(Credit: Eric Zeman)
BARCELONA—Realme and Xiaomi introduced concept camera devices at Mobile World Congress that harken back a dozen years to something that Sony tried—and failed—to do: Lenses that attach to the back of your phone. Can these two companies do what Sony couldn't? Let's discuss.
Sony Started It
In 2013, Sony introduced the QX10 and QX100 cameras. They looked like small camera lenses but were, in fact, full cameras with small sensors inside but no viewfinder. The lens hooked onto the phone and talked to the phone via Wi-Fi Direct. I remember loving the idea, but Sony's execution was lacking. The connection between the lens and phone was tenuous at best, and the photos weren't necessarily worth the added hassle and expense. Sony discontinued the cameras in short order.
Fast-forward 12 years, and now Realme and Xiaomi are doing something similar but not quite the same.
Realme Relies on a Physical Connection
It's not the sensors or processing power that's holding up phone photography. It's the optics. The lenses on our phones simply don't have the light-gathering and resolving power that the detachable senses of DSLR and mirrorless cameras do.
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(Credit: Eric Zeman)Realme's idea is quite interesting. The concept phone has a physical connector that allows you to attach lenses directly to the phone itself. It lines up with the phone's internal 1-inch type sensor and allows you to use any full-frame mirrorless lens. Realme thinks pairing better optics with its phones' processing power will lead to better phone-based photos.
This opens up a huge world of flexibility when it comes to phone-based photography. Lenses allow for more creative or focused shots. On the downside, mounting a large, heavy lens to a phone looks awkward. I'm not quite sure how practical it would be to use it out in the real world, but surely plenty of photographers may be willing to give it a whirl.
Xiaomi Uses Magnets
Xiaomi's idea is much more like Sony's idea from 2013. Its lens adheres to the back of a phone magnetically and connects to the phone via what Xiaomi calls laser link technology rather than via direct contact. It contains its own micro four-thirds sensor but allows you to use your phone as the viewfinder. The modular optical system has an impressive aperture range of f/1.4 to f/11. Like Realme, Xiaomi's concept requires a phone that supports the lens—and it doesn't have one other than the prototype just yet.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)It's great to see companies exploring new ideas for mobile photography. While Realme and Xiaomi are semi-recycling an old idea, bringing new imaging tech to phones is bound to find fans and use cases.