I wanted to dump this into the general forums because it's both the K-01 and the Q, but I wasn't sure if it belonged there..
..So I took a trip to B&H Superstore in NYC to purchase a waterproof messenger bag (Domke Courier Medium, if anyone is interested), and I stopped by the Pentax booth. The Canon and Nikon booths were loaded with customers playing with the cameras, but the Pentax (and pretty much all other brands) had one or two people stopping by to look at things. So I got myself to the front of the non-existent crowd to play with these two cameras!
Forgive my terrible pictures, my iPhone isn't the best camera:
Pentax K-01 Initial Impressions Looks:
My my my.. what an interesting camera! The black is definitely the best looking to me, followed by Stormtrooper White. Bumblebee Yellow doesn't look terrible, but it's not that great for me. From the front, it actually looks pretty normal. I didn't even notice the stovepipe dial - it really just looks like a short SLR from the front. Back looks alright, top is weird with the red and green buttons being so prominent, but not "ugly".
Feel:
Feels great! I don't think I have a problem with grip! Even with a heavier lens, the camera feels substantial enough that I can still one-hand it (For reference, I carry my Tamron 70-200 F2.8 and k-x one-handed). Buttons feel pretty accessible, but I haven't tried it with the red and green buttons that people are saying are out of reach. The material feels really good to the touch - I hate the plastic that most cameras have nowadays. The camera feels very balanced with the 40mm XS, and I imagine it'll be great with almost any normal or shorter prime on it.
Menus and function:
The menu was so easy to navigate! As a Pentax user, everything was intuitive - it took me 10 seconds to find the focus peaking feature, set to center AF and center weighted metering, and then I was ready to shoot! If you have a Pentax camera, the menu system will be very intuitive.
Focus peaking is absolutely awesome - I finally get to see it in person. Very easy to use, remains active while in AF mode (so you can use it with quick-shift). Changing exposure settings doesn't make the screen darken or brighten like the S95 does - the metering bar tells you everything. I much prefer that over the S95 feature, because it was just distracting.
Shutter sound isn't that loud! Drive mode, and I could barely hear it - so in an environment with people chatting around, you can't hear the shutter from a few feet away. I guess that's like the k-5, since that was my impression of the k-5 too.
Live view screen is quite responsive and nice - a ton better than my k-x. I guess if you have a k-5, it should be similar.
Autofocus:
With the 40mm XS, it's great. Wow, it's good. It's not slow at all, as good as my k-x to say the least. And watching focus peaking in action while AF is happening shows you that the AF is accurate as heck! It does cycle through the range a bit, but the 40mm XS has pretty short throw. I understand that the AF system is not that great with a few of the other lenses (18-55, 55-300, 35mm macro). But after handling this camera with the 40mm XS, I am hoping that majority of the primes (especially the 21 limited, 31 limited, 43, 70, 77, etc) focus as quick or close enough.
Image quality
Got nothing to say here, the camera has no card so I couldn't review any of the pictures. But I'm sure they are good!
Summary
I want this camera - if only for the focus peaking. But I want weather resistance, so the k-5 replacement better have focus peaking!
Pentax Q Initial Impressions Looks and Feel:
What a great little camera! It really endeared itself to me when I played with it. It looks really good in person, and makes most compact cameras look old fashioned. Despite it's size, it feels very solid to the touch. The body doesn't feel very plasticky, I can definitely use this camera one-handed. Button placements are nice, but buttons are tiny! I have really fat thumbs so I think the button sizes are not great for me. I used my k-x with gloves and had no problems hitting buttons, but I doubt I can do that with the Q.
Menus and function:
The menu is just as good as the K-01! Very intuitive to Pentax users. I can find practically any function very easily. The quick dial in the front is a brilliant idea on the empty space in the front. Single dial in the back like the K-01 and the k-x/k-r, which I am used to. I can't find anything wrong with the menu and layouts.
Shutter sound is very quite as well, which makes it very cute when shooting continuous drive.
I didn't try the focus assist for manual focusing - I think it is just zooming in? Manual focus on the Q isn't as fun as on the K-01. First, there is no focus peaking. Second, the screen is smaller, so the zoom in focus assist is a must. Third, the focus-by-wire system on the Q lens means it doesn't give feedback when it hits infinity or minimum focus. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is disconcerting.
Live view screen is responsive and not laggy at all. When compared to point and shoots, the Q fares very very well.
Autofocus:
Autofocus on the Q is quite quick. Nothing to rave about, but when we're comparing with point and shoots, the Q definitely holds its ground. Had no problems focusing between minimum and infinity.
Image quality
Got nothing to say here, the camera has no card so I couldn't review any of the pictures. But I'm sure they are good!
Summary
I would love to have the Q in my pocket. It's tiny, it's adorable, it's well built, and it's got almost everything I want in a camera. The only things missing is weather-resistance and a larger sensor. Once I get my k-5, I will definitely consider getting a Q.