Hasta La Gadget!

It was just last year that Sony unveiled a pair of camera lenses called the QX10 and QX100. What made these lenses unique was the fact that they were essentially cameras, albeit in a rather odd design which was on purpose as it was meant to be clipped onto smartphone (and tablets apparently). It was essentially a supercharged version of those clip-on lenses we have seen in the past. Well the good news is that if you own either pair and were hoping that Sony might introduce some updates to it, you will be pleased to learn that Sony has since pushed the 2.0 firmware out for the QX10 and the QX100, bringing about some changes and improvements in the process.

For starters, both lenses will now be able to record video a Full HD at 30fps. Prior to this, it was only able to record 1440×1080, but with the new 16:9 format, it should allow it to match up with devices like smartphones, HDTVs, and 16:9 monitors. Sony also increased the ISO range of both lenses, with the QX10 reaching 3200 while the QX100 will go up to 12800. The QX100 also gets an added feature of being able to choose a shutter speed priority mode. If you own either the QX10 or QX100 (or maybe even both), just plug it to your computer, download the update and you’re good to go!

Sony QX10/QX100 Receives Firmware 2.0 Update original content from Ubergizmo.

At Sony’s IFA press event, reps handed out samples of the company’s $250 lens cameras to everyone in the room. We really enjoyed our time with the Cyber-shot QX10, but that model’s more powerful sibling, the QX100, promised even better performance, albeit in a substantially larger package. Unfortunately, it’s been a bit difficult to come by, and our loaner missed the deadline for a review. We’ll examine it here instead.

At $500, the QX100 is an incredibly pricey smartphone accessory, but when you consider that the cam features the same optics as Sony’s $750 RX100 Mark II, that ambitious sticker price is a bit easier to swallow. Still, for the QX’s target demographic — smartphone users looking to boost the quality of Twitpics and Instagram photos — bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Both the QX10 and QX100 function in much the same way, but internally, they’re entirely unique. The base model includes a 1/2.3-inch sensor and a 10x optical zoom lens, while the more expensive version, available for twice the price, features a much larger 1-inch sensor and a higher-quality 3.6x Carl Zeiss lens. It’s essentially an RX100 Mark II without the LCD, and with limited advanced control. Instead, like with the QX10, you use a connected smartphone as your viewfinder. Unlike with that flavor, however, you now have the ability to tweak the aperture (down to f/1.8). On paper, it’s a much better fit for advanced photographers, and the image quality is good indeed, but ultimately this is an accessory for your smartphone. Keeping that in mind, let’s see how it performs.%Gallery-slideshow98477%

Filed under: Cameras, Mobile, Sony

Comments

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Comments

During IFA 2013, Sony announced the lens camera accessory, the QX10 and the QX100. Both devices would play nicely with Android and iOS smartphones as long as users were to install the PlayMemories Mobile app. Unfortunately what this means is that Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 users would be out of luck, although in the case of BlackBerry 10 users, if you know what you’re doing, you should be able to sideload the app onto your device and get it to work, and a recent photo has surfaced showing the QX10 attached to a BlackBerry Q10.

While BlackBerry devices support NFC and WiFi, we guess the only thing missing would be a native app itself, but we guess if you’re desperate, learning how to sideload the app will do in a pinch. The QX10 and QX100 are Sony’s latest photography-related products and will offer smartphone users a “better” way to take photos on their phone with better quality and control. The QX10 features the sensor found on the Sony W150, while the QX100 will sport the RX100MII’s sensor. They are admittedly pricey for accessories, but for those looking to take their photography to the next level, these accessories might just do the trick.

Sony QX10 And QX100 Reportedly Working For BlackBerry 10 Devices original content from Ubergizmo.

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

Comments