Hasta La Gadget!

Yup, it’s just a light. But the LD-1000 is made by Nikon, and designed to attach to the company’s 1-Series mirrorless cameras, such as the J3 or V2, which makes it at least mildly interesting. The AAA-powered bracket-mounted lamp includes four white LEDs and a diffuser, and while its primary focus is to illuminate a subject during a video shoot, you can also use it to provide fill light for still photos, or whenever a constant low-power stream of illumination is more appropriate than a flash. Pick it up in black or white in October for a somewhat ambitious $99.95.

Filed under: Cameras, Peripherals, Nikon

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The Xperia Z1 was clearly the darling of today’s Sony press event at IFA, but what is a smartphone without a smart imaging stand, right? The peripheral only got a quick mention as Kaz ran through phone specs, but we managed to get a bit more time with it on the floor afterward. The device is a cradle for your handset that you can control via phone, tablet or, in this case, the company’s new SmartWatch 2. That’s what Sony was using at the event — though, we have to say, while we appreciated it killing two birds with one stone, maybe it wasn’t the ideal choice.

Tap the icon on the watch’s display and you’ll see a barebones interface. At the center is a camera icon for still photos, with a video record icon in the upper right. There are also four arrows around the perimeter that let you adjust the stand’s position. We had some serious trouble with the latter. Connected with the stand via Blueooth, we found ourselves having to hit the arrows multiple times to get it to move. When we did eventually get it to shift, the whole stand moved a bit — though we’re willing to chalk some of that up to the somewhat precarious position the stand was in while on display.%Gallery-slideshow79438%

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile

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The line between dedicated camera and smartphone camera just got a bit more blurred. Sony’s new QX camera series look less like traditional shooters and more like the lenses you would attach to them. In fact, they attach to smartphones. …

The rumors, we’re thrilled to see, are true. Sony’s unique lens cameras are now official, and they’re coming to a smartphone or tablet near you beginning later this month. As expected, there are two models on offer. Both cameras lack the display and controls of an ordinary point-and-shoot — instead, you’ll pair your Android or iOS handset or slate with the camera via WiFi, and use that device to adjust settings and frame each shot. Naturally, we expected lag to be a major issue here, but the feed was delayed by only a fraction of a second, and it was perfectly sufficient for this type of shooting. To get started, you’ll power on the camera then connect to the device’s ad-hoc access point. Then, launch the PlayMemories Mobile app and start shooting. You can also zoom and capture images using a toggle and shutter release on each camera, so they can be operated independently, if you’re willing to roll the dice with framing and exposure. Images can only be saved to the camera’s microSD or Memory Stick slot when you’re not connected to a smartphone or tablet — when the devices are paired, you can save images to either, or both.

There are two flavors on offer here, and while they look similar, internally they’re quite unique. The DSC-QX10 is the “high-zoom” model, with a relatively compact 10x optic. That 18.2-megapixel model will ship in black or white for $249, but it’s specifically geared toward entry-level shooters, with mid-range optics and limited manual control. Advanced photographers are going to want to focus on the “quality” QX100, which features the same 1-inch 20.2-megapixel sensor and 3.6x f/1.8-4.9 lens as the $750 RX100 Mark II. It’s no surprise, then, that this chunkier lens camera will retail for $499. With it, you’ll have access to advanced modes like aperture or shutter priority, but Sony opted to exclude access to a full-manual mode, so you’ll need to use exposure compensation to make any tweaks. We weren’t able to review image quality in detail with either model, but both performed quite well during our hands-on. Expect more in-depth analysis after the QX100 and QX10 launch in a few weeks, but you can snag a sneak peek now in our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-slideshow73501%

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

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In a somewhat unexpectedly rapid timeline, the Sony QX10 and QX100 Lens Cameras for smartphones, which we saw leak again a few days ago, have silently been put up for pre-order on Amazon in the United States. Alongside both the cameras are also some carrying cases up for order, as well as the new AS30V […]