Pentax Q-S1 vs Nikon Coolpix P7100

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax Q-S1 and the Nikon Coolpix P7100, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Pentax Q-S1 was introduced in August 2014 and Nikon Coolpix P7100 was introduced in February 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax Q-S1 over Nikon Coolpix P7100.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon Coolpix P7100 over Pentax Q-S1.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Pentax Q-S1 and Nikon Coolpix P7100 have 3.0" screens with 460k dot and 921k dot resolutions respectively. Pentax Q-S1 has a Fixed screen Nikon Coolpix P7100 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

Optical (tunnel) Viewfinder on Nikon Coolpix P7100

Nikon Coolpix P7100 has a built-in Optical (tunnel) viewfinder. It has a 80% coverage. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Pentax Q-S1.

Pentax Q-S1 features a 12.4 megapixel 1/1.7-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 7.44 x 5.58 mm and a total area of 41.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800. Nikon Coolpix P7100 features a 10.1 megapixel 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 7.44 x 5.58 mm and a total area of 31.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200 and expands to 100 - 6,400 in boosted mode.

Pentax Q-S1 has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Pentax Q-S1 is equipped with Q Engine processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 2664, 4000 x 2248, 2992 x 2992, 3072 x 2034, 3072 x 2048, 3072 x 1728, 2304 x 2304, 1920 x 1400, 1920 x 1280, 1920 x 1080, 1440 x 1440 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Nikon Coolpix P7100 is equipped with Expeed C2 processor and can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 640 x 480 with 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in image stabilization. On Pentax Q-S1 it means that you are still getting vibration reduction when it is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Pentax Q-S1 has a Micro HDMI and Nikon Coolpix P7100 has an HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Pentax Q-S1 comes with D-LI68 battery pack with battery life of 250 shots.

External Storage Slots

Pentax Q-S1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Nikon Coolpix P7100 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Pentax Q-S1, and up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon Coolpix P7100. Pentax Q-S1 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Nikon Coolpix P7100 can shoot continuously up to 1.3 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 4.90 m at ISO 100 on Pentax Q-S1 and 9.00 m on Nikon Coolpix P7100. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Pentax Q-S1 and via Shoe Mount to Nikon Coolpix P7100..

Pentax Q-S1 body has dimensions of 105 x 58 x 34 mm (4.13 x 2.28 x 1.34") and Nikon Coolpix P7100 body has dimensions of 116 x 77 x 48 mm (4.57 x 3.03 x 1.89"). Pentax Q-S1 weighs 203 g (0.45 lb / 7.16 oz) and Nikon Coolpix P7100 weighs 395 g (0.87 lb / 13.93 oz).

Pentax Q-S1

Nikon Coolpix P7100

105 mm

58 mm

116 mm

77 mm

58 mm

77 mm