[6BQ5]

You don't have to use tape- a piece of paper will work. It will still vignette a little in the 3:2 mode, but it won't in the 16:9 mode.

I thought 6BQ5's real name was EL84

Ha! When I'm in a Russian mood and feel like running a little hotter then I'm a 6П14П-ЕВ!

Here is an uncropped image taken with a Q7 and 08.



I wasn't perfectly centered with the room when taking this shot so it looks a little off-angle. Still, you ought to be able to see the nearly circular fisheye projection the 08 lens creates.

Take a look in the tippy-tip corners of the image. They are black. The 08 lens cannot fill the entire 1/1.7" sensor with light. I think the Q7 crops and expands the image to fill the 4000x3000 space when shooting in JPG mode.

[lytrytyr]

Was there a firmware update that added focus peaking to the older Q systems?

Nothing explicit listed here:

Latest PENTAX Q Firmware Update : Software Downloads | RICOH IMAGING

[Sandy Hancock]

Was there a firmware update that added focus peaking to the older Q systems?

Yes, as I recall. I have sold my Q, and given away my Q10, so unfortunately I can't check.

[lytrytyr]

I don't have a clue as to how it works. Magic?

OK, here's my theory (no time to check it all out in practice right now).

On the "full frame" Q models, the camera does not
"switch to a mode where it utilizes a smaller part of the sensor corresponding to an 1/2.3 inch sensor"
as claimed on SMC Pentax-Q 03 Fish-Eye 3.2mm F5.6 Reviews - Q-Mount Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Nor does it extrapolate to a 4000x3000 format,
in part because a routine for that is not included in the camera's limited processing.

But what the camera does have is a correction for barrel distortion, like you see with the 02 zoom.
So my guess is that the Q7 and Q-S1 just run a "barrel distortion correction"
to stretch out the corners of the image from the 03 so you don't see any vignetting in the JPGs.

[Suleeto]

While there are plenty of Q's and Q10's and a lot of Q-S1's out for sale and resale. The number of Q7's seen on resale boards such as Ebay is virtually non existant. IMHO the Q7 was the best of the Q series and well maintained previously owned models are selling for nearly the same amount as Pentax was charging for new ones during last years December sale.

I only bought my Q7 new off of an Ebay vendor I think a couple months ago. Maybe three months ago. And at the time the Q7 could be found easily in silver, black, red, and (less often) yellow. I obviously haven't looked since then because I own the camera now, but I would agree that the Q7 is the popular buy in the line. I think for a lot of Q buyers, styling is a minor factor and the Q-S1 just looks odd. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind picking up a used one in a few years at a discount. Unless they somehow go up in price.

I see limited edition Pentax Auto 110 cameras go for over $100 on ebay, so who knows. Sometimes novelty gets its own price value.