[snipenekkid]

If they really put a button on such a prominent place & named the camera for so-called 'selfies', I'll have to consider myself hopelessly out of date & touch with modern times.

Then again, I don't understand the appeal of Twitter (or more to the point, Instagram) either.

"selfies" are the narcissist version of over done to death HDR....fun for a bit and in tiny doeses but as a full time way of shooting, yaaaaawn.

[D1N0]

The q is too good for selfies. The idea is that the lousy iq of phone camera's masks al signs of ageing. You would need an ugly noise filter to compensate.

[monochrome]

A Selfie button will only be useful if there is also true WiFi connectivity to your Phone built in. The fastest-growing demographic on Instagram (and thus on Facebook altogether) is females age 54+. Gotta keep up with the grandkids.

I/G is actually a useful tool to document and transmit to followers interesting activities. My children have several accounts - all Private - and give me access to one of them (they premit different follower groups for each unique account). When they want me to see something they've done they add photos to the Inhstagram stream in that account. I get a notice.

In many ways that is a eLetter from a child that contains ePrints rather than the old Instamatic photo prints I sent my parents.

SanpChat is really scary. Snaps go away after a few minutes. I don't EVEN want to know.

I don't have a clue what purpose that pustule could fulfill.

[i83N]

By the way have any one noticed that there is no Ricoh label one new Q ?

[Kunzite]

RicohIsDoomed!

[savoche]

Oh, oh, oh! Monochrome is onto something. The 'S' tells us this is, not a "selfie" camera, but a Snapchat camera!

Ricoh is most definitely doomed!

[Sandy Hancock]

The Q system could cross over to a true enthusiast, even professional platform with some faster lenses and some attention to frame rate, AF accuracy and, dare I say it, video.
We'll soon see if things are heading in the right direction.

[Marktax]

The new "button" can't possibly be a shutter release. Making a selfie cam would best implement a flip-up screen like that Samsung mini. A thumb release would be less than useless and I just don't think selfies are an important design issue for the Q design team.

Internally, the IR sensor is already in that location. To move it would require remapping all internal mounts and wiring on that side if the camera. That is an engineering and production line change, with costs. I think the new feature is the still the IR sensor in a finger grip. I'd need to hold one to judge if that's an adequate grip. I find that I hold my Q7 with only my index finger in front of it, so maybe it's fine.

SR badge missing means nothing. Original Q had none. This will still have SR.

I find it interesting that the 2 dials are now on the top deck, and not flush to the deck. Maybe that buys some room inside the body for something new, and maybe it's just a retro-design feature. Ditching the full grip looks like it did away with some internal real estate, so who knows what's going on inside.

I'm going to guess Q-S1 maybe has full compatibility with the Pentax FLU card and not just the Q7's compatibility with eye-fi type cards. That means no internal wi-fi. I have found wi-fi to my phone with the eye-fi card has been very easy and more than adequate. I see no need to internalize wi-fi, which would increase the base cost for those not interested in wi-fi at all. A card makes it an optional cost only for those who want it.

[GibbyTheMole]

I think the mystery button on the front looks like an attachment point for a strap or some other accessory. Won't know 'til the specs are out, though. As far as the styling, I think it looks similar to the original Q body style, which looks great to me. I still prefer the original body style, though.

I'm wondering if there's much new under the hood on this one, or if it's a cosmetically altered version of the Q7. If it's the latter, why bother?

[HYS]

The new "button" can't possibly be a shutter release. Making a selfie cam would best implement a flip-up screen like that Samsung mini. A thumb release would be less than useless and I just don't think selfies are an important design issue for the Q design team.

Internally, the IR sensor is already in that location. To move it would require remapping all internal mounts and wiring on that side if the camera. That is an engineering and production line change, with costs. I think the new feature is the still the IR sensor in a finger grip. I'd need to hold one to judge if that's an adequate grip. I find that I hold my Q7 with only my index finger in front of it, so maybe it's fine.

SR badge missing means nothing. Original Q had none. This will still have SR.

I find it interesting that the 2 dials are now on the top deck, and not flush to the deck. Maybe that buys some room inside the body for something new, and maybe it's just a retro-design feature. Ditching the full grip looks like it did away with some internal real estate, so who knows what's going on inside.

I'm going to guess Q-S1 maybe has full compatibility with the Pentax FLU card and not just the Q7's compatibility with eye-fi type cards. That means no internal wi-fi. I have found wi-fi to my phone with the eye-fi card has been very easy and more than adequate. I see no need to internalize wi-fi, which would increase the base cost for those not interested in wi-fi at all. A card makes it an optional cost only for those who want it.

That will be the pearl in the crown!
Q with Flu ...

[lytrytyr]

The q is too good for selfies. The idea is that the lousy iq of phone camera's masks al signs of ageing. You would need an ugly noise filter to compensate.

Well, the new Pentax XG-1 does include a "Face Beautifier":

PENTAX - XG-1

Maybe it will also be a feature of the new Q!

[filoxophy]

There's got to be a reason for the S in the name. Seems like a new subline in the Qniverse. Higher or lower, remains to be seen. I would guess lower, but it seems that there's always Q's on closeout, so that could make it tough.

[IchabodCrane]

There's got to be a reason for the S in the name. Seems like a new subline in the Qniverse. Higher or lower, remains to be seen. I would guess lower, but it seems that there's always Q's on closeout, so that could make it tough.

I'm going with "S" for Satellite, as in GPS. This would transform the Q into a perfect compact travel camera. Think of it as a less rugged but higher IQ version of the WG-4 GPS camera.

[teignmouthpentaxguy]

S1 for square 1 inch sensor!!! OK, probably not.

[VisualDarkness]

S=Sealed, wouldn't that be a dream?