The DSC-QX100 Digital Camera Module for Smartphones from Sony is an innovative camera that combines DSLR-like image quality with the ever-present convenience and sharing capability of the smartphone. With a 20.2MP 1.0" Exmor R Backside-Illuminated CMOS sensor and the BIONZ image processor, the QX100 creates sharp, high-resolution images with effective low light capabilities at ISO sensitivities that run to 12800 and are expandable to 25600.
What is original about the QX100 is its form factor. It looks less like a camera and more like just a lens. However, despite the fact that it has no viewfinder or LCD, it is indeed a camera. Its innovation is that it can be clipped directly to almost any smartphone and via its built-in Wi-Fi connection, utilize the phone's large display screen for composition and playback viewing and touch menu control. It can also be used off the smartphone, either handheld or mounted utilizing its integrated tripod thread.
The lens of the QX100 is the 3.6x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f/1.8 lens which has the 35mm format equivalence of a 28-100mm lens. Its focal range includes wide-angle to portrait length telephoto and its maximum aperture at the wide-angle end is effective in low light and able to create a shallow depth of field. Four aspherical lens elements minimize aberrations for clear and color-accurate images. Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization reduces the effects of camera shake as well, so shots taken with slower shutter speeds will be free from blur. Single shot autofocus, manual focus and Touch autofocus from your smartphone are all supported.
The built-in Wi-Fi of the QX100 connects to your iOS or Android smartphone and once the Wi-Fi connection is established and the free PlayMemories Mobile App is installed, your phone will act as viewer and menu control for the camera. With Android smartphones, NFC (Near Field Communication) enables a Wi-Fi connection with just a simple tap between the phone and camera. Furthermore, with the Wi-Fi connection enabled, you can use your smartphone as a remote control and shoot with the camera detached from the smartphone. Also, thanks to a physical zoom lever and shutter button on the camera, you are able to shoot without a smartphone and view your images later. Images are saved to both the camera's memory and the smartphone's memory. The camera can utilize Memory Stick Micro, Memory Stick Micro Mark II and microSD and microSDHC cards for image storage.
HD 1080p at 30 fps in the MP4 format is supported by the QX100 for quality video capture and a built-in stereo microphone records audio. Also, the camera offers numerous assistive features such as Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto and Face Detection, it even provides Aperture Priority exposure control. There are 44 scene modes in Superior Auto and 33 in Intelligent Auto to enable the camera match your scene with one of the numerous programmed scenes and automatically adjust the settings to create a well-balanced and accurate photo.
Your smartphone gives you access to countless apps for editing and sharing your photos so thanks to the QX100, you will have high quality photos already stored in your smartphone ready to share to social media sites.