Originally posted by dmc Sorry, are you sure about the size? The Q appears to be considerably smaller than any other Mirrorless System Camera. I don't think Pentax used the small sensor to be different, I think this camera is truly smaller. Let's get our hands on one first before we judge.
Originally posted by Designosophy You could be right. But it doesn't look that way to me. The NEX looks larger without any lens attached, and much larger/heavier with a lens attached, unless it's their wide angle lens, in which case the NEX is still larger and heavier, but not quite as much so. I don't see the point of comparing the camera bodies without lenses, since there is no utility in a camera body without a lens. I have no idea about image quality, so I have no way of knowing how this will pan out. But I still see the Pentax Q as a winner in the size/weight category.
Body-wise, they're very similar:
Pentax Q:
Dimensions: Approx. 98.0mm x 57.5mm x 31.0mm (excluding the operation parts and protrusion)
Weight: Approx. 200g (loaded and ready with the dedicated battery and SD Memory Card)
Sony NEX-C3:
Dimensions: 110 x 60 x 33mm
Weight: Approx. 225g (7.9 oz, with batt and card)
The NEX-C3 body is basically the same size as the Q body, so any difference will have to be in lenses. The Q's much smaller sensor makes smaller lenses easier, and the lenses in the linked article look decently small (though not crazy-small). On the other hand, as we've seen with Pentax's SLR pancakes, it's quite possible to make very small lenses for an APS-C camera. In practice, I don't know; I haven't spent too much time looking at the Sony NEX line in stores, though there seem to be two lenses one commonly sees, one pretty big, the other smaller, though not as small as the Pentax SLR pancakes.
Another pieces of evidence that large-sensor lenses need not be big is Leica 35mm cameras -- their lenses are often like little jewels, despite targetting a full-frame 35mm format. From what I hear, some of this is due to the lack of the mirror box (I don't know why this helps make lenses smaller, but that's what I've heard).
The look of the Q is great, and they've got the retro vibe down pretty well (the Sony NEX cameras are much less appealing on that front).
I guess my main gripe is that it seems to me Pentax could have done something
really cool with this: with their experience at making small and svelte large-sensor lenses, I think they were capable of producing a cool, small, retro-look camera that also be world-class in terms of image quality, and would appeal to both picky photographers and those who want an extremely small and portable (and cute) camera.
Instead, well... I guess we'll see. But I'm not very optimistic... sensor-size isn't the only factor in image quality, but it's an awfully important one...
Links:
Pentax Q Camera Reviews - Pentax Camera Reviews - DSLR and Film SLR Database Sony NEX-C3 Preview: 2. Specifications: Digital Photography Review