DxO promises DSLR quality in tiny iPhone-connected One camera. Find out how.
posted Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 9:00 AM EDT
When one thinks of DxO Labs, it probably conjures notions of image editing, in-depth sensor scores and camera ratings. Well, now it's time add another characteristic: camera manufacturer.
Yes, DxO Labs has created their very own camera, and quite a unique one at that! Rather than your typical standalone pocket camera or interchangeable-lens model, their new DxO One is completely different in that it connects to your iPhone or other Lightning-compatible iOS device. While most camera makers are adding Wi-Fi and NFC across their array of cameras, DxO has gone the direct route with a Made For iPhone-certified pocket camera that attaches directly to your iPhone, transforming your emailing, Facebooking, tweeting smartphone into a full-on, large-sensor premium compact camera.
At the heart of this small, palm-sized, aluminum-cased camera is a Sony-made, 1-inch 20.2MP back-side illuminated CMOS sensor (the same as in the highly-regarded Sony RX100 III) and a 32mm-equivalent f/1.8 aspherical lens with a 6-bladed aperture diaphragm. The device weighs only 3.8 oz. (108g) and sits just 2.65 inches (6.7cm) tall, making the DxO One the world's smallest 1-inch sensor camera.
Naturally, the DxO One is not all about the hardware -- DxO knows its way around software after all -- and the One sports some impressive specs when it comes to its imaging capabilities, including RAW capture and a proprietary multi-shot SuperRAW format that increases the camera's high-ISO performance. (And it already tops out at a massive ISO 51,200 by default).
We were able to get a pre-production, cosmetically-final sample of the new DxO One, so head over to our in-depth DxO One Hands-On Preview for more about the specs, performance and features as well as a tour of this unique, high-quality mobile camera's design and build.
The DxO One will be sold for a retail price of $599, which for a limited time includes a suite of DxO desktop image processing software, including DxO OpticsPro ELITE Edition and DxO FilmPack. If bought separately, the software alone would retail for over $300. For US customers, the DxO One is currently available now for pre-order directly from DxO, with shipments set to begin in September. For other countries' pre-order and shipment availability, please see DxO's International website.