Pentax Q vs Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax Q and the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9, 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 was introduced in June 2011 and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 was introduced in November 2017. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Pentax Q Highlights

      • 12.4 MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
      • 125 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 25 Focus Points (25 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 460k dot Fixed Screen
      • 1.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 25 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Highlights

      • 20.33 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • No Optical Low-pass Filter
      • 200 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 225 Focus Points
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 3,680k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 20.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 3840 x 2160 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-In Wi-Fi
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax Q and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9.

      PROS

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      •   Video Capture
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/2000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 180 g (0.40 lb / 6.35 oz)
      •   Video Capture
      •   225 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Animal Eye Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/32000 sec
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   No crop on 4K Videos
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   USB Charging
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.4 Megapixel
      •   125 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.5 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 47
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Price
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.33 Megapixel
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   -4 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 3,680k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Weight - 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz)

      Advantage of Pentax Q

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax Q over Panasonic Lumix DC-G9.

      Pentax Q vs Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
      Lower Native ISO 125 vs 200
      Built-in Flash vs
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/2000 sec vs 1/250 sec
      Lighter 180 g (0.40 lb / 6.35 oz) vs 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Pentax Q.

      Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 over Pentax Q.

      Pentax Q vs Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
      Larger Sensor 1/2.3-inch vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 12.4 Megapixel vs 20.33 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 25,600
      Max Image Resolution 4000 x 3000 vs 5184 x 3888
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 25 vs 225
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Animal Eye Detection vs
      Screen Type Fixed vs Fully Articulated
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 460k dot vs 1,040k dot
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Viewfinder vs Electronic
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/2000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 1.5 fps vs 20.0 fps
      Average Metering vs
      Higher Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 vs 3840 x 2160
      Higher Video Recording Limit 25 min vs 30 min
      Higher USB Speed USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) vs USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec)
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs Stereo
      Microphone Input vs
      Headphone Output vs
      Built-In Wi-Fi vs
      Built-In Bluetooth vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Longer Battery Life 230 shots vs 400 shots
      More Storage Slots 1 vs 2
      Orientation Sensor vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DC-G9.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Pentax Q Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
        Video Capture
        Image StabilizationSensor Shift5-Axis Sensor Shift
        HDMI Output Mini Type C Full Size
      WEAKNESSES Pentax Q Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
        Small Sensor1/2.3-inchMicro Four Thirds
        High Native ISO125200
        Low Video Recording Limit25 min30 min
        No Built-in GPS
        Short Battery Life230 shots400 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Pentax Q and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 have 3.0" screens with 460k dot and 1,040k dot resolutions respectively. Pentax Q has a Fixed screen Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 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 Panasonic Lumix DC-G9) 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.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 with Fully Articulated screen


      Electronic Viewfinder on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 3,680k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.66x (0.83x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Pentax Q.

      Sensor

      Pentax Q features a 12.4 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 28.1 mm2. Its native ISO range is 125 - 6,400. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 features a 20.33 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 200 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      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
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Pentax Q can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 2664, 4000 x 2248, 3456 x 2595, 3456 x 2304, 3456 x 1944, 2992 x 2992, 2688 x 2016, 2688 x 1792, 2688 x 1512, 2016 x 2016, 1920 x 1440, 1920 x 1280, 1440 x 1440 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution.


      Lens Mount

      Pentax Q has Pentax Q lens mount and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to 1/2.3-inch sensor in Pentax Q its crop factor is equal to 5.6x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 5.6. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 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.


      No Low-Pass Filter on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.


      In-Body Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in in-body image stabilization (IBIS) (6.5 stops of compensation in Panasonic Lumix DC-G9). 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.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has a built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac/b/g/n, 2.4/5 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.


      Bluetooth on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Pentax Q has a Mini Type C HDMI and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has a Full Size HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Pentax Q comes with D-LI68 battery pack with battery life of 230 shots and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 comes with DMW-BLF19 battery pack with battery life of 400 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Pentax Q has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slots.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has Mechanical Focal Plane shutter and Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/2000 sec on Pentax Q, and up to 1/32000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/8000 sec with mechanical shutter on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. Pentax Q can shoot continuously up to 1.5 fps. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Pentax Q has 25 focusing points and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has 225 focusing points. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has detection range from -4 to +18 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 ranges from 0 to +18 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Pentax Q and ±5 EV range on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Pentax Q and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9.


      Flash

      Pentax Q has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.60 m and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/2000 sec on Pentax Q and 1/250 sec on Panasonic Lumix DC-G9.

      Physical Parameters

      Pentax Q body has dimensions of 98 x 57 x 31 mm (3.86 x 2.24 x 1.22") and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 body has dimensions of 137 x 97 x 92 mm (5.39 x 3.82 x 3.62"). Pentax Q weighs 180 g (0.40 lb / 6.35 oz) and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 weighs 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz).

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      98 mm

      57 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      137 mm

      97 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      57 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      97 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      31 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      92 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Pentax Q and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      Pentax Q and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      AVERAGE
      56
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      79
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.5 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   225 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 3,680k dot
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   225 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Animal Eye Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 3,680k dot
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      GOOD
      71
      •   Small Sensor
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/2000 sec
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   225 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      GOOD
      82
      •   Small Sensor
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 180 g (0.40 lb / 6.35 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Small Sensor
      •   225 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 180 g (0.40 lb / 6.35 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   No crop on 4K Videos
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Pentax Q and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and give them scores of 58 and 78 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      OVERALL
      58
      OVERALL
      78

      Sensor

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.4 Megapixel
      •   125 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 47
      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.33 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      GOOD
      74
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.5 fps
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/2000 sec
      GOOD
      79
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/32000 sec
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      GOOD
      71
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   No crop on 4K Videos
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      AVERAGE
      60
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   -4 EV Min AF Detection
      •   225 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Animal Eye Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      POOR
      53
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 3,680k dot

      Connectivity

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      EXCELLENT
      96
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Pentax Q

      Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 180 g (0.40 lb / 6.35 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
      GOOD
      72
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.