Sony QX1 is a lens camera... without a lens

Sony's back with another version of its lens-style QX series of cameras, this time offering the 30X zoom QX30 to replace the QX10 , as well as a new interchangeable-lens model that takes E-Mount lenses. Like all the QX models, the ILCE-QX1 provides identical capabilities to its conventional counterpart -- most notably the ability to control it from your mobile device and simultaneously save photos to each. In this case it's the (of course now-discontinued) Alpha A5000 . It's just rounder and lacking an LCD display for the same money.

That money equals $400 (£249) for just the camera body, at least in the US and UK. Sony plans to do soft bundles with lenses, but as yet hasn't announced any particular configurations. (Australian availability and pricing were not available at press time, but a direct conversion would be approximately AU$430.) That will likely change between now and October/November when the camera ships.

Sony's lensless lens camera, the QX1 (pictures)

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The one thing this design has going for it is size; obviously, it's somewhat smaller than the standard version of the camera, and it's also smaller than the point-and-shoot QX models. That said, once you put any lens on it it's still too big to fit in anything but a jacket pocket, and in fact the A5000 is still smaller in the dimension that counts from that perspective -- thickness.

Sony claims to have addressed the most common complaints people had about the first generation of these cameras, including shooting performance, and connecting and maintaining the connection between the camera and various mobile devices. It also has beefed up its PlayMemories app to provide far more control over settings than the one that shipped last time did. Your A-series camera will benefit from those app updates as well.

However, I think Sony missed the opportunity to address some other issues. For instance, this device, which lacks a grip, could really benefit from sensor-shift stabilization (in Sony's case, SteadyShot Inside) rather than optical stabilization, which Sony incorporates into only one of its prime lenses. The company did create a grip that attaches to the back of the device, clamping into the spot where a phone would normally attach, but that's primarily intended to make selfies easier.

Some people think that these lens-style cameras revolutionized phone photography, and I'm sure they'll think that this is awesome and amazing, too. I'm just not one of them.

I do think that making an ILC version is an interesting exercise on Sony's part. But you get less for the money than from a comparable-in-every-way standard-design camera, and the option to attach it to your phone -- its one unique feature -- is a lot less convenient than it sounds on paper. To paraphrase our bottom line on the QX10: it might be a fresh take on an ILC, but the design will probably end up being a bit more trouble than it's worth. I'll see once I get a chance to try it out.

Comparative specifications