Engineers at photography company DxO have created an
accessory that lets you turn your iPhone into a 20.2-megapixel DSLR,
by
attaching a new pocket-sized device to one end.
Rather than clip over the iPhone’s own camera lens, the DxO ONE
device attaches via the iPhone’s Lightning connector, which launches
DxO’s standalone camera app and relies entirely on its own built-in
optics for image capture.
The unit comprises a 1-inch camera sensor - which DxO
claims is the world’s smallest 1-inch sensor - capable of shooting
images at 20.2 megapixels, a much higher resolution than the 8-megapixel
cameras included on current iPhones. Plus, the aperture controls look
to enable some pretty gorgeous depth-of-field effects (check out this gallery
on DxO’s website) and the ONE is also capable of recording video up to
1080p at 30 frames per second, or 720p at up to 120 frames per second.
At 108 grams and 6.9 cm in height, the device will
add some extra chunk to your iPhone, but it's a whole lot more
pocket-friendly than traditional camera equipment. No one really wants
to lug around a hefty DSLR kit, lenses, and any accompanying doodads
when they're travelling, so we love the idea of shrinking everything
right down to pocket-size.
But all that
miniaturisation comes at a cost - while the ONE might offer a lot in
terms of user convenience, taking a shortcut to DSLR-style image quality
on your iPhone doesn’t come cheap. The unit, which is available for
pre-order online now for customers in the US, will set you back a
whopping US$599. In other words, almost as much a brand-new iPhone
outright.
At that kind of price, you could just opt
for an actual standalone camera instead, but while the DxO ONE is
certainly an expensive little add-on, it’s also an amazing testament to
the power of technological miniaturisation! (And besides, we really want
one.)
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