Tokyo Story - A Pentax Q7 real world review

[HYPY13]

Greetings to JK in Tokyo. Your well written review of the Q7 steals my focus from the coming long awaited festive weekend in SG!
the pixs certainly brings your viewers right alongside you into the mesmerizing places in Tokyo...
A heartfelt thank you for your superb efforts in showing us the astounding capabilities of the Q7; i'm sure many are now thinking of an excuse to buy yet another Pentax:thumbsup:
Continue to enjoy your Tokyo experience

 

[ed9119]

this thread is featured both in the Front Page of forum as well as in the Clubsnap Photography Community fb page

i am very scared to continue reading and seeing the output images ...... resistance to buy is fading fast ha ha ha ..... funky colors for this size camera is quite appropriate ha ha

 

[pinholecam]

this thread is featured both in the Front Page of forum as well as in the Clubsnap Photography Community fb page

i am very scared to continue reading and seeing the output images ...... resistance to buy is fading fast ha ha ha ..... funky colors for this size camera is quite appropriate ha ha

Wow! Thanks for the support Eddie.

 

[N-user]

This is serious ... need to stop reading this thread ... else I will end up with another weekend camera . Ha

Can get lar bro.... sometime you jalan jalan decide to have a landscape shoot... just whip it out from your pocket and start shooting..... :devil::lovegrin:

 

[ayuready]

Hi bros,

How do I get my hands on them???

Possible to buy direct from amazon Japan? Will the language be a perm jap or can be user customised, if not locally when will it be available ???

Looking at kit with 02 vs kit with 02/06.

 

[pinholecam]

Hi bros,

How do I get my hands on them???

Possible to buy direct from amazon Japan? Will the language be a perm jap or can be user customised, if not locally when will it be available ???

Looking at kit with 02 vs kit with 02/06.

I got it from Map Camera in Japan when I was there.
Don't have experience with online Japanese purchases, though I do have a Tenso account.
Language is changeable to English.

I'd suggest you wait for the official international release in Sept and hopefully the disto will bring it in and have a good price for it.
If not, then you can always opt to buy from Jpn/US.

 

[pinholecam]

Quick Dial

Another unique feature to the Q7 (and Q/Q10 ) is the Quick Dial to the front of the camera.
The user can configure customized image presents to it and access them at the turn of the selector.
Examples of these options would be B&W; Film Color; Cross Processed; Bleach Bypass; color select filter; etc)
Usually this option is buried deep in any other camera.
It might not seem a big deal to have these image options at a flick of a dial, but in real use, it allows a spontaneity and pre-visualization via the LCD of the shot in that image mode that would have been dampened with menu digging on any other camera.
Fast, spontaneous and fun.

Cross my path; Q7+06 zoom;
Quick dial set to a custom monochrome setting;
This happened fast and would have been missed on any other camera while digging for the B&W setting buried in menus

The Rush; Q7+01 prime
With the preset "Bold monochrome setting"
Again; walking down the steps during rush hour, no-no to stand in the middle of the steps digging the menu for this.
But with the Q, it was at a flick of the dial.

Q7 with 06 lens (eq. 200mm)
On color, there would just have been no point taking this.
It was far away (the newly opened Skytree) and the day was hazy in the distance.
But the long reach of the small 06 zoom at equivalent 200mm and the bold monochrome setting meant that I got one unique shot compared to the usual wide angle shots I'd just take from the venue.

Candy colored cones; Q7+01 prime
The multi-colored cones caught my attention during a walkabout.
I wanted to accentuate this, so just turned the dial to the 'Bold Colors' mode

Abandoned in Tokyo; Q7+01 prime
Again a spontaneous moment while travelling thru the subway.
Would have been just a "kid waiting for gramps outside the loo" shot in normal color


Its just hard to describe it, but I just keep coming back to the words Fun and Spontaneous.
Thats what the Q and the quick dial gives over any other camera I've used.
In many of the above cases, I would have just taken a shot in color (and maybe another boring color shot in the hard disk)
Otherwise, by the time I reached the setting on any other camera, the moment would have passed.
With the Q7, I flicked the dial, which allowed me to visualize in the setting that I wanted to shoot in, decide that "Hey! thats quite nice.." and take the shot.

 

[MichaelLee]

Quick Dial
Another unique feature to the Q7 is the Quick Dial to the front of the camera.

This is the uniq features to all Q series. Q/Q10/Q7 all have the quick dial.

 

[PhilipKr35]

Quick Dial

Another unique feature to the Q7 (and Q/Q10 ) is the Quick Dial to the front of the camera.
The user can configure customized image presents to it and access them at the turn of the selector.
Examples of these options would be B&W; Film Color; Cross Processed; Bleach Bypass; color select filter; etc)
Usually this option is buried deep in any other camera.
It might not seem a big deal to have these image options at a flick of a dial, but in real use, it allows a spontaneity and pre-visualization via the LCD of the shot in that image mode that would have been dampened with menu digging on any other camera.
Fast, spontaneous and fun.

This real world review is much more interesting to read definitely better than the dpreview style.

I guess your favourite options are B&W; Film Color; Cross Processed; Bleach Bypass; color select filter; etc) ?

 

[pinholecam]

This is the uniq features to all Q series. Q/Q10/Q7 all have the quick dial.

Yes, thats right.
I've added that into the review to avoid confusion.

This real world review is much more interesting to read definitely better than the dpreview style.

I guess your favourite options are B&W; Film Color; Cross Processed; Bleach Bypass; color select filter; etc) ?

Thanks
They serve different needs.

B&W and Film color is certainly my favorites.
But now, the Quick Dial can be set with a mixture of filter and preset types (unlike Q/Q10 which has to store the same types), so I'm still in the process of playing around the large range of options.

 

[PhilipKr35]

But now, the Quick Dial can be set with a mixture of filter and preset types (unlike Q/Q10 which has to store the same types), so I'm still in the process of playing around the large range of options.

Wow Really! Now Q7 dial can set from different types ! I hope Pentax update firmware of Q/Q10 to allow the same as Q7 dial setting flexibility!

 

[pinholecam]

Wow Really! Now Q7 dial can set from different types ! I hope Pentax update firmware of Q/Q10 to allow the same as Q7 dial setting flexibility!

Hope they will do that for Q/Q10 (which seem to be commonly sold in camera shops in Tokyo, btw, in all colors)
Ricoh has a good track record of releasing new firmware for its older cameras, so hopefully this will pass on to Pentax cameras too.

That said, just get a Q7 lah!
AFAIK, its better in everything and its quite cheap body only (based on Jpn price)

 

[PhilipKr35]

Hope they will do that for Q/Q10 (which seem to be commonly sold in camera shops in Tokyo, btw, in all colors)
Ricoh has a good track record of releasing new firmware for its older cameras, so hopefully this will pass on to Pentax cameras too.

That said, just get a Q7 lah!
AFAIK, its better in everything and its quite cheap body only (based on Jpn price)

Buying Q7 requires of me to sell off Q,Q10, not easy now. Thinking about it, hesitating every time seeing your review new post and thinking i should save for the FA Lens. Thanks for te poison though, keeps the blood flowing.

 

[hjbyeo]

Buying Q7 requires of me to sell off Q,Q10, not easy now. Thinking about it, hesitating every time seeing your review new post and thinking i should save for the FA Lens. Thanks for te poison though, keeps the blood flowing.

Don't sell lor ... just use for a longer reach with 06.

JK, I didn't have the chance to read this earlier b4 heading for vacation - Excellent review!!!

 

[pinholecam]

Some of the features on the Q7

Something a bit more dry, but here are some options that can be quickly accessed by the 4 way directional buttons that are increased and improved over the Q/Q10.
Its basically pretty generous, for such a small camera.

Many modes available for shooting. The interesting ones over what most cameras have (esp. such a small one) are :
1. Exposure bracketing (via shutter button or via IR remote)
2. Multi-exposure up to 9 shots (useful for creating 'slow' effects with moving water (eg. waterfall; sea waves) - triggered normally/remote/timer
3. Interval shooting

The notable one here is the 3 memory option for custom White Balance (WB)
Example of usage would be to store WB for ones own house; one for the color cast of a ND filter; one for a favorite sunset color.

Again a wealth of on camera flash option from the typical auto, red-eye reduction, to trailing curtain sync.


This is whats configurable from the Quick Dial if one does not want to use it for picture modes.

Overall, I'm impressed by this 'no hold barred' approach by Pentax to provide as many features as they can.
No mindset that a small camera should not have good/many features or tie it such that only expensive higher tier ones get more functions/features that are just firmware/software implementations (i.e. no hardware costs involved)

 

[hjbyeo]

Thanks, JK.

Seems like the multiple exposure mode is only limited to JPEGs. But it's really interesting to note that it can be triggered automatically instead of having to press your remote. Nice!

 

[pinholecam]

Demo of Multi-exposure mode (for practical usage)

Here is a practical example of what a feature like the multiple exposure function is able to help out in some situations.
The Q7 does up to 9 frames.

Single shot at ISO100, f5.6, 1/13s (max for the Toy Fisheye)

Multi-exposure (9 frames combined in-camera; 1/13s each) + 1 frame to expose for the sky.
Notice the slightly calmer waters from combining the frames.

Its a good feature to have when one is w/o a ND filter or a weak ND filter that is not enough to slow moment.

 

[PhilipKr35]

Demo of Multi-exposure mode (for practical usage)

Here is a practical example of what a feature like the multiple exposure function is able to help out in some situations.
The Q7 does up to 9 frames.

Single shot at ISO100, f5.6, 1/13s (max for the Toy Fisheye)

Multi-exposure (9 frames combined in-camera; 1/13s each) + 1 frame to expose for the sky.
Notice the slightly calmer waters from combining the frames.

Its a good feature to have when one is w/o a ND filter or a weak ND filter that is not enough to slow moment.

Nice multi exposure shot indeed, could you clarify how to get rid of the over exposed sky or add 1 frame to the multi exposure shots in camera?

 

[pinholecam]

Nice multi exposure shot indeed, could you clarify how to get rid of the over exposed sky or add 1 frame to the multi exposure shots in camera?

Thanks.

I just too 9 frames using multi-exp.
That would give me a jpg that is exposed properly for the rocks with some blur in the waters.
Then I just switch back to single frame and too a shot thats about -2ev to expose for the sky.
This was then blended in as a layer in PSE (Elements)

 

[PhilipKr35]

Ohhh!! I See! I was thinking how to do the sky in camera.

Thanks.

I just too 9 frames using multi-exp.
That would give me a jpg that is exposed properly for the rocks with some blur in the waters.
Then I just switch back to single frame and too a shot thats about -2ev to expose for the sky.
This was then blended in as a layer in PSE (Elements)