Sony updates QX10/QX100 wireless camera lens with 'Half-Press' focus, high-res videos
Sony on Monday pushed out a firmware update for its iOS-compatible DSC-QX10/QX100 "lens-style" cameras, adding a half-press to focus function to the device's on-board shutter release, higher resolution MP4 video recording and other minor enhancements.
With the added functionality, Sony brings the QX series in line with most other consumer cameras on the market that can activate auto focus by depressing the hardware shutter release to a halfway point. Users can then snap a picture by pressing down fully.
To go along with the new camera firmware, Sony also rolled out a new PlayMemories Mobile iOS app with UI improvements. When the camera is connected to an iOS device, users can touch the screen to focus and release to take a picture.
As noted in AppleInsider's QX10 and QX100 reviews, the unit's focus control features left much to be desired, especially when controlling the device through the buggy PlayMemories Mobile app.
In addition to half-press focus, Sony has upped MP4 recording size from 1,440-by-1080 pixels to 1,920-by-1080 pixels. Both resolutions are recorded at 30p, or 30 full frames-per-second. The cameras also get a new "S-Mode" shutter priority mode and manual ISO sensitivity from 160 to 12,800.
Finally, while it doesn't apply to iOS devices, Sony has included faster "One-Touch" near-field communication pairing for smartphones and tablets supporting the NFC protocol.
The QX10 update is a 92.19MB download, while the QX100 firmware comes in at 91.42MB. Sony's PlayMemories Mobile app weighs in at 8.2MB and can be downloaded through the App Store.
23 Comments
Please. This is the last hurrah for the compact camera, before smartphones snuff them out once and for all. It'll be yesterday's news, like the QuickTake 100 or the Sony Floppy Disk-based Mavica.
Until smartphone cameras can defy physics and drastically improve their optics, large camera lenses will continue to exist regardless of what they are attached to.
Please. This is the last hurrah for the compact camera, before smartphones snuff them out once and for all. It'll be yesterday's news, like the QuickTake 100 or the Sony Floppy Disk-based Mavica.
I would never buy this product. I can't even imagine the target market.
Until smartphone cameras can defy physics and drastically improve their optics, large camera lenses will continue to exist regardless of what they are attached to.
These are not really large glass. They are medium sized glass.
iPhone built-in camera is usually good enough for personal use. For prosumer or semi-professional use, people generally go with DSLR where you have tripod mounts, hot shoe, manual focus and controls, good camera ergonomics, etc. For real pro the market is Hasselblad and Phase One. Again, I just don't see the target market for this, but perhaps that is just my lack of understanding, but I would never buy this.
[quote name="Shawn Richards" url="/t/178474/sony-updates-qx10-qx100-wireless-camera-lens-with-half-press-focus-high-res-videos#post_2516661"]Until smartphone cameras can defy physics and drastically improve their optics, large camera lenses will continue to exist regardless of what they are attached to.[/quote] Yeah, they aren't replacing the big DSLRs anytime soon, but I think compact cameras like the Canon ELPH and Nikon CoolPix are done for. And those cameras have small sensors and small lenses. And my (allegedly 10MP) Nikon CoolPix takes crappier photos than my iPhone 5. Terrible optics. I say: good riddance.
Interesting concept though is that as those low to mid-range compact cameras go away, the high end cameras are going to get a lot more expensive because the manufacturers need to shift their major profit generation from high volume low end cameras to niche high end cameras. Perhaps this is where Sony has the most to loose because they really don't make any high end still cameras, plus they are getting squeezed by Nikon and Canon DSLRs that also shoot 1080 HD, a market that Sony used to dominate.