Sony QX100 Review

The Next Level of Mobile Photography?

We live in a time of convergence. I remember my excitement ten years ago when I got my first point-and-shoot Canon camera. I soon moved up to a DSLR: the Nikon D10. In addition, I had a cell phone, a Gameboy, our family’s old iMac, an iPod, and an Xbox. Now, my smartphone has taken the place of my camera, casual gaming system, iPod, and phone. Some of us have tablets and computers, but Windows 8 devices provide a hybrid tablet and laptop device. There is a problem though: my smartphone doesn’t have the best camera.
Sure, the iPhone has a pretty amazing camera, and the Nokia Lumia 1020 has a whopping 41.0 megapixel camera. However, technology has not only advanced in the smartphone realm; point-and-shoot cameras have evolved a whole lot since the Canon cameras of our youth. While people typically associate these cameras with okay and passable image quality, cameras like the Sony RX-100 II provide DSLR-level images and video in a smaller, compact frame. Honestly, I don’t want to carry my smartphone and a point-and-shoot camera. I like being able to take a picture and instantly post it to Instagram or email it to a friend. Sony thinks its QX100 and QX10 lens cameras are a middle ground. While the QX10 is 18.2 megapixels and has 10x optical zoom, I decided to buy the QX100 due to its higher image quality.

To say that Sony’s lens cameras are unique is an understatement. A lens camera is exactly what is sounds like: all of the internals of the camera are within the lens. The only thing that is left out is a flash, but the low light performance of the QX100 made that omission a mute point. Sony basically took its 2012 first generation RX-100 point-and-shoot and put it into a lens. Now, since the camera is just a lens, an Android or iOS phone can be used as a viewfinder for the camera. The QX100 uses an expandable clamp on the back of the camera to attach it to your smartphone. The lens camera and your smartphone connect wirelessly. The fact that the lens doesn’t have to be physically attached to your phone means that you can get some pretty cool shots. I’m planning on buying a miniature tripod that I will be able to strap to a tree branch for a photojournalism project for one of my classes.

Click pictures to see full size.

I first used the camera on a day trip my girlfriend and I took to Newport, RI. As you can see, the QX100 takes some amazing pictures. I wouldn’t expect anything less, since it basically the same camera as the RX-100.  However, you cannot use your regular camera app with the QX-100. You’ll have to download Sony’s PlayMemories app to control the camera. You can also use Camera360, which has built in support for the Sony lenses. Since the photos you take are stored on the microSD card in the lens, the camera sends a 2 megapixel version of the image to your phone by default. However, you can change this to have the full resolution image or have no photo sent, meaning you’ll have to use the app to select which pictures you want to send to you phone after the fact. While I agree that the iPhone takes some great photos, they just don’t have the high quality images that the QX10 and QX100 produce. I never once had a problem with battery life from the lens, while I did notice the battery on my phone took a bit of a hit while using the lens.

The Verdict

If you’re wondering: Do I need this? No, nobody needs this. However, if you want to be able to take pictures that you would frame and have far better quality than your smartphone, then I say go ahead. The QX10, which comes in either black or white with gold trim that matches the new gold iPhone, is available for $249.99. The black-only QX100 costs $499.99. While that is a lot of money, the original RX-100 cost $649.99 at launch and the new RX-100 II cost $749.99. The QX100 isn’t a smartphone accessory; it is a high-end point-and-shoot camera that uses your smartphone as a viewfinder. So should you get it? Well, that's up to you. It could make a great holiday present, especially the QX10. However, if you don't have a nice point-and-shoot and you don't want to carry around two separate devices, this could be the ticket.