Pentax Q10 at a glance:
- 12.4-million-pixel backlit CMOS sensor
- Customised Quick Dial
- 5 frames per second continuous shooting
- 3in, 460,000-dot LCD screen
- JPEG and DNG raw capture
- 58x102x33.5mm size
- 200g weight (with battery and memory card), 180g body only
- Street price around £379 with 5-15mm lens
Pentax Q10 review – Introduction
When Pentax released its Q system in 2011, it was the smallest and lightest compact system camera in the world. The design of the camera is simple, showing a fairly classic style but with a full complement of shooting modes and all the features one would expect from an entry-level DSLR. There is a catch, however – the Pentax Q is able to be so small because it uses a standard-sized compact camera sensor, which is tiny when compared to the APS-C and even four thirds-sized sensors used in other CSCs. As such, the Q’s image quality is much more like that of a consumer compact camera than it is a typical CSC.
In September last year, Pentax announced the second camera in the Q system, the Pentax Q10. Although this new model is based largely on the original Q, a few new features have been included. I was interested, then, to take a second look at the Q system, to see whether this updated model can really be a useful tool for enthusiast photographers.
