Pentax Q-S1 vs Olympus OM-D E-M1

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax Q-S1 and the Olympus OM-D E-M1, 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 Olympus OM-D E-M1 was introduced in October 2013. 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 Olympus OM-D E-M1.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1 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 Olympus OM-D E-M1 have 3.0" screens with 460k dot and 1,037k dot resolutions respectively. Pentax Q-S1 has a Fixed screen Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Olympus OM-D E-M1 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Olympus OM-D E-M1) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Electronic Viewfinder on Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.48x (0.74x 35mm equivalent) magnification. 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. Olympus OM-D E-M1 features a 16.3 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.

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.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

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. Olympus OM-D E-M1 is equipped with TruePIC VII processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution.

Lens Mount

Pentax Q-S1 has Pentax Q lens mount and Olympus OM-D E-M1 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to 1/1.7-inch sensor in Pentax Q-S1 its crop factor is equal to 4.7x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 4.7. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus OM-D E-M1 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.

In-Body Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when cameras are paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

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 Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Pentax Q-S1 comes with D-LI68 battery pack with battery life of 250 shots and Olympus OM-D E-M1 comes with BLN-1 battery pack with battery life of 350 shots.

External Storage Slots

Pentax Q-S1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Olympus OM-D E-M1 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 1/8000 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M1. Pentax Q-S1 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Olympus OM-D E-M1 can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Flash

Pentax Q-S1 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 4.90 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Olympus OM-D E-M1 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal or Proprietary or Wireless connection. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/320 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M1.

Pentax Q-S1 body has dimensions of 105 x 58 x 34 mm (4.13 x 2.28 x 1.34") and Olympus OM-D E-M1 body has dimensions of 130 x 94 x 63 mm (5.13 x 3.68 x 2.48"). Pentax Q-S1 weighs 203 g (0.45 lb / 7.16 oz) and Olympus OM-D E-M1 weighs 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz).

Pentax Q-S1

Olympus OM-D E-M1

105 mm

58 mm

130 mm

94 mm

58 mm

94 mm

34 mm

63 mm