San Diego, CA—Merging the creative capabilities and image quality of a premium compact camera with the connectivity of a smartphone, Sony’s two “lens-style” QX series cameras are designed to bring “new levels of fun and creativity to the mobile photography experience.”
The Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 utilize Wi-Fi connectivity to transform a connected smartphone into a photographic tool, enabling it to shoot high-quality images and HD video comparable to that of a premium compact camera.
With a lens-style shape, the cameras employ the latest version of Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app (iOS and Android, v3.1 or higher required) to connect wirelessly to a smartphone, converting the large LCD screen of the phone into a real-time viewfinder with the ability to release the shutter, start/stop movie recordings and adjust common photographic settings like shooting mode, zoom and autofocus area.
The PlayMemories app can be activated using NFC (near field communication) one-touch with compatible devices. Once pictures are taken, they are saved directly on both the phone and the camera, and they can be shared instantly via social media or other common mobile applications.
“With the new QX series cameras, we are making it easier for the ever-growing population of ‘mobile photographers’ to capture far superior, higher quality content without sacrificing the convenience and accessibility of their existing mobile network or the familiar ‘phone-style’ shooting experience that they’ve grown accustomed to,” said Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot business at Sony. “We feel that these new products represent not only an evolution for the digital camera business, but a revolution in terms of redefining how cameras and smartphones can cooperatively flourish in today’s market.”
The ultra-portable cameras can be attached to a connected phone with a supplied mechanically adjustable adapter, or they can be held separately in hand or even mounted to a tripod while maintaining all functionality and connectivity with the smartphone. They can also be operated as completely independent cameras if desired, using their own shutter release, memory card slot and a rechargeable battery.
Cyber-shot DSC-QX100. This large-sensor camera features a 1.0-inch, 20.2 megapixel Exmor RCMOS sensor. Identical to the sensor found in the Cyber-shot RX100 II camera, it’s engineered to produce detailed, ultra-low noise images in all types of lighting conditions, including dimly lit indoor and night scenes. The sensor pairs with a fast, wide-aperture Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 3.6x optical zoom as well as a Bionz image processor. As an extra refinement, the DSC-QX100 sports a dedicated control ring for camera-like adjustment of manual focus and zoom.
Several different shooting modes can be selected while using the camera, including program auto, aperture priority, intelligent auto and superior auto, which automatically recognizes 33 different shooting conditions and adjusts camera settings. The DSC-QX100 retails for $500.
Cyber-shot DSC-QX10. This high-zoom model boasts an 18.2-effective megapixel Exmor RCMOS sensor and 10x optical zoom Sony G lens, which allows mobile photographers to bring distant subjects closer without sacrificing image quality or resolution. It’s also portable and lightweight, weighing less than four ounces and measuring 2.5×2.5×1.3 inches. Also provided are built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to combat camera shake, program auto, intelligent auto and superior auto modes. Available in black and white versions, the DSC-QX10 retails for $250. sony.com
