Sony announces QX1 and QX30 smart lens cameras, and ActionCam Mini

We had come across a rumor on Sony Alpha Rumors in the afternoon about Sony launching a new smart lens. Turns out it wasn’t a rumor and Sony has announced its newest QX series smart lenses - the QX1 and the QX30. Both these lenses use your smartphone screen as the viewfinder, but do come with a sensor as well.

Sony QX1 is the more interesting of the lot. It will use a 20.1MP APS-C sensor with 25 contrast-detect AF points along with the BIONZ X image processor which is generally seen in Sony’s higher end cameras such as the RX100 III, Sony Alpha A6000 and so on. The ISO range goes from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. With the QX100 and QX10, you got a fixed lens along with a sensor. But with the QX-1, you will get an E-mount onto which you can attach whichever Sony E-mount lens you prefer. The QX1 features a pop-out flash unit as well. The QX1 will be priced at $399 (approx Rs 24,000) for the mount and along with the 16-50mm kit lens it will cost $450 or approx Rs 27,200.

The Sony QX30 is more like an upgrade to the QX10 as it comes with a bundled 30x optical zoom lens. It features a 20.7MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor with the focal length of the lens going from 24mm on the wide end to 720mm on the telephoto end, giving an effective 30x optical zoom range. Using Sony’s ClearImage zoom, you can even get a 60x zoom. The ISO on this for the QX30 can go as high as ISO 12,800. It will sell for $350 or approx Rs 21,200.

The other camera that Sony announced was the ActionCam Mini which will feature an 11.9MP Exmor R sensor, 170-degree viewing angle and capable of shooting 720p video at 120fps. It will support Sony’s 50Mbps XAVC S video codec to record at full HD resolution. Aimed as an opponent to the GoPro camera series, the Action cam Mini will retail for $250 or approx Rs 15,100 and at $350 or approx Rs 21,200 with the live-view remote.