[sapporodan]

Well I am now having a bit of a dilemma. I was planning to buy a Q S-1 this Christmas and it would be a good upgrade from my original Q. The better image quality and wider field of view it gives would be really appreciated. But I am feeling it’s really is just a Q7 with a firmware update in a slightly different body!

So now I am thinking, would the money be better spent buying the 08 lens now instead, and then pick up a cheap second hand Q7 next year? I still get a nice 21mm – 33mm wide angle lens for now, and everyone is so enthusiastic about the image quality of the 08.

I really want both but just don’t have the cash, Just can’t decide which one I want more!

[Mikesul]

As long as the price on the QS-1 is so high the Q7 remains a better choice. The 08 is a fine lens on the Q. I had instant buyers regret when I ordered it but a couple of outings with the lens completely won me over. I think I use it now almost as much as the 06.

[romay]

Buy the lens and wait with the body, or get a real cheap used Q7.
It seems Ricoh is following a yearly tick-tock release cycle with the Q, a technical upgrade followed by a cosmetical one. It's not unlikely that towards second half of next year we see something radically new again. If you can wait and need the money, better invest in lenses for now.

[goubejp]

I just received my Q-S1 at a bargain price - 230 euros. My next buy will be the 08 zoom

[sapporodan]

I just received my Q-S1 at a bargain price - 230 euros. My next buy will be the 08 zoom

Wow that's cheap! The cheapest I can find in the U.K. goes for about 350 euros! the 08 cost about 400!

Enjoy.

---------- Post added 11-17-14 at 06:12 AM ----------

As long as the price on the QS-1 is so high the Q7 remains a better choice. The 08 is a fine lens on the Q. I had instant buyers regret when I ordered it but a couple of outings with the lens completely won me over. I think I use it now almost as much as the 06.

The price of the Q7 and Q-S1 are almost identical right now, but I have seen a few sellers from Japan selling them cheap on Amazon (But need to pay import duty on them so don't really save that much)!

The 08 is looking tempting......

[hnikesch]

In the US the Q7 is about $230, that's about 160 euros, I chose it over the Q-S1 to replace my damaged Q7 that will put me closer to an 08

[sapporodan]

Buy the lens and wait with the body, or get a real cheap used Q7.
It seems Ricoh is following a yearly tick-tock release cycle with the Q, a technical upgrade followed by a cosmetical one. It's not unlikely that towards second half of next year we see something radically new again. If you can wait and need the money, better invest in lenses for now.

Have to admit you just highlighted one of my concerns, The Q has got some really strong competition, and it will need to evolve to keep competitive, but is the Q-S1 just a quick cash in before they release a updated camera, or is Pentax happy with it and will keep the Q S-1 as the flagship for a long time?

I know it's pointless to wait for the next model, as there will always be a new camera on the horizon, but I still feel a bit stung when I remember I purchased a shiny Olympus E-P3 only for the OMD to turn up 6 months later

[Adam]

But I am feeling it’s really is just a Q7 with a firmware update in a slightly different body!

That sums it up fairly well. The price of the Q7 has dropped so substantially that it will probably be a much better value for a while. The 08 lens is rather overpriced in comparison IMHO, but I've heard many positive things about it from friends that use it.

[sapporodan]

Buy the Q7 at woot ($230), sell the extra 02 lens, and then go for the 08 lens once you've saved up the $150 difference.

Pentax Q7 12.4MP Camera w/ 5-15mm Lens - Woot

Thanks for the info, unfortunately I am from the other side of the pond, from a country know as 'Rip off Britain' a country where it's traditional to pay far too much for electrical goods and then complain about it in the pub after we bought it!

[CWRailman]

Well I am now having a bit of a dilemma. I was planning to buy a Q S-1 this Christmas and it would be a good upgrade from my original Q. The better image quality and wider field of view it gives would be really appreciated. But I am feeling it’s really is just a Q7 with a firmware update in a slightly different body!

So now I am thinking, would the money be better spent buying the 08 lens now instead, and then pick up a cheap second hand Q7 next year? I still get a nice 21mm – 33mm wide angle lens for now, and everyone is so enthusiastic about the image quality of the 08.

I really want both but just don’t have the cash, Just can’t decide which one I want more!

Sorry to put it to you this way but you have not provided sufficient information for anyone to assist you in making an informed non-partisan decision.

You say you have the original Q. What lens or lenses do you currently have with that? Are you getting the most out of your current configuration? Have you pushed it to it’s limits? How do you know? Remember that just buying a better camera does not make you a better photographer.

What type of photography do you enjoy doing the most? Bird or long range nature shots, wide landscape shots, portrait shots, head shots, out door shots, indoor shots, street shots, architecture shots, products shots or what? This will help determine what equipment is best suited to your needs.

Is the Q your only camera?

Where do you expect to go within the realm of photography? While I like the Q series, and have purchased five of them in the past five months, if you have aspirations of moving deeper into photography then your available funds may be better directed at getting a used DSLR with a 18-55 kit lens which will give you the reasonable wide angle you are looking for as well as a better quality image.

IMHO I would not waste money on the Q-S1 as there is no appreciable difference between it and the Q7. It only exists because camera manufactures have taken a page from the women’s garment industry manual which insists that to maintain profitability they need to produce a new garment/model every year no matter how insignificant the changes may be and then use advertising and peer pressure to assure that the consumer feels compelled to upgrade. (Add one additional cup holder to the inside of your cars, offer it in two new colors and call it a new model.)

While the 08 has been reported to be an excellent lens, many people are getting really exceptional results as shown in the forum by using the 02 lens. You might be best suited by purchasing a Q7 with the 02 lens. The Q7 will give you better IQ than your current Q and you may find that is all you need to get a significant improvement or open new options in your photographic endeavors. The Q7 is currently available on Ebay for $240. BTW while I purchased my K-5 and K-5IIs from B&H in New York, I have purchased all 5 of the Q series from sellers on Ebay and not had one problem with any of them.

Ironically, in the days of film the rule of thumb was, when working with limited funds, purchase the best piece of glass you can and put it on the cheapest body. That was why so many of the Pentax K-1000 were sold as body only to photographers who bought expensive high quality lenses. Today the sensor in the camera is of primary importance so the rule has changed to have the best sensor/body you can afford because the best glass on the cheapest body will not produce the same results as the kit lens glass on a good sensor.

[sapporodan]

Seriously, I'd be willing to snag one here for you and forward it on. $230 is about £146. Import duty to UK starts at £135, and if you left the lens off, it would be well under that value. I could sell the lens here and forward you the funds. You'd only be on the hook for import VAT. Drop me a PM if interested.

A tempting offer, I might have to have a serious think about that

---------- Post added 17-11-14 at 11:20 ----------

Sorry to put it to you this way but you have not provided sufficient information for anyone to assist you in making an informed non-partisan decision.

You say you have the original Q. What lens or lenses do you currently have with that? Are you getting the most out of your current configuration? Have you pushed it to it’s limits? How do you know? Remember that just buying a better camera does not make you a better photographer.

What type of photography do you enjoy doing the most? Bird or long range nature shots, wide landscape shots, portrait shots, head shots, out door shots, indoor shots, street shots, architecture shots, products shots or what? This will help determine what equipment is best suited to your needs.

Is the Q your only camera?

Where do you expect to go within the realm of photography? While I like the Q series, and have purchased five of them in the past five months, if you have aspirations of moving deeper into photography then your available funds may be better directed at getting a used DSLR with a 18-55 kit lens which will give you the reasonable wide angle you are looking for as well as a better quality image.

IMHO I would not waste money on the Q-S1 as there is no appreciable difference between it and the Q7. It only exists because camera manufactures have taken a page from the women’s garment industry manual which insists that to maintain profitability they need to produce a new garment/model every year no matter how insignificant the changes may be and then use advertising and peer pressure to assure that the consumer feels compelled to upgrade. (Add one additional cup holder to the inside of your cars, offer it in two new colors and call it a new model.)

While the 08 has been reported to be an excellent lens, many people are getting really exceptional results as shown in the forum by using the 02 lens. You might be best suited by purchasing a Q7 with the 02 lens. The Q7 will give you better IQ than your current Q and you may find that is all you need to get a significant improvement or open new options in your photographic endeavors. The Q7 is currently available on Ebay for $240. BTW while I purchased my K-5 and K-5IIs from B&H in New York, I have purchased all 5 of the Q series from sellers on Ebay and not had one problem with any of them.

Ironically, in the days of film the rule of thumb was, when working with limited funds, purchase the best piece of glass you can and put it on the cheapest body. That was why so many of the Pentax K-1000 were sold as body only to photographers who bought expensive high quality lenses. Today the sensor in the camera is of primary importance so the rule has changed to have the best sensor/body you can afford because the best glass on the cheapest body will not produce the same results as the kit lens glass on a good sensor.

Well I have the 01,02,03 & 06, although I mainly use the 06 and 03, I don't use the 01 often as I am not a fan of the 50mm focal range or the 02 as its just not wide enough for my taste. Getting a Q7/S-1 fixes that problem somewhat.
I mainly do street photography (Wandering around London on a lunch time) but I really need a wider lens to complement the 06, so with the Q7/S1 I can have 24mm with the 02, or get the 08 lens and I can have 21mm! There is advantages to getting either!

I am not one of these people who craves high resolution, one of my favourite cameras is my Olympus E-1, with it's huge 5 megapixel sensor

My Q is the camera that I take everywhere, it always sits at the bottom of my bag with the lenses and I don't even notice the weight!

I have to ask, why did you buy 5 Q's?

Dan

[romay]

Have to admit you just highlighted one of my concerns, The Q has got some really strong competition, and it will need to evolve to keep competitive, but is the Q-S1 just a quick cash in before they release a updated camera, or is Pentax happy with it and will keep the Q S-1 as the flagship for a long time?

I know it's pointless to wait for the next model, as there will always be a new camera on the horizon, but I still feel a bit stung when I remember I purchased a shiny Olympus E-P3 only for the OMD to turn up 6 months later

Sapporodan, I can't say for sure, but if you look at their release cycle:

2011: Pentax Q (original)
2012: Q10 (model upgrade)
2013: Q7 (sensor upgrade)
2014: Q S-1 (model upgrade)

you can guess that 2015 will probably be the year for another sensor upgrade. This scheme is quite prevalent in marketing. So, in our case, the odd years are the ones when you get most bang for the buck.
I also own a Q (Limited silver edition) and I'll stick with it for another year. Nothing stings more than forking out the cash for a Q-S1 now and then they announce a new model with better sensor or OVF half a year later.

[CWRailman]

A tempting offer, I might have to have a serious think about that

---------- Post added 17-11-14 at 11:20 ----------





Well I have the 01,02,03 & 06, although I mainly use the 06 and 03, I don't use the 01 often as I am not a fan of the 50mm focal range or the 02 as its just not wide enough for my taste. Getting a Q7/S-1 fixes that problem somewhat.
I mainly do street photography (Wandering around London on a lunch time) but I really need a wider lens to complement the 06, so with the Q7/S1 I can have 24mm with the 02, or get the 08 lens and I can have 21mm! There is advantages to getting either!

I am not one of these people who craves high resolution, one of my favourite cameras is my Olympus E-1, with it's huge 5 megapixel sensor

My Q is the camera that I take everywhere, it always sits at the bottom of my bag with the lenses and I don't even notice the weight!

I have to ask, why did you buy 5 Q's?

Dan

Dan,
It all started in July of this year.
I purchased a used Q with 01 prime after I saw Blunty’s review of the Q. I wanted to test it and see if it delivered the depth of field I was looking for my type of model railroad photography where depth of field is important. (See my WEB site/home page to see what type of shots I had in mind for the little guy) That was #1
One week later I got a deal on a new Q10 with an 02 lens so I bought that and sold the Q body but kept the 01 lens. I did a Blog on this camera showing some of the model railroad images it was able to produce. That was #2
The Q10 was almost where I needed the IQ to be but not quite soooooo, some days after buying the Q10 I bought my first Q7 which got me to where I wanted as far as IQ goes. That was #3
(I will be giving that Q10 as a Christmas present to a good friend who wants to learn a bit more about photography.)
I liked the Q7 so I purchased a used black body and second 02 lens for a ridiculous cheep price. That was #4
I recently got a super deal on another new Q10 so I purchased it to give another friend as a Christmas gift. That be #5
Along the way I also acquired the 06 lens and an 110-Q adapter and four 110 lenses.

I see from your comments that you are well vested in the Q series and now your question makes more sense. I think your second statement that you do not crave high resolution, pretty much answers your question about what to buy. If image resolution is not a compelling factor then that leaves you only a need for the lens.

[MrNPhoto]

That sums it up fairly well. The price of the Q7 has dropped so substantially that it will probably be a much better value for a while. The 08 lens is rather overpriced in comparison IMHO, but I've heard many positive things about it from friends that use it.

On the contrary, the 08 seems to be quite reasonably priced for a MILC WA zoom. A quick look at B&H for zooms of this type (autofocus, 100 deg. fov, f4) returns:
Pentax 08 3.8-5.9mm $500
Fuji 10-24mm $800
Sony 10-18mm $850
Panasonic 7-14mm $970
Olympus 9-18mm $650 (but drops to f5.6 at the long end)
Leica 11-23mm T-mount $1950
Nikon 6.7-13mm $500 (but f5.6 at the long end again)
Samsung 12-24mm $460 (again, f5.6 at 24mm)

Only the Nikon comes close in terms of size and weight. The other lenses might offer improved IQ, but all are larger, heavier, more expensive and often slower at the long end. Only the Samsung is less expensive. It seems that the 08 is very reasonably priced for what you get (102-77deg fov, f3.7-f4, in a 75g lens).

[luftfluss]

On the contrary, the 08 seems to be quite reasonably priced for a MILC WA zoom. A quick look at B&H for zooms of this type (autofocus, 100 deg. fov, f4) returns:
Pentax 08 3.8-5.9mm $500
Fuji 10-24mm $800
Sony 10-18mm $850
Panasonic 7-14mm $970
Olympus 9-18mm $650 (but drops to f5.6 at the long end)
Leica 11-23mm T-mount $1950
Nikon 6.7-13mm $500 (but f5.6 at the long end again)
Samsung 12-24mm $460 (again, f5.6 at 24mm)

Only the Nikon comes close in terms of size and weight. The other lenses might offer improved IQ, but all are larger, heavier, more expensive and often slower at the long end. Only the Samsung is less expensive. It seems that the 08 is very reasonably priced for what you get (102-77deg fov, f3.7-f4, in a 75g lens).

But the image quality of the resultant photos will be significantly less. And while you note those lenses are slower, the larger m43 & APS-C sensors more than make up for that, by far. Modern m43 sensors give you a 2-3 stop advantage over the Q7 in things like dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, etc. And while the Q7 + 08 combo is small, its still not a generally pants-pocketable kit, its more coat-pocketable, like an Oly EPM2 +9-18 combo.

And the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 is $399.

And you can get the Panasonic LX-7 plus their excellent WA converter for less than the 08 lens by itself, and have about the same image quality. While the LX-7 is not an ILC, you will be covered from 18-90mm (35mm equiv) and wider aperture than the Q7. Not as wide as the Q combo, but still quite the range.