Pentax Q-S1 Review

Movie/Video Mode

Q-S1 Movie Mode

Movies are recorded by turning the mode dial to the movie setting and then pressing the shutter button. In autofocus mode, a half press of the shutter button before recording starts will autofocus on the subject. After recording starts, you can engage the AF system on demand via the OK button (faster), or enable continuous AF via the menu (slower but smoother). Continuous video AF is new to the Q-S1; this feature was not present on the Q7, which was the first Q-mount camera to offer on-demand AF. AF is of course only available with Q-mount lenses.

Interestingly, continuous video AF is the only new feature added to the Q-S1 compared to the Q7.

The Q-S1's on-demand video AF is faster than the continuous AF, but the continuous AF is in turn a bit smoother and thus less likely to be distracting. Manual focus is naturally available at all times, though it is somewhat difficult to use effectively due to the lack of focus peaking while recording.

Movie Settings

Q-S1 Movie Menu Shooting parameters for movie mode can be set on the move page in the menu system. The options that can be set here are:

Exposure Setting: Auto / Manual
Digital Filter: Off, or select one of the 11 filters (same filters as in still image mode)
Movie Capture: Resolution (Full HD / HD / VGA) and frame rate (30 / 25 / 24 fps)
Movie Continuous AF: On / Off
Sound level: 5 recording levels or Off
Movie shake reduction: On / Off

These parameters, and more, can also quite conveniently be set from the dedicated movie mode control panel. Here the following can be set:

Exposure Mode (Auto / Manual)
Custom Image
Digital Filter
Highlight Correction (Auto / Off)
Shadow Correction (Auto / On / Off)
Meter Pattern
ND Filter (On / Off)
Focus Method (Auto / Manual)
Autofocus method (Auto, face detect, spot, tracking, manually select)
Focus Peaking (On / Off)
Lens Distortion Correction (On / Off)
Movie Format (Full HD, HD, VGA)
Frame Rate
Sound Level (5 levels, or Off)
Movie Shake Reduction: On / Off

It should be noted that focus peaking is only available prior to shooting and not during recording. Adjusting focus manually during recording therefore can be challenging.

Focusing

As already mentioned above, when set to autofocus a half press of the shutter button will set focus before shooting starts. During shooting autofocus can be engaged on demand via the OK button, and if enabled, continuous AF will do its best to keep the video in focus at all times.

The autofocus motor is very silent and there is only a very faint whir to be heard on the sound track. Quick-shift focus override in AF mode is more noisy and leaves the sound of turning cog wheels behind. True manual focus (in MF mode) is almost as silent as autofocus.

Exposure Adjustments

When exposure is set to auto the exposure (brightness) of the movie can be adjusted during recording with the EV adjustment. Press the Av/+/- button and turn the e-dial to adjust. The EV adjustment scale is shown at the bottom of the monitor. The green button returns the adjustment to 0.

In manual exposure mode shutter speed, aperture, and ISO can be set prior to recording as well as during recording. The exposure bar is shown at the bottom of the monitor. In the usual user friendly Pentax way, a small arrow indicates the value that the e-dial will change:


Prior to recording	During recording

Sound

The Q-S1 has a built-in monaural microphone with no external mic jack. Therefore, the video sound quality is mediocre at best, unfortunately.

Sample Movies - AF Comparison

These Full HD / 30FPS sample videos allow you to compare the Q-S1's two autofocus modes. We recommend that you play them simultaneously. Also, you're able to observe the effect of the electronic stabilization as well as the overall image quality.

On-Demand AF

Continuous AF

As you can see, while the continuous AF is slower, it focuses more smoothly and is therefore suitable for distraction-free recording of moving subjects.

Verdict - Movie Mode

The movie mode of the Pentax Q-S1 is excellent in that it allows for a lot of control during shooting. It's now also much more beginner-friendly since continuous AF has been added. Like the Q7 and unlike previous Q-series cameras, the Q-S1 lets you control the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO manually during recording, and it also supports autofocus on demand.

While the Q-S1's video image quality is decent, the framerate selection isn't exceptional. Subjectively we find the picture quality to be a bit better than that of the Fuji X20 (which we recently reviewed), yet the small size of the Q-S1's sensor still shows when it comes to dynamic range and noise. We miss a 60FPS option to allow for jitter-free recording of fast moving objects and when panning. 60FPS has been added to the latest-generation Pentax compacts, so we were expecting to see it in the Q-S1 as well.

The electronic video stabilization of the Q-S1, while effective when panning, can still introduce a rolling shutter "jello" effect. The mechanical SR system is not used during video capture.

Overall, we feel that casual users will be satisfied with the Q-S1's video mode and even the image quality, and more advanced users will like the degree of customization. However, the lack of external audio input and the overall image quality leave a bit to be desired by serious users.

Autofocus and MF Assist

Next: General Image Quality

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