Image made by Usperedi.
Photographyblog just posted the full ILCE-QX1 review and the camera score is just “above average”:
While it is great that you can interchangeable lenses with your smartphone, the Sony ILCE-QX1 is fairly unwieldy to use when attached to a phone itself, and having to attach it and set it all up is a bit of a faff that sometimes ultimately leads you to not to bother.
Where it is more fun, and you can see it being more widely used, is when used remotely – whether that’s for selfies or when attached to a smartphone. Here you can experiment a bit more widely with the Sony ILCE-QX1 and really get the best from it – that said, it’s quite an expensive gimmick for doing such a thing with.
Yep, it’s a strange product but Sony itself said they are selling more of those things than expected. I would never buy one but maybe one day the QX line will become more mature and make more sense to me…maybe 🙂
Preorders of the new QX cameras (Click on store name to open the exact product page in a new tab):
E-mount QX1 in USA at Amazon, SonyStore US, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.
E-mount QX1 in Europe at Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony ES, Sony IT, Sony NL, Sony NO, Sony BE, Sony PT, Sony SE, Sony FI.
E-mount QX1 in Asia at Digitalrev.
QX30 in USA at Amazon, SonyStore US, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.
QX30 in Asia at Digitalrev (Click here).
0 Responses
Well said!
When used as depicted in the picture it does look ridiculous, and doesn’t make much sense. However, I can think of quite a few uses for this camera, for instance for macro photography and having it tether to a PC to ensure that your focus is bang on; as a camera on a drone; attached to a telescope for astrophotography, again, tethered to a PC…
OF COURSE IT IS A GIMMICK
But hopefully for Sony – profitable one 😉
If you can recover R&D by selling this… Why not? There are ways these camera is useful. Not for most of those who want to take photos.
Usperedi photoshoped the a mount adapter onto the e mount pz lens. Congrats.
If Sony would open the API, so that you can write your own WiFi control Software, it would be much more than a gimmick
Sony release their entire Android OS sources, you can take a look if you want.
Gimmicks have there place- just look at E mount. I say, why not? If Sony makes money off it then great.
This QX lens to phone mount was novel and gutsy the first time.
But now it just seems like a diversion that shouldn’t be happening when A mount users haven’t seen much love in ages and the FE lens lineup is a long way from complete.
Keep up the rapid innovation pace, Sony, but maybe give just a little bit more focus to your existing base.
Yup. But then some people seem to love expensive gimmicks.
Needs a pop-up viewfinder.
Your smartphone screen doesn’t pop enough? 😉
Blackberry. Plus it sounds like it would be fun to use without having to pair it with the phone (which seems like it’s a real chore)
From what I understand you can shoot without pairing. True incognito street cam…. With that many pixels you can shoot wide and fine tune framing with a crop.
If they put a shutter button near the front of the lens, you can carry and shoot it like a bazooka straigt from the shoulder, no need for a tripod 🙂
You just need a rough aiming sight in the front section fo the lens, or a small screen
Love that silver lens.
I have the QX100 and I have found this to be an amazing addition to what I shoot with professionally. Sometimes I dont want to take a camera out with me but this just hangs off with a wrist strap and its easily connected. Especially for basic things like Facebook, Instagram and so on. Ive even sold images to Nike from my QX camera so those who think its a gimmick are just small minded and cant see the potential.
This may be the first gimmick from Sony I will be first in line for. Being someone that like taking photos at concerts this has some real value. For once I will be able to shoot decent video without having a bright screen blasting everyone behind me in the face or having to strain my neck trying to see the screen while I’m holding a camera above the crowd in front.
I can see people using this for low budget drone work. Im sure you could get this thing with a 16mm pancake on the DJI Phantom.
Only issue you might have with drone work is the range of the camera’s wifi… I doubt it will stay connected to your phone when its 1000 feet away, probably not even stay connected 100 feet away.
True. I’m sure there is some way to fix that, either signal boosters or otherwise.
Attach a N Router on it… haha
except it records everything locally on an SDXC card so it could/should continue to record even if a connection is lost. Too bad they didn’t use the 5100/6000 sensor as that one has great video quality.
good luck controlling the quad. wifi signals will mess up and it will crash. yes I’ve tried it with a nex.
Panasonic CM1-like designs are the real answer to all the Sony QX stuff. You just need a smartphone with a large sensor and good lens in a small form factor, anything else will defeat the purpose.
+1
And the CM1 uses a sensor made by Sony! Sony could have built this smartphone based on the first RX-100 years ago. They are so stupid…
…only if they knew how to do a high-quality, small, 28mm F2.8 lens for a 1″ sensor.
I really don’t think this is a gimmick at all, it just depends on what kind of photography you do. I think it needs to mature a bit more but I tried the older model and it has lots of potential.
This is not gimmick… This is Pure Awesomeness~!!!
I was very interested in that. That was before I put my hands on it at Photokina. The software on the tablet is horrendous. The live preview is pixelated to death, so much that it’s impossible to do manual focus. And you can’t zoom the live preview. Even with the AF (and tripod) I couldn’t take a sharp picture of the Alpha logo on huge billboards. So once again, cool concept destroyed by crappy software. So yes, practically, in the reality, it’s a gimmick
You need to set the resolution of the live preview on the software. By default playmemories set it at the lowest.
Maybe on the Photokina there was too much distortion in the WIFI network. You can do the same with any of Sonys lat cameras and I use it on the A7 and RX100III. Both never have problems. The software got several updates and improvements but yes, it’s no perfect yet.
I don’t think it’s a gimmick. As Shigeiki from Sony explained on dpr they are used for astrophotography. Btw he said that the sales has found a normal level.
As an attachment for your cell phone it is a bit silly but as a camera module/head for consumers this is great. Already see some creative uses. The software is the biggest draw back and it is improving. THIS not the ASXX series has a hope of toppling the GoPro. Sony needs much more convergence and communication between its imaging divisions. The divide between pro and consumers is getting more and more fuzzy.
This will be a perfect parts/components for you to built your very own Camera Gun/Rifles~
What better more a man can get?
Dude, do you ever check your spelling or grammar before posting? Not even the titles?
I would say that before you buy anything, decide if you are buying for a phone or a camera. This is a camera accessory and should only be used on a camera which your phone, while having it as a function, is not. Seriously, even if you have the money, get it only if you have at least a competent SLR camera that is nowhere near a phone even in appearance.
Those who bash this product, show me another camera of this size (attachment or otherwise) 20MP and 1.5 crop factor. This product is revolutionary in may ways. Imagine a 10″ Android Tablet Liveview, the camera is hung from a tree, photographer behind the bushes etc.
Gimmick? It’s like the kids who can’t do their homework saying it’s a bad topic.
The only thing holding me from getting this camera is hassle of connecting it to my phone. Hope Sony understands and improves on the user experience. The connection experience between the camera and the phone doesn’t have to be perfect but it has to be good.
There seems to be a 16-50mm power zoom lens between the QX1 and LA-EA2 adapter.
Not as gimmiky as you think. Try connect it using the multi-camera function on the xperia z3, and you will get something unparallel in the mobile space!
I bought one. has many applications. I absoltely love it. I can attach it to everything including telescopes etc etc. it’s incredibly compact. works great. even has flash. there’s a market for this. you don’t need to buy a camera.
I mean this is the smallest apc-s sensor device in the world. it’s trully amazing.
Gimmick? I think not. I’m one of the many people who have pre-ordered this device, and it appeals to me far more than carrying my cell phone, my nex-5 and a bunch of lenses while on a casual day.
I’ve have a qx10 and it replaced my casual day shooter. I never use my cell phone for pics anymore, as I have been spoiled by the quality.
And I’ve never had issues with connectivity or anything of the sort.
Play memories 5.0.1 has definitely decreased the start up time.
Can’t wait for my qx1 to arrive in the mail.
id be more tempted by a qx if it had a small screen and a shutter button, cant remmber if it does so it would work by itself quickly and easily, but keep the lens/tube form factor