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Sony to release removable "lens cameras" for smartphones

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There's been rumors of this coming for the past few weeks, and here it is.
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http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-hot-first-images-of-the-new-dsc-qx10-and-dsc-qx100-lens-cameras/

They're effectively magnetically attachable lenses that contain an entire camera inside (sensor, processor, etc) and can attach to Android and iOS devices.

Could this be a huge deal? Who knows!

Discuss!!!
 
Nice idea I guess but these types of add-ons never take off. The main issue is that most people want their cameras to be immediate to capture a moment. Imagine being like "hold on a minute while I clip my camera on"... seems a bit silly.
 
So it's basically a point and shoot without a screen on the back?

Sounds...kind of pointless. Not as convenient as the built in camera in your smartphone and probably more limited than an actual camera (not that there's really a point in buying a plain point and shoot camera at this point).
 
Seems like a cool gadget, but I don't think most people will bother and people who want to take better pictures tend to have a decent camera already.
 
Seems like the market decided there's room for two kinds of cameras:

- Cheap and always on you (phone, tablet)

- Fancy/Pro-sumer/"I'm an artist" devices.
 
Right, Sony, because this is what people want.

Eh for the right price this could make a pretty cool gift.

It's not something you'd use every day but I'm sure you'd find SOME use for it. I mean I don't have a use for it but it seems like one of those items that I wouldn't mind owning if it was gifted to me.

It's just a neat gadget to have.
 
So it's basically a point and shoot without a screen on the back?

Sounds...kind of pointless. Not as convenient as the built in camera in your smartphone and probably more limited than an actual camera (not that there's really a point in buying a plain point and shoot camera at this point).

One of them has the large sensor and fast lens of the RX100, which is one of the few point and shoot cameras actually worth buying. And actual cameras are usually more limited than smartphones when it comes to processing and sharing options, they rely on computers for that functionality. So this is a pretty neat idea IMO.
 
This is the innovative Sony I like.

The idea is a simple solution to the current problem affecting the camera world: P&S-es are dying because people would rather not lug them around, but phone cameras are still rather crappy (due to the need for a fixed lens) despite their claimed/theoretical image quality.
 
These are bizarre, but I give Sony points for innovation.

The real advantage here is in sharing. Instead of bring apps to the camera, they're bringing the camera to the apps. This will allow photos with good high ISO and an actual zoom to be sent easily to Instagram (and other sharing in general), which is pretty significant. Also, video. Vine, too, maybe?
 
I guess I'll give them point for trying something different, but it's essentially a camera that you need to attach to a cellphone to use then.

There are plenty of camera with transfer function or alternative transfer method to cellphone.
 
Fantastic idea if it works and can be used for all phones. I wonder how strong the attachment will be, it says magnetic but what if it's on a plastic phone?
 
Fantastic idea if it works and can be used for all phones. I wonder how strong the attachment will be, it says magnetic but what if it's on a plastic phone?

It's likely magnetic to itself. Even if you have a metallic phone like an iPhone, it's made with non-magnetic aluminum.
 
This is the innovative Sony I like.

The idea is a simple solution to the current problem affecting the camera world: P&S-es are dying because people would rather not lug them around, but phone cameras are still rather crappy (due to the need for a fixed lens) despite their claimed/theoretical image quality.

So the solution is to have another large bulky thing that people would have to lug around instead and attach to their phone? Why not lug around a proper camera in the first place then? A decent P&S wouldn't be that much bigger than that lens.

Unless you're saying this is a compromise for a DSLR size camera.
 
I don't think magnets are good things to stick on your phone considering what's inside.

It's an interesting idea. It makes sense in some ways but I'm not sure I have a solution to make it better.
 
So the solution is to have another large bulky thing that people would have to lug around instead and attach to their phone? Why not lug around a proper camera in the first place then? A decent P&S wouldn't be that much bigger than that lens.
Have you seen the size of decent P&S-s today? I'm not talking about those shit soapbars, like BenQ kept churning out at one time, I'm talking about a good one that takes pictures noticeably better than a phone's built-in 8.whatever Mpix. The RX100 (where the lens assembly comes from) is a big mutha. And so are the other cameras in its performance range.
 
Been waiting for someone to try this concept for awhile now. Doesn't seem there's going to be any real substitute to big(ger) glass and sensors for getting high-quality capture anytime soon, so if they can shrink down the accompanying electronics to the point that you can just pair your lens of choice with your capture device of choice, all the better. I/O lag could be significant though, so I guess that's where this concept will sink or swim.
 
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