Pentax Q

[i speak in math]

Image resource hands on preview
Pentax Q Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview
More info on the pentax forums:
Pentax Q Interchangeable Lens System - Pentax News - PentaxForums.com

Looks like a really impressively small size


retains the useful hot-shoe, especially cool for off camera flash. Without a shutter mechanism, it should have really high sync speed.


Move-able pop up flash, if you want to move it slightly off axis


Nice looking lens lineup:

Comes with: 47mm F1.9

also available,

Zoom: 27.5-80mm F2.8-4.5
Fisheye
Wide angle: 35mm
telephoto 100mm
Optical viewfinder
Polarizing filter
Lens hood

[jdepould]

Interesting, but ultimately, there's no way I'd spend $800 on a 1/2.3" sensor.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by jdepould

Interesting, but ultimately, there's no way I'd spend $800 on a 1/2.3" sensor.

Ditto. Not to mention the money for the lenses, and that two of them are classed as "toy" lenses. (sigh). Not, alas, what I was hoping Pentax would do in terms of making a mirrorless compact with interchangeable lenses... it looks like fun, but ultimately too expensive for the probable image quality.

Between this, the Panasonic GF3 (dumbed down GF2), and Leica M9-P (hey, let's just change the LCD's glass cover on the M9 but make it a $1000 more expensive!) it's been a month of disappointing announcements in terms of how I'm not seeing a mirrorless compact that makes me wanna plunk money down on the counter. The only hope I'm holding out is a micro 4/3 rumor that Panasonic is splitting the GF line and preparing a "for enthusiasts" model. But it's still just a rumor.

BTW, dpreview's saying the max. sync speed of the Q is 1/2000s.

[i speak in math]

I agree about the price, $800 is waaaay too much for that. Maybe $800 for everything in the picture -- body, all lenses and such. I would rather see the body around $200-300. The camera is also going to be pretty much only sold in Japan, so we'll see how it does. I think a camera that small with a fisheye would make a pretty fun party camera.

In other news, they are supposed to announce a second mirrorless camera later this year that uses a regular APS-C sensor. Pentaxians are speculating that it will support K-mount as having a 4th mount would really hurt pentax's ability to produce enough lenses for the popular K mount (which needs more lenses).

[OsmosisStudios]

I'd buy into it if it were lower res (6-8mp), had amazing iso characteristics and wasn't ridiculously expensive. Because that's small.

[Izzy]

I like the looks. Has that "vintage" thing going for it. However it is just outright too small for my hands. I wear a size 12 wedding ring if that gives you any idea. The price has me turned off because it is more than I spent on my first dslr. about $250 more.

Novel idea though. I think my money would be better spent on a new lens of some sort or a Fuji X100.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by i speak in math

... they are supposed to announce a second mirrorless camera later this year that uses a regular APS-C sensor. Pentaxians are speculating that it will support K-mount ....

I'm not seeing this, honestly, unless we're talking about supporting K-mount and M42 via adapters, the way that micro four-thirds supports four-thirds. The whole point of a mirrorless compact is to make the body smaller and shallower, and once you change the flange-to-mount distance, you can't focus to infinity with the same lenses. Supporting K-mount directly would mean that the cameras wouldn't be any thinner than the K-mount dSLRs, and you lose the size advantage everyone goes to these cameras for. Not to mention the smaller lenses.

Originally Posted by Izzy

... I think my money would be better spent on a new lens of some sort or a Fuji X100.

If only the X100 had an interchangeable lens mount, I'd be considering it. But $1k for a fixed-mount 35/2 equivalent doesn't really work for me. Uber-sexy viewfinder tech and retro styling, though. I've been enjoying van Niekerk's reviews and attempts to use it for pro work, but he hasn't really convinced me it's worth the bucks for me. Curious to see if anybody else picks up that viewfinder tech, though.