What is the crop factor of the Pentax Q?

The Pentax Q is equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor, whose diagonal measures 7.7mm. The sensor has a crop factor (or format factor, or focal length multiplier) of 5.6.

The crop factor is defined as the ratio of the 35mm full-frame film diagonal to the diagonal of a digital sensor. This number indicates how a lens behaves in relation to the size of the image sensor.

Sensor size comparison with a film slide

With a crop factor of 5.6, the sensor in the Pentax Q is smaller than the receptor area of a 35mm film slide or negative. As a result, a lens that is attached to the Pentax Q will offer a narrower angle of view and provide deeper depth of field than a lens of similar focal length and aperture on a film camera. The equivalent focal length is obtained by multiplying the actual focal length of the lens with the crop factor. For example, a 9mm lens on the Pentax Q will provide the same angle of view and depth of field as a 50mm normal lens on a film camera (9mm * 5.6 = 50mm).

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Pentax Q to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Pentax Q	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	20.2	11.1	189	47
2.		Fujifilm X10	2/3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	20.5	11.3	245	50
3.		Olympus XZ-2	1/1.7	11.8	3968	2976	1080/30p	20.4	11.3	216	49
4.		Olympus E-P3	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	1080/60i	20.8	10.1	536	51
5.		Olympus E-PL2	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.4	10.2	573	55
6.		Olympus E-PL3	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	1080/60i	20.9	10.3	499	52
7.		Olympus E-PL1	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.5	10.1	487	54
8.		Olympus E-620	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.3	536	55
9.		Panasonic GF3	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.6	10.1	459	50
10.		Panasonic G2	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.3	493	53
11.		Panasonic GF2	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	21.2	10.3	506	54

In the United States, the Pentax Q was initially launched in June 2011 at a price of $649.

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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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