Mobile madness? Our opinion on Sony's QX clip-on cameras

As its HD1080P 1920x108 on sonys official site, then reading in the specs 1440x1080. well that is still HD1080P 4:3 AR. guess you can complain all you want, for 250.00 or 500.00

No camera body, no RAW, no flash, I have a mirrorless camera and my gut is I want one! Say what you will Sony has moved the market, created buzz and kicked Cankon's teeth in. Now lets see if Samsung can improve on the idea. From a Nikon D7000 & V1 shooter.

I think this product represents an important development in photography. From the invention of photography until fairly recently, images were composed from the limited number of positions in which the photographer could comfortably see the viewfinder. Since the introduction of digital photography and articulating screens, composition has been freed up somewhat and we now see shots from a very low level and above the photographer's head.

In my view the point of these gadgets is not just to improve the photo quality of smartphones but to vastly increase the potential compositions available to the photographer. With a 25-250mm equivalent lens which can be positioned practically anywhere at any angle, bad composition is unlikely to be down to limitations in the equipment. There are already remote cameras (GoPro etc) but these may be the first with decent quality for stills photography.

Mobile madness ? Absolutely YES.
These are like a one-kilo attachment to transform your glasses into a TV-set.
Very cool. And very stupid at the same time ...
No doubt they will have a lot of INITIAL success (as quirky gadgets often do).
But - in the long run - sales will only depend on "trendy" advertisements and endorsments, though.
In fact no doubt the fools who will buy such toys to show them off, will soon get tired of going around with a potato in their pocket !!
UNLESS - of course - these gadgets are usable as spy-cams, to remotely monitor something way off your smartphone ...

Now imagine this as a module with different bayonets (m4/3,M,A,E, perhaps F,K,EOS if they'd agree to sell the license) - basically a death of mirrorless cameras.

Not only it'd be cheaper and smaller, but also you wouldn't be forced into these stupid adaptors all over the place. AND you could cheaply swap it for a new model when current one will become outdated (just imagine full frame Leica M module below 900$). Sounds like a brilliant deal!

I think Sony will sell tons of these things, not because they are especially useful, but because they have a quirkiness about them that teenagers and young adults will find attractive, cool, and trendy. Just being seen with one of these cameras clipped to your smartphone will get you noticed, and that in turn will make you attractive, cool, and trendy. Way to go Sony!

Prediction: So you can't control anything but aperture and exposure comp today? I guarantee Sony will bring PlayMemories Pro to market in 3 months, charging £9.99 for an app that adds ISO, S, M and Raw shooting and, i dunno, 3 more dodgy scene/effect modes.

Holding a barrel lens in one hand and triggering it with the phone with the other hand....that's a no-no in photography.
I guess that's what happens when a non-camera company like Sony designs these things.

This Gadget deserve a pop-up flash, could be small to match the style, which was still better than the flash of smartphones. Maybe the next gen. will become with one, for more that $150 for sure.

I think Sony is trying something very new, and I think we might be surprised by the possibilities of this new form factor and not just for use with your phone.

I know I would like to try a couple things with such a camera...

I have to admit the idea is innovative and I have to tip my hat to Sony for occasionally thinking outside the box. Sure their batting average might be less than perfect but that is the nature of the technology game, as Apple users well know it is better to take a swing at it than to just sit here and strike out. Personally I think this is yet another sign that all the camera companies are facing a dim future as end users choose convenience over quality and no longer have a need for stand alone digital cameras, instead opting for their smartphones. May be this is why more and more camera manufacturers are trying to make their cameras functionally similar to a smartphone. Or as in the case of Sony adapt some of their product line technology to smartphone community. Likewise smartphones have hit the wall and are looking for ways to separate their products from the pack and are focusing on advancing the smartphone photographic attributes as well as the image processing apps.

I guess Sony had to find a use for their rubbish lenses!

Drone users rejoice! Now you can take a bunch of these and put them all to make 360° Videos

There are rumors the next QX camera will be 800-2400mm f/4, shaped like a rocket launcher. It will have a magnetic phone holder, which can be mounted facing any direction.
Also in the news, a company, called Cee-U is about to release a golf club shaped mount for QX lenses for discrete and convenient shooting from low positions.
Another hot news just arrived. A third party company is making a magnetic attachment for QX lens with a speaker inside. You will be able to press a lens against your ear to make and receive telephone calls.

"Where's your smart phone? It seems to be ringing..."

"It's in here somewhere, underneath this pile of ADD ONS..."

.

#1 selling camera on Amazon right now is QX100 and #2 is QX10. Not sure how long that party will last, but I think these may end up as Sony's best selling cameras ever.

My jaw dropped part 2...
Sony, here's an idea for enthusiast/serious ultra compact camera.
1) Builtin EVF - pops like a flash
2) One prime lens version based from the Nokia Pureview 808 idea.
3) Zoom version similar to above.
4) Ergonomically similar to a Handycam, small strap to insert two fingers while securing the camera under with your thumb.
5) Of course, RAW mode. :)

Best use has got to be concerts.

The people behind you aren't staring at your blue glowing screen anymore.
You don't have to strain your neck anymore staring at your LCD screen two feet straight above your head.

Win-win.

Now, the third party manufacturers can start a competition who makes the best body for the QX.

what happens when the phone rings?

The problem is that these are designed for people with 3 hands.

So. Why not think out of the box?

Put that thing on a tripod.
Use your phone to control it.
A kind of studio camera?

Or put that thing on a quad copter.
And see the image on your phone?
Does that work?

Samsung has just outwitted this gadget with their latest "Galaxy Gear" smartwatch .

You have to remember that Sony took over the Minolta camera business. As a long time Minolta user I always liked the fact that Minolta was quirky and adventurous. It is kinda nice to see Sony continue that tradition.

Whether these cameras will be come successful remains to be seen. There are cameras out there that have wifi and NFC and have iOS/Android apps for them. Most notably, the Canon Powershot N, which is pretty small. I'm afraid that these lens cameras would most likely be used by...."creepy" people to take photos of other people without them noticing since it doesn't look like a camera. Other uses I can think of...health inspectors, law enforcement, house inspectors because the lens is small enough to get into really cramped places. Someone will need to come out with a stick mount or a flexible goose neck type mount for it.

sony is really doing a lot of innovative stuff these days.

"Is that a QX in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Good innovation from Sony but the product itself doesn't seem very practical to carry around. It appears chunky and may likely be left at home once the novelty wears off, with the worry of losing it and not knowing how to carry it. Looking beyond that, it does have its uses. Plus, phones can now have something similar to swivel screens on cameras.