[paulromero]

I'm interested in getting a Q system and have been looking at the Q7. Does anyone know if Ricoh/Pentax will be offering a new Q body that is an upgrade from the Q7? I would hate to buy the Q7 and find that a new version will soon be released to replace that body.

[Adam]

Does anyone know if Ricoh/Pentax will be offering a new Q body that is an upgrade from the Q7?

Nobody knows. But, if you'd like to be sure, I would wait until after Photokina. Of course the Q7 will eventually be replaced, but that doesn't mean its successor will be cheaper. There are some really nice deals on the Q7 right now

[blackcloudbrew]

... I would hate to buy the Q7 and find that a new version will soon be released to replace that body.

That is always the risk with cameras in general. It's almost assured that 2 weeks after you buy one, a new version will be released. This has happened to me when I bought my K10d in 2008 shortly after that purchase the K20d was released. Pentax is no stranger to this effect. Even though the Q7 has now been around for a bit, Pentax has been expanding the lens offerings of late. Not sure what they could put into a new body at this point save for a higher resolution sensor - my guess there. OTOH, the Q7 is a fine little machine that I enjoy using and really head and shoulders above the original Q and Q10. Even should you buy in only to find that the Q? 5? is released this fall, you will have the use of a fun camera (Q7) and like many of us, be ready to consider yet another upgrade down the road.

[Steve.Ledger]

OTOH, the Q7 is a fine little machine that I enjoy using and really head and shoulders above the original Q and Q10.

The reason I didn't upgrade to the Q7 from the original Q is I have not seen any photos to convince me that it is worth while. The sensor might be a tad larger but it's still 12Mp and the max res is still the same 4000 x 3000px.
The other reason of course is the plastic body, I really like the mag'alloy body [and design] of the original Q.
I think the only thing that would give me cause to reconsider upgrading the body of the Q would be a tilting screen and a popup EVF like the RX100 III..

[Imageman]

Systems remain stable for a while with slight improvements and then theres a magnitude shift.


Such a magnitude shift is the recent increase in the lens lineup in the Q range.


This suggests a change to the camera is imminent and they are preparing for it by introducing some new lenses to complement its introduction.


Wait a little and see if this happens, if it does the existing Q will be the subject of offers and the new model might be an enticing upgrade.

[paulromero]

Thanks for advice...I plan on waiting until Photokina is over to see if something new comes forth. Great advice from all.

[CarlG]

I plan on waiting until Photokina is over to see if something new comes forth.

Just remember that nothing will be available at Photokina. It will take months, perhaps half a year, before anything presented at the trade show becomes available in stores and on the net. That's a lot of playtime with the Q lost.

[narual]

Such a magnitude shift is the recent increase in the lens lineup in the Q range.

Did I miss something? The last lenses I saw released were the wide zoom and the pinhole, and those were both in 2013. A quick google isn't showing anything new, but maybe I missed something?

(And /agree on the nice feel of the original Q vs the newer ones. I like how *solid* it feels, and people often remark on it when they try it out)

[Mikesul]

The reason I didn't upgrade to the Q7 from the original Q is I have not seen any photos to convince me that it is worth while. The sensor might be a tad larger but it's still 12Mp and the max res is still the same 4000 x 3000px.
The other reason of course is the plastic body, I really like the mag'alloy body [and design] of the original Q.
I think the only thing that would give me cause to reconsider upgrading the body of the Q would be a tilting screen and a popup EVF like the RX100 III..

I agree with most of this. I have both cameras. I think there is a small improvement with the Q7 in IQ with the 01 and 06 and a real increase in speed. However, because of the larger sensor you lose some of the distance with the 06 and other telephotos so I continue to use the original Q with those lenses. Of course, there is something about the feel of the original body. That said the Q7 is a superb camera which takes outstanding pictures and handles very nicely. You won't be able to buy anything new, even if there is a new camera, for at least 5-6 months.

[barondla]

I think there will be a new Q at photokina and it will ship for Christmas holidays. The original Q came out in October-November. I could be totally wrong. Once a product drops to a certain price point, a new version usually arrives. Question is, will the new one be worth the price increase? Everyone will answer differently.
thanks
barondla

[hnikesch]

With the Q7 now avail for $340 it is hard to pass up go for it

[CWRailman]

The reason I didn't upgrade to the Q7 from the original Q is I have not seen any photos to convince me that it is worth while. The sensor might be a tad larger but it's still 12Mp and the max res is still the same 4000 x 3000px.
The other reason of course is the plastic body, I really like the mag'alloy body [and design] of the original Q.
I think the only thing that would give me cause to reconsider upgrading the body of the Q would be a tilting screen and a popup EVF like the RX100 III..

The only time I posted to the Pentax board in the past the moderator stripped much of the content of my message and removed the links to my photographs so it did not represent what I wanted to say. Hence the reason I have stayed away from this board while contributing to others. For some reason they did not like what CWRailman had to say about his photography or his site.

The type of photography I am involved in is very critical in relation to sharpness, depth of field and sharpness of the image. Most of my images are of model railroads and are posted to my web site. In producing those images, the camera is close to the subject, I am usually shooting at the smallest aperture looking for the most depth of field. This is exactly the opposite of what most photographers are trying to accomplish. For much of this work I rely on my Pentax K-110, a K-5 or a K-5IIs.

Recently I got intrigued by the Pentax Q series. In the past month I have gone from a Pentax Q to a Q10 and now have a Q7. Yes, there is a difference.

The Q was fun and felt solid but slightly small. I especially liked Blunty’s YouTube presentation on the Q which motivated me to purchase a used Q with the 01 Prime lens. While I know the Q10 is supposedly the same internals, the Q10 that I purchased was delivering slightly sharper and more detailed images in actual photographs. (Most of my photographs are taken using manual focus so not to rely on the autofocus.) In my hands, which are average in size, the Q10 felt a bit better and while it was not a deal breaker, I liked that Pentax slightly raised many of the buttons above the surface of the camera body.

The Q7 is still a 12MP camera, however if you read The Complete Digital Photography book Third Edition by Ben Long on page 23 he explains why the larger sensor with the same MP will produce better sharpness, less noise and a better signal to noise ratio. Basically though the sensor count is the same, the larger “photo sites” (each pixel) produce better results than the smaller photo site.

By the way, while I have the Q10 and the Q7 side by side has anyone else noticed that the Q7 has a slight gold tinge to the silver body?? Most of my testing of the Q series in shooting models has been using the 01 Prime lens as I am looking to achieve the ultimate sharpness.

My name is my site if you wish to see any of my work and what can be done with a Pentax Q.

[Mikesul]

I will take a look at your site. You are right to use the 01 since that still seems to be by far the sharpest Q lens. It also renders very nicely.

---------- Post added 07-24-14 at 07:16 PM ----------

I just visited your site and have to return here to recommend it to others. You clearly understand, appreciate and make excellent use of your Qs. It was a pleasure to see you fine pictures and hear about your great enthusiasm both for railroading and Pentax. Thank you for your contributions which I hope will continue on PF as well. This is normally a very friendly, intelligently moderated board.

[dms]

At this point (or any time) I think the following process is most cost effective.
1. If you have real need for something you buy it immediately!
2. If not you wait for the new product to come out, and have gone thru it's shakedown period (maybe several months), and then if it is a solid improvement--you buy it, or the model it replaced at significant price reduction.
By this process (if the Q is desired and not needed) I suggest you wait for the new Q--it has been too long since the Q7 was released.

[aglet]

My new silver Q7 with 5-15mm zoom kit just arrived today.. for $250!

I have the original Q and a few lenses and I really like the little thing tho I don't often use it. I normally prefer my larger sensor cameras for most of my shooting.

I've wanted to get a Q7 because of its larger sensor.
I find the IQ of the Q is a bit lacking with its tiny pixels but my Canon G series camera uses a sensor almost identical in size to the one in the Q7 and I've been fairly pleased with the IQ from it, even tho it's not that much larger.
I'm looking forward to testing the Q7 in a variety of situations and hope that it will match or exceed my old Canon (G11/12) at low ISO shots where i need clean, fine detail.
I hope there will soon be a proper macro lens (20mm f/1.4 or faster please) for the Q system as this is where i think it will really shine.

Oh, where did I get that deal?..
Amazon.ca
It was out of stock when I placed the order but it was filled within a few weeks.
If you can nab one for a price this good, get 2! It doesn't feel like plastic and I also find the Q7 body proportions make for a more comfortable camera to use.