I'm thinking about buying a mirrorless digital camera, what do you suggest?

I'd like it to have the option for full manual controls as well as auto. I'd also like to be able to change lenses. I've been looking at the Pentax Q7 which seems to be a fairly powerful little camera, but it has a pretty big price tag too. Can any of you direct me to a few other options? Thanks!

Apart from the Q series, the only other mirrorless camera from Pentax is the K-01. Now rather out of date (which helps with the price) much bulkier than the Q series taking normal K lenses. Its APSC but doesn't have the short registration that is one of the big advantages in going mirrorless.

Non Pentax options generally have larger sensors than the Q series with crop factors between 1 & 2 being most common (Full Frame, APSC & MFT)

For mirrorless cameras the main options are the Q (small sensor) or various models from Sony, Fujifilm or Panasonic & Olympus (micro four thirds).

I have a Fuji X-M1 and would certainly recommend one of the APS-C options (Sony or Fujifilm) for maximum image quality and they won't cost more than a Q. I also like that the crop factor is the same as my K3 so I don't need to think about that. They're compatible with K-mount lenses with an adaptor - I used mine solely with adapted lenses for over a year-and-a-half before buying my first native lens. The Fujifilm lenses are superb.

If you want compact and light, then a Pentax KS-1 or KS-2 is as small and light as a DSLR gets, and is as compact and light as many mirrorless cameras. The reason I say this is that the limiting factor tends to be the lens. A huge lens on a tiny mirrorless camera makes it very much the same as a huge lens on a small DSLR, but often more fiddly.

I'd suggest going into a shop and handling the alternatives to see what suits. It can be a very individual choice.

However, the Q series is the really small option and the results can be superb, especially with the larger sensor versions the Q7 and Q S-1.

From the K-S1 or K-S2, I'd pick the K-S1 if size is your priority. If you can find a reasonably priced example then you'll be very pleased with it. The K-S2 feels much more substantial.

Alternatively, the KP might weigh nearly as much as a K-3 but the shape feels much more compact. Try out the demo versions if you have a shop nearby.

I have a Q7 premium edition (01 02 06 08 polariser + bag) for sale if interested.
Sample albums below.
£500 include post within uk

https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliemc55/sets/72157644061922087 https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliemc55/albums/72157644805073093 https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliemc55/albums/72157644804977513 https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliemc55/albums/72157646188315151

The kS1 has a decent sized viewfinder and of course the backward compatible lens.
There is a Pentax manual focus aid avilable.
You will find an abundance of new and old Pentax lens including manual focus dating back to the 1970 all with focus confirmation in the viefinder as well as focusing in live view.
The Mother of all ironies is "the camera store stated the image quality was as good as a Cannon 7d and Nikon 7 series but still gave it a low rating.
Pentax lens are really good , shop around you can nearly always get a good deal.
Buying adapters for lens is a real hassle and come with restrictions and native csc lens are expensive .

Regards

This sounds like someone who's never tried a mirrorless camera. I've not found a single Pentax lens I can't use on my mirrorless bodies, and get focusing aids with all of them. Adapters are more of a hassle if the lens doesn't have an aperture ring but otherwise the only hassle is that manual focus must be used with adapted lenses. Adapting most lenses has proved easy unlike the KS-1 which will not work with rangefinder lenses etc.

The native CSC lenses I've brought have not been dissimilar in price to current Pentax lenses. Your statement MAY be true for some mirrorless systems but isn't for mine.

The OP specifically requested data on mirrorless cameras, without explaining why that was there preference. Glibly giving details of a DSLR instead without investigating their reasons does not sound helpful to me. Their interest in the Q7 might be for the high crop factor which would be shared by the others in the same series, the Nikon V1 & to a lesser extent MFT models. But it might also be that other aspects of an EVF are useful to them, or just they've been persuaded that mirrorless cameras are 'the future' (they still have some way to go to beat DSLRs in some realms IMO, which is why I use both)

The Op stated he was thinking about buying a mirrorles.

He also asked for other options .

Regards

Look at the new Canon EOS600 too. I'm honestly tempted.

The Canon EOS 600 was a DSLR released in 2011???

I agree entirely. Using lenses on their native mount is easy, but adaptors are not a hastle unless you are switching them all the time. Old lenses, even K-mount ones, are more functional on a mirrorless camera than they are on a K-mount DSLR because you have accurate metering.

This kind of thread here always switches to DSLRs but despite Pentax having some of the smallest DSLRs on the market, they're still much bigger and heavier than their equivalent mirrorless counterparts. A mirrorless camera makes a great body to use any adapted lenses on and I've had great results (and a lot of fun) using old lenses and new ones, such as the DA limiteds, on my mirrorless.

Apart from the problem of using a lens on a camera body that it was never designed for. Lens adapters introduce other problems and aren't recommended

See: .....
https://wordpress.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/09/there-is-no-free-lunch-episode-76...

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Let’s step back a bit - what reason to go mirrorless? Mostly for reduced size and weight although high frame rate and movie options are also a consideration. For saving weight it seems that you have to go for a smaller sensor like 4/3rds as the size and weight of lenses is directly proportional to the image size they produce on the sensor, no matter whether on a DSLR or a mirrorless body. Against this is shorter battery life so you need a couple of extra spares, and larger sensors produce better results in low light. Everything in photography is a compromise one way or another and the trick is finding what is most important to you and what you are prepared to compromise on.

So Jonathon your stating , Pentax K mount lens are more functional on mirrorles cameras than a Pentax K mount dslr.