pictures of
people quickly getting bored of having their picture taken. The focus tends to
do a little dithering dance, wasting valuable shooting opportunities in the
meantime.
Almost as debilitating is the very average
battery life, which Pentax quotes as good for just 230 shots. That pretty much
necessitates buying another battery if you use the camera on a regular basis or
intend to use the flash at all.
Like so many compact camera makers, Pentax
seems fallen into the trap of trying to put lots of controls in a small space,
without any great priority given to what most people will be likely to need and
want. Therefore you get a nice zoom wheel, where no zoom is available on the
prime lens. It's also remarkably easy to hit buttons without realising, so
crowded is the part of the camera you generally hold.
Better effort was made with the design of
the flash, which can be used in two positions. You can shoot with it just to
the side of the lens, or it can telescope out to create a better angle,
reducing red-eye effects at source.
In the end I wasn't entirely sure what to
think of the Pentax Q, other than it was adorably small, but flawed in a number
of important areas. If Pentax can make it more responsive, and give it a better
battery life, I think it might have a winner.
What the Q currently offers is the portability
of a compact, the looks of a DSLR, but the finer points of neither. At launch
this camera had an RRP of $958.4. At the rate of depreciation it has seen since
it will soon become a bargain, I predict.
Details
Price: $478
Manufacturer: Pentax
Website: wmw.pentax.com
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