Sony QX ‘lens-style’ cameras for your smartphone: Is this the future of point-and-shoots?

Sony QX ‘lens-style’ cameras for your smartphone: Is this the future of point-and-shoots?

It’s no secret that the conventional point-and-shoot camera is dying a slow death — killed by the convenience and increasing quality of smartphone cameras. Standalone camera vendors have fought back with feature-filled models and phone/camera hybrids, but haven’t found a compelling way to combine those capabilities with the smartphone form factor. Sony’s new DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10, announced at IFA 2013, embody a novel approach to the problem. They are WiFi-enabled “lens-style” cameras with minimal controls, designed to be attached to, and operated by, a smartphone. In short, they are complete cameras, but without a body or screen.

Sony DSC-QX100: “DSLR-quality” images with smartphone handling

There is no question Sony makes great camera technology. For the $500 list price of the QX100 (pictured below) you get what Sony calls a “DSLR-quality” 1-inch, 20.2MP sensor, along with all the fancy electronics you’d expect in a similarly priced mirrorless or an expensive point-and-shoot. In fact its sensor is identical to the one found in the highly-rated Sony DSC-RX100v2, a $649 point-and-shoot often touted as being competitive with DSLRs when it comes to image quality.

The camera itself is dwarfed by its Zeiss f/1.8 3.6x zoom lens, which should provide images that are far better than any smartphone. Another unique feature is that the QX100 features a control ring like some high-end point-and-shoots, a welcome alternative for serious photographers to having to change all the settings from an LCD screen. Its shooting modes and other functions are very similar to those found on similarly priced point-and-shoots — except that they are controlled using an application on the phone instead of from the camera itself. A big open question will be how fast the camera-plus-lens combination can react, and therefore how effective it will be for capturing action compared to a dedicated camera.

Sony DSC-QX10: Finally a superzoom for smartphones

The much-less-expensive, $250 list price, Sony DSC-QX10 (pictured above) is aimed squarely at the Achilles’ heel of smartphones — zoom. As high-resolution as smartphones have gotten, digitally cropping their images to achieve large zoom ratios is at best a poor solution. By offering a 10x zoom lens and its own 18.2MP Exmor sensor, this accessory turns just about any smartphone into an all-in-one travel camera. Weighing less than four ounces, I’d expect this to be a very popular holiday purchase for anyone looking to beef up their phone photography without carrying around a second camera.

Using a QX “lens-style” camera with your phone

The QX models are designed to physically clip onto the back of your smartphone. If your phone is NFC-enabled, proximity should be enough to pair it for operation over WiFi. If not you’ll need to set it up manually. Other than the automatic pairing and keeping the lens and phone physically together, the mount doesn’t provide any other functionality, so you could have the QX in a separate location within WiFi range and use your phone as a remote control. In fact the QX models actually have their own basic controls and a memory card slot, so they can be used as standalone cameras in a pinch.

Smartphone magic with your camera images

Because the QX models are so tightly integrated with your phone, Sony’s free PlayMemories app can be used to completely control the camera settings, as well as to manage, edit and share your images. Short-term this is a good thing, as the app has plenty of bells and whistles. Longer term it’ll be interesting to see whether the QX models can be controlled by third-party camera applications the way existing smartphone cameras can. Otherwise you’ll wind up needing to use your phone camera from two different interfaces depending on whether you have the QX enabled.

Sony expects both QX models to be available late in September, along with an optional case and a “camera case attachment” customized for use with Sony Xperia phones. Remember that because the QX models are actually standalone cameras, they also have their own batteries which will need recharging.

The newness of Sony’s design is obvious right from its product description. Referring to the new models as “lens-style cameras” (complete with quotes) shows that these devices don’t have a product category yet. If the physical connectivity doesn’t prove to be too awkward, and the WiFi connectivity is reliable and quick enough to capture action scenes, expect these to be only the first of many “lens-style” cameras for your smartphone.