Pentax Q10 Pro Reviews

Overall, while the Pentax Q10 has its control-to-size ratio to recommend it, and a number of positive aspects with its design, it's sorely let down by inconsistent and often lacklustre image quality. Its appeal is confusing when, for around the same money, you can buy an enthusiast compact camera with a larger sensor and zoom lens which will deliver better image quality. If you are taken by the novelty of the Q system, you may also be interested to learn that samples of the Pentax Q10's predecessor, the Q, are still available for under £250 with a kit lens included.

Thankfully Pentax seem to have realised that the Q10 can't take on DSLRs or CSCs and priced it accordingly. While £379.99/$599.95 for the single-lens kit with the 5-15mm lens is still a big outlay, it does make the Q10 cheaper than some high-end compacts, against whom it more naturally competes. If you're looking for a camera that's small enough to slip inside a coat pocket, yet flexible enough to offer a DSLR-like take on the world, then the new, more affordable Pentax Q10 is at least worth taking for a test-drive.

When compared to advanced compact cameras, the Pentax Q10 has a lot going for it. Image quality falls short of cameras equipped with a larger sensor. This camera is better suited to those who value compactness above all else. Those looking for a quirky alternative to the current crop of compact system cameras, with portability being their main concern, may be well served by the Pentax Q10, so long as you're well aware of its strengths, and its weaknesses.

The Pentax Q10 is a tiny interchangeable lens camera with a point-and-shoot sized sensor, but it doesn't perform as well as other cameras in its price range.

The Pentax Q10 has a good set of features and has extremely solid, well-built body. Clearly a lot of thought has gone into its design and it's one of the best looking Pentax cameras you're likely to find, particularly in red! Unfortunately image quality isn't fantastic, about as good as you'll find on an average compact camera, but colour reproduction is good. If you are interested in a mirrorless camera with improved image quality you'd be better looking at those with larger sensors. If you're keen on keeping size down but want the luxury of being able to change to different lenses, the Q10 is a good option, particularly as it's less than £400 and there are a decent number of lenses available including the 15-45mm lens which is a 35mm equivalent of 83-249mm. If you already have a number of K mount lenses for your Pentax SLR, you can purchase the Q for K mount adapter and use those lenses (Pentax say this will give a range of 215 extra lenses) on the Q10, which extends their focal length by roughly 5.5x.