Those clever folks over at Pentax have released what they say is the world’s Lightest and Smallest Camera that takes interchangeable lenses. They call it the Pentax Q.
We haven’t played with it yet (they just announced it today) but from what we see on the Pentax website, this is a rocking little machine. They also released a full line of lenses from zooms to fisheyes to go with it.
The Q has a brand-new sensor, which is bad news if you already have a bunch of Micro 4/3 lenses you want to use, but according to Pentax it gives better image quality than the 4/3 sensor, and is designed to give lower noise in low light.
We really love the look of the Q. While it’s not as retro-looking as the Fuji X100, it still it has a classic style that would look great hanging off the back of your Jack Pine as you ride the back-roads of New England.
The only downside is the lack of optical viewfinder. You can buy one that fits the hot shoe, but it’s an extra 250 bucks, and you will need one for each lens if that’s the way you like to shoot.
Pentax says the Q will be in the United States in early Fall, for around $800 with the f/1.9 47mm Prime lens, in black or white. If you want it before that you need to buy a plane ticket to Japan.
More details from Pentax.