Sony QX30 review 30x optical zoom for your phone... well, sort of
"A 30x optical zoom to use with your smartphone sounds like a good idea in theory, but in practice it can be frustrating."
For
30x optical zoom
NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity
Against
No screen
Relies on smart device battery life
Connectivity issues
When Sony first introduced its concept for a lens camera, it seemed
like an interesting solution to the problem of declining compact camera
sales. It looks like a giant add-on lens for your
smartphone, but it's actually a complete camera. The only role your
smartphone plays is as an interface for controlling the camera, viewing
your photos and, of course, sharing them via social media if you like. At the time Sony introduced the QX10, which had a sensor of a similar size to a standard compact camera, and the QX1, which featured the same one-inch sensor as in the RX1 premium compact camera.
We can assume that the concept has proved reasonably successful for
Sony, as it has now introduced two further models. The QX30 has a 30x
optical zoom, as well as a sensor the size of that in a compact camera.
The other new model, the Sony QX1, features a larger, APS-C sized sensor
and interchangeable lenses.
Sensor size explained
The QX30's sensor is a 20.4 million pixel, 1/2.3 inch CMOS device. That
30x optical zoom gives an equivalent 35mm focal length of 24-750mm,
which gives your smartphone (or tablet) much more flexibility than its
built-in single focal length device. Also featured is a Bionz X processor, the same chip as found in the company's top of the line cameras, including the A7
full-frame compact system camera. This should mean that it has fast
processing speeds and is capable of producing low-noise images in
low-light shooting scenarios, though small sensors like this are more
noisy in the first place. In order to control the
camera, and indeed see what image you're composing, you'll need to rely
on Sony's SmartMemories mobile app, which is available for both iOS and
Android as a free download. Within this app, you can use fully automatic
modes, as well as aperture priority, shutter priority and Program Auto
mode. Competition for the QX30 is hard to pinpoint as
these types of cameras are still pretty unusual within the marketplace,
but it could be argued that cameras such as the Sony HX60 and the Panasonic TZ60, which also feature 30x optical zooms are the obvious choice.
Build quality and handling
With its 30x optical zoom, the QX30 is significantly larger than the
QX10. That said, when the lens is collapsed, the overall size of the
camera isn't too large. The shape of it means, though that, unlike
something like the HX60 superzoom camera, it's unlikely you'll be able
to fit it into a jeans pocket. There are two main ways
to use the camera - you can attach it to your smartphone via the
extendable clip on the back of the camera, or you can use it entirely
separately, such as by attaching it to a tripod via the thread on the
bottom of the camera and control it from a different position – useful
if you want to take a group/self portrait or shoot from an awkward
angle. As most of the control of the camera takes place
via the PlayMemories app, there are just a few buttons on the QX30
itself. Aside from the on/off button, you'll only find a shutter release
and a zoom switch. Both of these aspects can also be controlled from
the app if you prefer, or if you're controlling the camera from some
distance. In order to connect the camera to your
smartphone or tablet, you can use either NFC if you have a compatible
device, or Wi-Fi if you don't. Hooking up the two devices via NFC is
much easier as it requires only a simple tap together of the two - the
first time you connect, if you don't have the PlayMemories app you'll be
prompted to download it. From there on in, the app should load
automatically when you tap the two devices together. Although in theory the idea of NFC is very good, there were several occasions during the test (when using a Sony Xperia Z2)
when the camera refused to connect, and I had to power the phone on and
off to get it to work. This can be very frustrating when you want to
take a quick photo. Connecting via Wi-Fi seems to be a
little more reliable, but you do of course need to set it up in the
first place - you'll find the password located under the battery flap,
but once you've connected once your phone should remember it.
Although there's not much in the way of display lag when using the
camera via either connection method, the shot-to-shot time is quite
slow, which can be another frustrating element of using the camera.
Usually, you'll press the shutter release icon on the app, and a loading
icon will be displayed, three to four seconds later, the app will show a
'Fetching' bar, and a second or so later, the camera will be ready
again to use – it's not exactly the speedy experience you'll get with a
normal camera. Going back to the app interface, if
you're shooting in aperture priority or shutter priority, along the
bottom of the screen, you'll see various parameters you can change, such
as aperture, exposure compensation or ISO (sensitivity). Simply tap the
setting you want to change, then swipe with your finger along a virtual
dial to change the setting. In order to set the autofocus point, simply
tap the point on the screen you wish to use as the focus point. You can
also set it to fire off the shutter release with the tap of the screen.
As is stands, you still can't use the camera with other apps as a
native camera, such as Instagram, which means you'll need to take a
photo with it that you later edit in such apps
Performance
As we've come to expect from most Sony compacts of late, the QX30 puts in a good performance in most areas of image quality.
Colours directly from the camera are bright and punchy, while its high
pixel count results in reasonably detailed images. That said however, if
you examine images shot even at low sensitivities, such as ISO 100, you
can still see some examples of image smoothing - the overall impression
of detail is excellent though. Automatic white balance
copes fairly well with mixed or artificial lighting, but if the camera
is struggling to get the colours right, you can also change to a more
appropriate white balance setting in aperture priority or shutter
priority mode. You can't change the metering setting, but the camera's
all-purpose setting copes reasonably well in the majority of
circumstances. As you
move through the higher values in the sensitivity run, such as ISO 800
you start to notice more noise creeping in. It's not until around ISO
1600 that it starts to become problematic however, and I'd only really
recommend using ISO 3200 if you're desperate. Within
the PlayMemories app, there's no offer of digital filters, or even
panorama mode, so it's a little bit limiting to creative photographers
on the one hand. On the other, you have a world of Android and iOS
editing apps (including Instagram) to alter the look of your shots after
you have taken them at your disposal. It's a shame not to see panorama
mode, though. As I've already mentioned, shot-to-shot
times are pretty slow thanks to the speed of the app, but at least
focusing is pretty quick in the majority of circumstances, though if
you're shooting in particularly low light you'll find it takes a little
longer for the camera to lock on to the correct subject. With
it's headline feature being its 30x optical zoom, it's important that
this performs well. At the furthest reach of the telephoto optic, images
are clear, while the optical stabilisation does a good job of keeping
images blur free. But it's better if you can use the camera on some kind
of stand or resting place when shooting using the optical zoom, since
it can be a little unbalanced when attached to a phone.
