Sony QX1 review

The QX1 uses Sony’s 20.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, found in the Sony Alpha A6000, which is a big improvement over both previous models and a huge step up from the tiny sensors found in most smartphones. Even without the pop-up flash it should be able to cope with low-light situations well.

IMAGE QUALITY

We’ve compared the QX1 to the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is still one of the best smartphones on the market when it comes to camera image quality. Because the QX1 takes 20-megapixel images, direct pixel-to-pixel comparisons with Samsung’s 16-megapixel Galaxy S5 will be tough, but still give you an idea what benefits an external camera attachment can bring. We’ve also pitted it against a Panasonic GX7 compact system camera, which uses a smaller micro-four thirds sensor; theoretically, the QX1 should be able to capture more details.

^ The QX1 is able to create depth blur and capture plenty of close-up detail, with no signs of noise or pixellation until you zoom in significantly

^ The Galaxy S5 appears to use aggressive sharpening when processing images, so they appear crisper on first glance, but zooming in reveals excessive noise and a lack of detail.

^ The GX7 produces very similar results to the QX1, revealing noise a little sooner than Sony’s smart lens when you zoom in. Colours and detail are essentially on par with the APS-C sensor, however.

Moving outdoors, the QX1 does a great job capturing lifelike colours and balancing exposure. Whereas the Galaxy S5 has to use its HDR mode to capture both sky and foreground, the QX1 is able to do so in a single exposure – without oversaturating colours to boot. In the image below, the Galaxy S5 makes it look as though the skies were particularly moody, but the QX1 appears much more true to life.

^ Sony QX1 (left), Samsung Galaxy S5 (middle), Panasonic GX7 (right)

Sony has added a pop-up flash to the QX1, which gives it a major advantage over the QX10 when it comes to low-light shooting. It’s not huge, but it’s also a lot more powerful than the average smartphone camera flash, which is clear to see in our test shots.

Even in a dark room, the QX1 managed to capture a surprising amount of detail, although you’ll see massive improvements when you use the built-in flash (below).

The Galaxy S5 struggles to find focus in the dark, and even when it does the results aren’t usable. There’s almost no detail, particularly in the second row of objects, and there’s a huge amount of noise. Switching on the flash improves things significantly, but zooming in again reveals pixellation and noise, as well as overly saturated colours. The QX1 does a better job at producing lifelike images.

CONCLUSION

Sony has improved its Smart Lens concept in almost every way with the QX1; it’s faster to connect, produces higher quality images and has more manual features, before you even take into account the option to swap lenses. If you have an existing collection of Sony E Mount lenses, it’s an intriguing alternative to a standard body, one which should inspire you to get more creative with your photography.

The QX1 is currently available standalone or ‘body-only’, we contacted Sony but at present there are no plans for a kit with a lens announced. At £250 it’s around the same cost as an A5000 body, which doesn’t feel quite right given that the QX1 is essentially a cutdown device with no screen. Worse still, the A5000 can currently be bought with a 16-50mm kit lens for as little as £289 from John Lewis. With no lens offer on the QX1 that leaves it looking rather expensive indeed, as the lens itself will cost around £100 even from eBay.

Then there are the shortcomings that make it more of a novelty than a replacement for a compact camera; copying full resolution files from the camera to your smartphone after each shot takes several seconds and unless you’re pairing it with a budget handset many images won’t look drastically different once uploaded to Facebook or Instagram (though you will of course have a far higher-quality images to archive). Having to pair and connect your phone every time you want to shoot is just enough effort to make you think twice about using it instead of the camera built into your phone.

The addition of interchangeable lenses may provide flexibility, but the lack of a bundled lens makes the QX1 even more of a niche product than the first-generation Smart Lenses, and the long list of improvements don’t change that. It’s certainly intriguing, but we can’t see it appealing to anyone except for existing Sony NEX/Alpha CSC users looking for something a little different.