Sony takes compact cameras to the next level

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The design of compact cameras has been the same for a very long time. This is until today Sony unveils two new innovative cameras that are like no others. The Sony QX100 and the Sony QX10 are designed to be clipped to a smartphone and utilize the phone’s screen as a monitor and control panel. The shape of these cameras resembles that of a lens more than a traditional camera. It looks like they are quite easy to hold in hands, but I am not so sure about putting them in pockets. They look like they could be a bit bulky putting in  trousers pockets. It is similar to putting a small lens in your shirt pocket or trousers pocket. A great feature of the QX100 and QX10 is that they utilises your smart phone which already has a large touch screen, sharing apps, WIFI, 3G and many more great features of today’s smartphones. The QX100 and QX10 themselves have sensors built into them already, in fact the QX100 has a 20MP 1” Exmor CMOS sensor and the QX10 has a 18MP 1/2.3” Exmor CMOS sensor. They basically attach directly to a smartphone via a bracket and the built in WIFI of the cameras links to the iOS or Andriod smartphones. Via the Sony app, the phone serves as the camera grip while you use its screen for composition, playback, and touch-menu control, including touch autofocus. Images are automatically saved to both the smartphone’s memory and to the memory cards of the camera. The cameras can also function uncoupled from the smartphone. You can shoot handheld, with the smartphone serving as remote control, or you can use the integrated tripod thread to mount the camera.

You can pre-order the QX100 here and QX10 here.

The QX10 is targeted towards beginners as it only offers automatic and scene modes, but not aperture priority mode.

The Sony QX100 houses a 20.2MP 1” Back Side Illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and the BIONZ image processor for high-resolution imaging and effective low-light capture. This is the same sensor-and-processor combination found on the respected Sony RX100 Mark II. Furthermore, the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f/1.8 lens on the QX100 also matches the one on the RX100 II. This lens offers a 3.6x optical zoom with the 35mm focal length equivalence of 28-100mm. Its f/1.8 maximum aperture, on the wide-angle end, is effective in low light and works to enable shallow-depth-of-field shooting.

Enhancing the camera’s low-light capability, ISO sensitivities range from 160 to 12800, and can be expanded to 25600. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization provides compensation for the blur caused by camera shake at longer shutter speeds. The QX100 also supports full HD 1080p video capture at 30 fps in the MP4 format.

The Sony QX10  has a Sony G lens with 10x optical zoom for longer focal length reach. The 35mm equivalent focal length is 25-250mm for wide-angle to telephoto perspectives, and its maximum aperture range is f/3.3-4.9. The sensor on the QX10 is an 18.2MP 1/2.3” Back Side Illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and it houses the BIONZ image processor. The sensitivity range of the QX10 is ISO 100-3200, which is further expandable to ISO 12800 for enhanced low-light shooting. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization is supported for effective reduction of blur when shooting at slower shutter speeds. Although aperture-priority mode is not available, program auto, Face Detection, and both Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto with a total of 77 scene modes are provided. The QX10 is almost half the size and weight of the QX100.

Full specification

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