Pentax Q-S1 Review
Performance
In order to measure the general performance of the Pentax Q-S1, we performed a series of controlled tests using a stopwatch. The different tests and their results are outlined below. All times* in the table are median values based on 5 separate measurements, rounded to the nearest tenth of a second. Tests were performed using the same Sandisk Extreme 32Gb SDHC 45Mb/s card in both cameras (this card's speed exceeds the cameras' maximum write speed).
Q | Q-S1 & Q7 | |
| Startup to shutter release The time between pressing of the on button and image capture. | 5.0s | 1.4s |
| Startup to playback The time between pressing of the on button and display of playback mode. | 5.0s | 4.0s |
| Startup time The time it took the camera to display live view after the on button was pressed. | 2.0s | 1.0s |
| RAW Buffer Size The number of RAW photos that could be taken in continuous-lo mode without a drop in framerate. | 5 | 5 |
| JPEG Buffer Size The number of JPEG photos that could be taken in continuous-hi mode without a drop in framerate. | 6 | 6 |
| Image Capture to Menu Unlock (JPEG) The time between pressing of the shutter button and display of the menu (in JPEG mode). | 2.0s | 2.0s |
| Image Capture to Menu Unlock (RAW) The time between pressing of the shutter button and display of the menu (in RAW mode). | 5.0s | 3.9s |
| Buffer Full to Menu Unlock (JPEG) The time between the first shutter actuation and the display of the menu after taking 6 consecutive JPEG shots in continuous-hi mode. | ~6s | ~6s |
| Buffer Full to Menu Unlock (RAW) The time between the first shutter actuation and the display of the menu after taking 5 consecutive RAW shots in continuous-lo mode. | ~22s | ~11s |
| Shutter lag The time between pressing of the shutter button and image capture. | <0.1s* | <0.1s* |
*based on official specifications
The most significant difference between the Q-S1 and the Q is that the Q-S1 is ready to shoot after about 1.4 seconds, while the Q requires a whole 5 seconds to "think" before it is good to go. The Q-S1 also flushes out its buffer more quickly in RAW mode. We found the Q-S1 to have the same performance as the Q7.
While faster than the original Q and Q10, the Q-S1 is sill somewhat slow to write to the memory card, and while it is writing data to the card, the menu locks up (though you can still release the shutter if the buffer isn't full). The Q-S1, like all other Pentax cameras, also takes a while to delete files off the card.
Overall, we are pleased with the Q-S1's performance. It's hard to expect pro-grade speed from such a small camera, as it simply doesn't have room for the more advanced processors found in DSLRs. Nevertheless, Pentax has still left some room for improvement, as high speed has never been their forte. We hope that future models are able to multitask while writing data to the memory card, such that settings can be changed and the menu can be accessed during this time. The bottom line is that as long as you avoid continuous mode with the Q-S1, you shouldn't run in to any major hiccups during everyday use. To good news is that the Q-S1 is more than fast enough to handle everyday RAW shooting: something that did not apply to the now-discontinued MX-1 enthusiast compact.
Battery Life
The Q-S1 uses a small battery and therefore has a rather short battery life. You can expect to get around 200 photos on a single charge, so you may want to carry a second battery on longer trips.
Read on to see what autofocus performance the Q-S1 brings to the table.
