Hands-on review
A pair of digital cameras that come without any way of composing or reviewing images may seem like a truly illogical concept, but the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 instead rely on the high-resolution LCD screens that many of us now carry in our pockets.
By way of a Wi-Fi connection, both QX cameras are able to link directly to a smartphone or tablet running the Sony PlayMemories Mobile app. Using this app, which is available for Apple iOS and Android devices, a live view of the scene can be displayed on the phone’s screen, as well as offering the ability to change various shooting and exposure settings. In effect, the QX camera module and smartphone combine to become a compact camera.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 & QX100 – Features
Before we examine the details of the Sony QX10 and QX100, it is important to understand why these two cameras might appeal to photographers. The Sony QX10 features an 18.2-million-pixel, 1/2.3in, standard compact-camera-sized Sony Exmor R CMOS sensor, with a 10x optical zoom lens equivalent to 25-250mm on a 35mm camera. In effect, it is a reasonably well-specified consumer compact camera. However, the QX100 is even more intriguing. It uses the same 20.2-million-pixel, 1in Exmor R CMOS sensor as the excellent Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. In fact, the QX100 also has the same 28-100mm (equivalent) f/1.8-4.9 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens as the RX100 II. It is these core features that make the RX100 II the highest-scoring compact camera we have tested at AP.
Even more compelling are the prices. The Sony QX10 is set to cost around £180 at launch, and the QX100 around £380, some £250 less than the RX100 II. However, there is one caveat: the QX100 lacks the ability to shoot raw files, which may take a little of the shine off the camera.
In construction, both the Sony QX10 and QX100 are very similar. The lenses of both are optically stabilised and use contrast-detection AF. On the outside of the barrel, each camera has a shutter button and a zoom toggle control on the side, as well as a power switch and a battery indicator. The cameras store images on a Micro SD memory card and are charged via a Micro USB socket, with the battery under a sliding panel at the rear of the unit.
However, it is how the cameras work with a smartphone or tablet that will be the key to their success.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 & QX100- In use
Connecting the devices via Near Field Communication (NFC) is straightforward, and even connecting manually isn’t difficult. Each of the cameras has an attachment at the rear with spring-loaded arms that grip either side of a smartphone. This makes the cameras compatible with more than just Sony devices, in fact any smartphone between 54mm and 75mm wide and up to 13mm thick. We tried the cameras on a number of phones in the AP office and had no problem attaching them, even to phones that were in cases. A case has been specifically for the Sony Experia Z1 phone, which allows the cameras to be twist-locked, just like mounting a lens to a system camera.
When attached via its standard grip, the QX cameras offer a similar experience of holding and shooting with a compact or small system camera. However, the camera doesn’t have to be mounted in order to operate. Since the camera uses Wi-Fi to connect to a smart device, no physical connection is necessary. You can hold the camera in one hand and a phone in the other, or set the camera up and retreat to a distance of up to 10m and shoot remotely, in exactly the same way as you might with the Wi-Fi capabilities we are currently seeing in nearly all cameras.
With the Sony QX10 being the smaller of the two cameras, it feels a little more at home when mounted on a phone. The QX100 doesn’t feel awful, but for confidence I found that I really had to support the Sony QX100 with my left hand, just like when shooting with a system camera.
By biggest concern was with any lag between the camera and the on-screen live view on the phone. While it did lag for a fraction of a second, it wasn’t too bad. Using the shutter button on the camera rather than on the on-screen display also removes any lag when shooting. Once shot, images can either be sent to the phone as 2-million-pixel images with the full-resolution files saved to the camera’s Micro SD card, or full-resolution images can be transferred, although this takes up a lot more space on the phone’s internal memory.
See sample images taken with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10
See sample images taken with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 & QX100 – First impressions
With most photos being taken on a smartphone these days, Sony has come up with a unique approach that addresses the issues of phones lacking the ability to take really high-quality images and having no zoom. Once the images are on a smartphone, they can then be edited and uploaded using the full variety of apps, and from what I have seen I think the Sony QX10 in particular will be very popular among consumers due to its size and price.
It would be easy to dismiss the two QX cameras as simply devices that will be used by consumers instead of a mobile phone or compact camera, but the QX100, with its high-quality lens and sensor, warrants the attention of enthusiasts too. Its price is also appealing given the cost of the RX100 II, though it isn’t really that much smaller to carry around, and it does lack the ability to shoot raw files.
If the image quality of the Sony QX100 can match that of the RX100 II, and if it handles well in real-world use, then there may be a few photographers opting to put a Sony QX100 in their pocket when they go out for the day. Look out for a full test of the cameras in a forthcoming issue of AP.
