Originally posted by VisualDarkness Would I be crazy to choose the Q with 01 and 02 lenses instead of a Q10 + 02 (70€ more) mostly based on the metal build and nicer looks of the white, in my eyes at least?
Regarding the question of whether the Q or the Q10 is the best option, I think I can shed some light.
I got one this weekend to replace my wife's ageing point and shoot and wanted to compare them side by side, so I went to the Pentax Forum here in Tokyo. I was able to try out both of them and they talked me through the differences.
The showroom attendant I was speaking to said that making it out of plastic enabled them to make it cheaper and in more colours. The plastic of the Q10 doesn't feel as good as the metal body of the Q but it is only a small camera, so it doesn't cause any feeling of weakness in the body.
There is a small increase in size. It's only a few millimetres in each dimension but it is a perceptible difference when you look at the together. The new grip is more comfortable to hold - the old Q feels like it could slip out of my hands quite easily. They said they had made the buttons and control easier to use by making them more clicky.
They were not claiming any major changes to the internals of the camera. The autofocus seemed noticeably faster to me. Hopefully they will be able to bring this improvement to the old Q like they did with the K-01 recently.
After looking at them, I decided to go for the Q because I wanted the standard prime lens, it was cheaper and the Q10 isn't available to buy until the 26th. I didn't see any reason to wait for the Q10 but I thought it was a nice camera and a very sensible development of the Q line.
Q advantages - metal body, slightly smaller, available in a kit with the 01 Standard Prime
Q10 advantages - slightly better handling, faster autofocus, some added firmware features, comes in more colours (especially in Japan), available in a kit with the 06 Telephoto Zoom
I hope this helps for anyone who is having trouble deciding between the two.