Sony Cyber-shot QX10 First Impressions Review

Our First Take

Sony has a pair of solutions for just those consumers: the Cyber-shot QX10 (MSRP $249.99) and Cyber-shot QX100 (MSRP $499.99). These hockey puck–shaped half-cameras live their entire lives tethered to your Android or iOS smart device. Where other camera-makers have tried to stuff camera guts directly into a smartphone, Sony has taken a different path by turning the camera into an accessory.

NOTE: We've already posted a First Impressions Review of the QX100, which has a lot in common with the QX10. As such, the bulk of this review will focus on how the QX10 differs from its big brother.

Design & Usability

A new paradigm in camera design

One of the key advantages of the QX10 over the QX100 is its size. It's a good deal smaller, though the difference is almost entirely in depth (the QX10 is almost an inch shorter). It's also significantly lighter at 105 grams to the QX100's 179g. Ultimately, though, the camera is still bulky enough that you'll probably want to carry it in a bag or large pocket. You definitely can't leave it attached to your phone all the time.

Like the QX100, the QX10 has a zoom toggle on the side of the lens barrel, along with a physical shutter button that can be used whether the camera is tethered to your smart device or not. The biggest physical difference is that the QX10 lacks a manual control ring—in fact, there's no manual focusing or manual controls whatsoever.

Since it's the same width as the QX100, the QX10 also fits into Sony's optional case for the Xperia Z Android smartphone. For those who prefer a different make of phone, it also has a spring-loaded universal clamp attachment. We found it to be incredibly sturdy once attached. In fact, the spring is so strong that it's tough to get the phone in there in the first place.

Of course, the QX10 works with tablets as well, and that means you can shoot without the camera being physically attached to your smart device. The WiFi signal has a range of about 15 feet, according to Sony's stated specs, though that figure can be affected by any number of external factors (including walls and electrical interference). Android users with NFC-enabled devices can also simply tap the camera to their phone or tablet to connect, though we found the direct WiFi connection to be quick and painless (it took about 20-30 seconds total to get hooked up).

Despite its light weight, the QX10 is heavy enough to make just about any phone feel severely imbalanced. The combo wants to tilt forward at all times, meaning that the best and most secure way to hold this crazy amalgamation is to cradle the QX10 in the palm of one hand and manipulate the screen with the other. The lens telescopes out far enough to double the depth of the camera unit when it's at full 10x telephoto, but the shift in the center of gravity is minimal.

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Features

Simple, to the point

Where the QX100 takes after the Sony Cyber-shot RX100, the QX10's guts look a lot like last year's WX150 point-and-shoot. The sensor is an industry-standard 1/2.3-inch chip pumping out 18.2 megapixels, while the lens is an optically stabilized 10x optical zoom that goes from 25-250mm in film terms. Those aren't exactly earth-shattering specs, but the lens in particular is a definite step up from what you'd find in most phones.

To actually take advantage of those guts, you'll need to connect the QX10 to your phone or tablet. To do that, you have to download Sony's PlayMemories Mobile app (free on the Apple App Store and Google Play). Once it's installed, you simply turn on your phone's WiFi, start the app, and power up the camera—the two devices will magically find one another. Just input the password stamped on your manual (and the underside of the battery cover) and you're good to go. (Remember, Android owners can use the NFC shortcut.)

We've seen a lot of iffy attempts at smartphone control in standalone cameras, so we were understandably skeptical about the QX10's ability to push a smooth live view image to our phones. As it turns out, our reservations were largely unfounded: the Sony PlayMemories app provides a shooting experience that, at its best, is virtually identical to shooting with your native smartphone camera app. There's virtually no lag in the display, tap-to-focus is quick and accurate, and you can capture a shot by tapping the on-screen shutter button if you don't want to use the physical one. Zooming is a bit jittery, but no worse than many cheap compact cameras.

On the software side, the QX10 is a little more limited than the already stripped-down QX100. You have your choice of three shooting modes, though all three are automatic (the QX100 gets an aperture priority mode, too). There's no ISO control regardless of mode, either. That means you're completely at the camera software's mercy when shooting in low light. Compounding this situation, the QX10 doesn't have a flash, and can't talk to the built-in flash on your phone.

Though the QX10 saves every photo in full resolution to a removable microSCHC card in the camera, it also transfers a copy to your phone's internal memory via. By default, the transferred images are downsized to 2 megapixels, but you can force the camera to send the full-res versions by setting an option in the app menu.

Conclusion

The QX10 might still be a tough sell, even at $250.

Ultimately, we were surprised by how intuitive the QX10 is to use. Connecting the camera is a breeze compared to other camera-based WiFi implementations; the PlayMemories Mobile interface is solid if simple, and the camera's physical controls are responsive. The design is also wonderfully compact, though obviously you can't pocket your phone when it's attached.

We're not sure the QX10's asking price will fly, though. Even at the $250 MSRP, it's quite a bit more expensive than the comparable traditional Sony compact (the $160 Cyber-shot WX80) and arguably a bit less comfortable to use. Of course, the biggest argument in favor of the QX10 is that your high-quality shots are saved directly to your phone or tablet, so you can share them directly to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media services—something the WX80 definitely can't do. Whether that functionality is worth an extra $100 is up to you.