Scrap/ M2 Sony Camera Remote and the Sony QX10

[rory753]

So I recently went to the camera store and noticed the sony QX10(Sony Global - Digital Imaging - DSC-QX100 / DSC-QX10). It's a weird looking camera. I mean, it doesn't look like a camera, it looks like a lens, but it's a camera. The sales person said it pairs with a mobile device, and then uses the mobile device to control it and take pictures. this piqued my interest, so I went home and did some research.

turns out, while there are no official apps for these obscure cameras, Sony did release their API. 2 developers made some apps to play nice with these cameras:
Scrap | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

M2 Sony Camera Remote | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

Both apps use the same API, so they are basically the same. I would probably go for scrap over M2, but since both are free, there's no real reason to not choose one over the other.

so far, I've liked the expandability it's added to my phone. the phone/QX10 lens combo takes good zoom photos, and does well as a basic point and shoot. What I really like is everything is uploaded to my onedrive through my phone, so its basically the same as what I have become to think of as the norm for photo processing.

another good point is that it pairs with my lumia 2520. the connection is much faster on that then my 925, which I'm going to blame on the difference in processor and wifi radio.

Things that are annoying is the speed to get the system running. it requires pairing it through a wifi connection, which is slightly cumbersome. once it's set up with password, it's not too bad. and it eats battery on a 925 like you wouldn't believe. the 2520 didn't seem to mind too much, but its also got a larger battery. I also wish the photos

Things to note is the QX100 offers more photo adjustment with exposure and stuff then the QX10 does. Also, if you get one, make sure to update the camera to the latest firmware (currently 3.0), so the wifi works and you can access all the settings currently available.

 

[rory753]

So, a follow up to this, the one thing that's annoying is that if you have taken pictures, the apps wont geotag them. However, if you open the photos taken in storyteller, it will let you manually assign a geotag to it, in a nice way.

 

[rory753]

I think I'm the only one following this thread, but, if you're looking at either scrap or M2, right now, i'd go with scrap. The dev has made some good progress with this app, including adding Geospatial data to photos taken with the Sony camera. Most excellent if you're using storyteller.

 

[horseybob]

To this point I've been quite pleased with the quality of images with 822 now 928. Especially as they exceed HD capabilities. This being said, I'd not been aware of the Sony lenses. Now must look into!

 

[rory753]

I know what you mean, the upper lumia's camera is awesome, and I still use it. what I've noticed with using my 920 and now 925 is that it's changed my patience for using regular cameras. with the phone, I take the picture, and its automatically sent to my onedrive, and I can view it on whatever device I want. with other cameras, I have to manually download the images, which isn't a large task, it just isn't as easy as taking it with the phone. I'm looking for something that keeps the process, but improves the photo taking experience. the QX10 has a 10x optical zoom, which isn't available on regular phones, which is why I tried it. now, after reviewing the pictures taken on a recent hiking trip, there is definitely a difference in quality. I find myself thinking about getting the qx100 now, since its relatively cheap.

 

[fbloise]

or wait for the QX1, they said it has the ExMor with the increased ISO for night shots.