By technical editor Matt Allard:
IBC 2013: Sony-DSC-QX10 & QX100 from Dan Chung on Vimeo.
We don’t usually cover consumer camera tech like the Sony DSC-QX10 & QX100 LensCameras on Newsshooter.com but I think this is a development worthy of coverage – if only because it gives us a glimpse of what the future may hold.
Camera manufacturers have been trying for some time to make compact cameras more like smartphones by adding for example Wi-Fi, but no attempt has been quite as bold as Sony’s latest effort, the Sony DSC-QX100 and QX10 are sensor/lens modules designed explicitly for use with smartphones. Each unit contains a lens, sensor and processor. A smartphone provides the user interface.
With a built-in shutter button and zoom toggle the QX100 and QX10 are able to operate as standalone cameras (albeit without an LCD or any way of checking composition) but they’re designed to work in concert with a smartphone by way of Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app. Once a connection is made between the devices, you open up the app and your mobile device acts as the camera’s LCD monitor. Built-in to each unit is a spring loaded clamp for mounting to the backside of a smartphone.
Specifications:
20.2 effective megapixel 1.0″ Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor
28-100mm equivalent 3.6x optical zoom F1.8-4.9 lens
Limited manual control – aperture priority, auto and exposure compensation
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
MicroSD card slot
NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity
Video shot by Jonah Kessel and Scott Karlins.
