What you see here are the two Sony DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 lenses. But these lenses are unique. They have a built-in sensor (just like the Ricoh GR modules) and stream wirelessly the images on your mobile device. You can use them separately or attached on your smartphone.
Sony will soon launch two “lens-cameras”:
1) One is the “Lens-camera” with RX100MII sensor and Zeiss lens ($600 here on Amazon). On the pictures it is the bigger lens. As you know the RX100 is the most praised high end compact camera and features a large 1 inch sensor which is the same used by the Nikon 1 system. Now you can have that kind of Image Quality on your iPhone or Android Smartphone!
2) The second model will feature a 10xzoom lens with 1/2,3 inch 18 megapixel CMOS sensor (the image with the f/3,3-5.9 lens). It’s basically the same sensor and lens of the Sony WX150 ($400 on Amazon).
Price is yet not known but the devices should be announced on September 4! Is this the real Mirrorless future? One device to rule them (cameras and smartphone) all?
22 Responses
This is a cool idea that may actually work. I’d buy one.
The convenience of a smartphone camera is that it’s always with you. Now, whats the advantage of that over a normal camera? You have to carry a second device, too. Maybe some gadget freaks want one, i think it doesn’t make any sense.
Dear Admin, I think you mean GXR not GR when you wrote about modules.
ps any news yet on the new GXR?
Dear Chrisa, here is news about the new GXR: this model is dead, there is no new GXR coming, never. It is not happening.
And if your phone rings while you’ve got this humongous gadget attached, you… what? Let it go to voicemail? What if it’s your mom? Or your boss? Or your GF/BF?
wireless earphone?
I love the smile of the hipster on the second “cliché”
Neat idea, but I am not sure people will like it if it can’t fit into your pocket. The only main benefit of having this is the digital zoom. I still people will prefer high quality cameras built into phones.
“You cannot go more smaller than that”.
How about Nokia 808 and 1020 with the 41 MP 1″ sensor ?
Takes brilliant photos and is much smaller than this ‘frankenphonecam’ that Sony is coming up with here. The lens cameras dont look super pocketable to me. If you dont get that you can have it with you always, then forget it. Dont make much sense.
+1
Yeah, “smaller than that” would be a Sony RX100 opposite your phone in the other pocket. Length and width don’t matter much as long as it isn’t bigger than you pocket, but depth certainly does. Put one of these in your pocket and people will ask, “is that a camera in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”
Isnt rx100 much slimmer than this? Not to mention the slow lens
I’m not convinced that you can’t go smaller than that. It looks to me like if I took a literal RX100 with the same wireless capability and strapped it onto the front of my camera that I’d be better off as far as pocketability. Same goes for the compact equivalent.
Better have a damned competitive price.
too bulky compared to a rx100
I don’t get it; smartphone is already so thin. Attach a large lensor onion on it, means, the lensor must be carried around somewhere, as a delicate, large size onion.
If I had a smartphone, and an RX100, the whole combo is about the same weight, and — hey! — the lens in Rx100 can hide itself inside the Rx100 body, the Rx1000 body is already better DESIGNED for shooting than a smartphone, and I’m not carrying a bulging onion hidden in the bag.
Sony. Is. Just. Clueless.
Exactly, clueless. They should be more like the company that makes the RX100.
How many smartphones are actually pocketable these days? And does the RX100, or any camera other than the galaxy cameras enable you to share your images instantly onto your facebook page, or whatever is the current favourite. The sheer number of people who use a hulking great ipad as a camera shows that a large screen, internet capable camera is desirable. The question in the case of this product is how many of those users actually find the camera on their phone to be lacking, or even understand the concept of their being something better than it.
Now i just this Module as simply a Nikon 1 CX MOUNT and let the next mirrorless revolution begin!!!
I really dont see the point of attaching it to a phone. Look at Gopro, small, easy convenient, and it even works… without a phone . Now, if Sony had done a very fast lens, that s another story, but for the moment I don’t see the business case.
For the big one i will … 120$ and 49,90$ for the phone…
You can go smaller indeed with Nokia 1020 or 808