Interchangeable lenses and Android 4.1. If that wasn’t enough to be an innovator, now we know that Polaroid’s (oddly named) iM1836 camera has the sensor built into the lens (it’s a 1″ sensor). Though this was done in the past by Ricoh (with the GXR). Moreover, Polaroid says that there will be adapter modules that can take Nikon F, Pentax K and Micro Four Thirds lenses. If I got it right than the camera itself has no sensor and the sensor will fit within the Micro Four Thirds adapter.
dvice (via fstoppers) has some more information about the Polaroid’s features. PetaPixel is also worth a read. DPreview also posted an article.
31 Responses
Make the consumer buy a new sensor with every lens? Make the consumer buy a new lens whenever sensor technology changes? Strange way to design a camera!
Hello and happy new year. Sorry, it has nothing to do with the Polaroid but when we speak about resolution and MegaPixels, you should see that.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/interactive/2012/dec/20/mount-everest-zoom-2bn-pixel-image
And of course bienvenue à la petite ou au petit Admin
Looks like base camp had changed quite much from early May 2011. But then again even “ground” under it keeps moving on with Khumbu Glacier and lots of camp probably changes annually.
Kala Patthar is on that ridge line on right of that image with Gorak Shep actually visible, unlike from Kala Patthar.
The photo at dvice sure looks like the sensor is in the body… And it sure is a small sensor.
that article makes no sense with the photo included which shows the sensor visibly in the body, as well as a rear element on the lens?! And how can it be a clone to the Nikon with a sensor in lens system? None of this makes sense, either the photos or text are wrong …
It’s not a sensor, it’s a null mirror place marker.
IF the m4/3 module has electronic contacts, then this could be very interesting! I’m waiting for further news and specs…
If the sensor is in the lens, what happens when you use other lenses from other vendors, say m4/3..?
You have to use an adaptor that has a sensor in it.
Therefore the sensor cannot truly be in the lens proper apart from the case of its own lens, some crazy idea, though it is in some way the beginning of a modular system.
How is it possible to use other lenses if the sensor is in the lens?
The sensor is paart of the lens? Then there must be a sensor in the adapter for using m43 lenses… This might be an expensive adapter and the lenses will be larger then normal lenses with adapter I think.
Greets
daBastl
How can the sensor be built into the lens if the camera accepts mFT lenses?
I can’t see how they will make m43 adapters…
Will the sensor be in the adapter???
Polaroid seems to be making all the wrong moves lately. I can’t see the Polaroid “Fotobar” becoming a commercial success by any means and this new camera is just another in their recent line of cheap, rebranded electronics with zero innovation behind them. The company doesn’t know how to do anything well anymore, so they have become this all-rounder that does a lot of things in a very mediocre fashion; tablets, cameras, camcorders etc. All I see is slightly cheaper consumer products that very quickly end up as garbage.
Polaroid maybe had something going on with their mobile printers and the ZINK technology. Now they seem to have just stopped in their tracks with that and not care to take it further.
Don’t forget that Poloroid is now just a brand name, ready to be licensed to many companies with different products.
The mFT adapter will have a 1″ sensor as well, so who cares anyway?
Is that not going to make the lenses/adapters quite expensive if they need to have their own sensor built in?
Feel like Olympus and Fuji etc are trying to make cameras whereas this feels like a random assembly of modern technology.
I doubt that polaroid will do the same mistake as Ricoh did. At least I hope so.
if the Polaroid adapters are all based on 1 inch sensors, there is no way it could be better then Ricoh’s approach.
The mFT adapter uses a 1″ sensor as well, so who cares anyway?
Can it ring and phone??
The comment system is pretty much broken, no?
Somehow, I can’t see any reason why anybody would be interested in this camera. The Ricoh, I think, was also a pointless camera too. Well, that’s my opinion anyhow.
This lens looks very much like the Nikon 1 30-110mm lens. They are probably identical except for styling.
What, the sensor is in the lens? How is the camera supposed to work with other lenses then?
But all the photos of this camera seem to clearly show a standard camera mount with a sensor in the middle. Plus I don’t see anything in the photos to indicate that the sensor is in the lens.
Apart from what appears to be an excessive amount of electrical contacts.
Seems like without AF function, anything other than MF lens would be hard to use. I think think they are getting camera name ideas from Olympus.
Why it reminds Nikon 1?
Polaroid explain why they put the sensor in the lens here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1jhJtQXKQ4 (at 46 seconds in)
Spoiler: because they are aiming this device at consumers and in-body sensors don’t (generally) prevent entry by snow/rain/soil when swapping lenses (I’m unaware of any).
One can imagine that Polaroid postulate that “beginner” photographers don’t buy additional lenses because of this issue. Many others think it’s because the beginner never goes further in their knowledge/interest of the camera.
If Polaroid is right perhaps we’ll look back and smile at those overly sensitive camera bodies 🙂
Ricoh already offer a camera with sensors built into each lens: http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/gxr/features.html and an M-mount adapter for Leica M lenses.