New Product Category: The Phonedocker Camera

Okay, I made that name up—which means it's not the name that will stick, because no name I ever dream up for anything ever sticks. Whatever.

But the rumors are flying that Sony is developing a "phone module" camera that clips on to your smartphone, communicates with it wirelessly, and uses the phone's viewing screen as a viewfinder. Brave new world.

The docker camera has its own lens, sensor, and processor. But no viewfinder and no "body."

You can use it clipped to your phone, or separately, handheld or attached to something else.

Better yet, one of the docker cameras  said to be on the way (not the one shown above) uses a Zeiss lens and a 1" sensor like the one in the Sony RX100 II that we like so much. Which means the quality will likely be "enthusiast worthy" and a noticeable improvement on the ever-improving cameras already in the smartphones.

I dunno. I'm not the market. But I'm interested in industry developments as an observer, and as those go, seems like this idea is more thought-provoking—and has more market-changing potential—than the usual.

Mike
(Thanks to thomas janik)

Original contents copyright 2013 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Renaud: "Since the thing doesn't seem to have a name yet, may I suggest 'Sony GXR'?"

Mike replies: Ooh, ouch!

Martin Doonan: "I think this is a nice line in innovation, along with what Samsung are doing with Android devices and Ricoh have been doing with modules. It seems that device makers have come to the realisation that you can't predict what users will do with the products and so testing the consumer waters in forms and formats is an important part of the innovation process. Even if it's a flop, I'm sure it'll flag some really useful concepts that push developments usefully forward."

Comments

[Ben V]

I just can't see this appealing to people who like camera phones. The great thing about them is that they are always with you and fit in your pocket. As soon as you have to add a separate module to carry around then you might as well have a dedicated camera.

However, I could see some enthusiast photographers finding creating places to stick the camera module (assuming the wireless communication distance is relatively large) and wirelessly triggering it via cell phone.

[David Aspinall]

What about this...

Introducing the Hyetis Crossbow: A Swiss Smartwatch that Packs a 41MP Camera
http://petapixel.com/2013/08/13/introducing-the-hyetis-crossbow-a-swiss-smartwatch-that-packs-a-41mp-camera/

[Bryan Willman]

If it makes much better pictures than a phone (often not hard) it could find a large market just in mundane business and industrial applications.

[David Zivic]

If I ever feel a need to do this, I think I'll just duct tape my iphone5 to the back of my film camera with the phone camera lens up against the viewfinder.

[Andrew John]

Surely Mike, if it is equipped with Zeiss glass, then you will be in the market... ;-)

[Renaud]

At the time of my writing, there's nothing "shown above", but I've seen pictures on other sites.
The reason phones are the most used cameras nowadays is because everyone carries one in their pocket. This combo clearly isn't pocketable, meaning that either a) it requires a separate pouch or b) you have to dissociate it and carry two items. My guess is that anyone willing to do either in the name of image quality is already carrying a separate camera.
Since the RX100 II can be controlled by your smartphone, the only reason anyone would want this instead is price. Will removing the screen and card be enough to achieve significant savings? I don't know.

[Ed]

But on the has been side of photography....real dudes use this nowadays :).

http://www.arducam.com/category/camera-module-demonstration/

Greets, Ed.

[MarkB]

"Okay, I made that name up—which means it's not the name that will stick, because no name I ever dream up for anything ever sticks."

Says the man who gave us "bokeh" with an H...

[Clayton]

I want my Alpha cameras to let me use a phone or tablet as a remote control/finder.

[Jordi P]

I usually use my cameraphone as snapshooter. Because it's always there thus is handy.

I won't deny being interested in this. A 1" sensor plus lens that can be kept separately. I can imagine a couple of amusing situations trying to compose with both devices separated. Ergonomics might be funny as well if detached.

If they put a nice price on it, it can be a winner.
They could aim for more compactness with a fixed focal and smaller sensor.
Meanwhile... the P&S segment is eroding more and more.

[Steve J]

In 2008, I switched from digital to film, but I still used a Nikon scanner to digitize my negatives. I recently bought an enlarger, and I'm absolutely excited about going the opposite direction. I'm sure a pinhole is in the future at this rate.

[Stephen Scharf]

Pretty Rube Goldberg, if you ask me. I bet they'll sell as well as the Nikon Coolpix A.

[Robert Harshman]

This yet another brain dead idea by Sony. And will probably force Apple to release their Camera which will kill Nikon/Canon point and shoot and the other bystanders. Then Apple will quicken the complete destruction of professional photography as we know it today.

Bye, bye, fine a new unique niche or forget your income stream to the cloud.

Sun-times x factor.

Photography and video is now main stream. Not just viewed but taken and produced by the mass. Fine or make a corner if you want to survive.

[The Lazy Aussie]

Interesting idea David Zivic. I'm thinking if I can enhance the pale and obscure rangefinder focus on my Mamiya Press by pointing phone camera through the hole. I am going to try it tonight.

[John Driggers]

May do well if it's a universal snap-on mount, but if it's proprietary to Sony phones (which is likely), then buy one when they come out, along with a phone. Wait ten years and sell it as a collector's item.

[Paulo Bizarro]

Why not clip it to one´s eye, and blink to take the picture?

[John Robison]

I cannot take seriously ANY camera whose lens extends on the end of those nested tubes. Looks like it should be an illustration for a Dr. Seuss story.

We'll see if this Sony thing proves Bill Cosby's assertion "If you nail together two things that have never been nailed together before, some fool will buy it."

[Zach]

I've been imagining the old digital sensor in a film-cartridge communicating with a smart phone via bluetooth... but who uses those old film cameras anyway.

[Bruno Masset]

> "If you nail together two things that have never been nailed together
> before, some fool will buy it."

More power to the fools, I say (^^)

- carriage + engine → motor car

- magnet + electrical wire carrying current → electrical motor

- sharp edged metal block + long wooden handle → ax

- airtight balloon + source of heat → hot air balloon

- car radio + record player → compact disc car radio (eventually)

- car radio + GPS → in-car entertainment and navigation system

- microwave-emitting cavity magnetron + oven → microwave oven

- Fluorine-containing resin + frying pan → nonstick pan

- raised metal types + press → printing press

- corrective lenses + frame → glasses

- convergent and divergent lenses with differing refraction indices and dispersion characteristics → achromatic doublet

- light-sensitive silver halide solution + plate → photographic plate