Putting a real camera lens on a cameraphone with 1-inch sensor is a fascinating mod

15 September 2024
With a C mount installed on the phone and adapters on hand, a variety of camera lenses can be used.

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magnaroader, 16 Sep 2024I literally use my QX series till now, with whatever phone ... moreIFKR! Sony still gets the right idea with the QX series. As much as I'm impressed with the Xperia photo quality, I can still admit that dedicated cameras with APS-C and FF sensors still give far better photo quality, especially in long zooming. I'm still yearning to own the QX1 despite its age.

    I still remember Yongnuo's Android-powered camera with the YN450 and YN455, but those have a big M43 sensor. I think that idea can be reworked for a smaller 1" Quad Bayer smartphone camera sensor like the IMX989 and LYT900. After all, we had a dedicated 1" camera with an interchangeable lens before with the Samsung NX mini and Nikon 1, so there's no reason we can't have it back with Android power.

      veloce, 15 Sep 2024It's not same direction. Computational photography dem... moreNot really. Even years old real cameras have much better picture quality output than all your fancy „computational photography“ phones that cost way too much nowadays.

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        • Anonymous
        • Bnx
        • 16 Sep 2024

        Buu, 15 Sep 2024Flagship phone nowadays should use 1 inch sensors with inst... moreJust buy an actual camera at that point.

          Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024Why would we remember a concept phone that never existed wh... moreBecause it did exist, it wasn't just a rendered concept, it just wasn't mass produced. Only three were made of it.

          Samsung NX put android in a very bulky DSLR-lookalike mirrorless camera.
          It would have been better in something the the Sony NEX bodies of that time, but still fairly pointless because not many want that thickness in a phone.

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            • AlphaCompany
            • ptn
            • 16 Sep 2024

            .alpha, 16 Sep 2024Sharp Aquos R6 doesn't use the full 1" sensor IIR... moreYou dont know what you're talking about on many levels

              Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024QX was a camera that could use phone as viewfinder. Not a... moreI literally use my QX series till now, with whatever phone I'm using currently.
              I have 3 QX devices, the QX100, QX10 and QX1 (the one with interchangeable lens system).
              I'm shocked these didn't sell well enough to continue to this day!

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                • .alpha
                • 4}u
                • 16 Sep 2024

                Sharp Aquos R6 doesn't use the full 1" sensor IIRC so this is a failed project

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                  • Anonymous
                  • ktL
                  • 16 Sep 2024

                  Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024This is great in practice but ultimately it'll fail. N... moreVery true

                    Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024This is great in practice but ultimately it'll fail. N... moreIt will fail because it is inconvenient, not because of what some techies say about it online. 99.9% of people will not consider or want to do this. People who have lenses would probably opt for using their camera body instead. People who don't have a lens handy would probably not buy a lens just to do this. It's not pocketable or practical and takes too much effort that people aren't willing to make. That is the only reason stuff like this remain niche and will never take off.

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                      • IgorS
                      • 8PB
                      • 15 Sep 2024

                      No matter what kind of shenanigans mods does, real cameras are still unbeatable by any phone.

                      Pick any Samsung NX or Sony Nex C3/5/5N/F3 from 10~12 years ago and they still crush all these megalomaniac tries of turning a phone into a semi-pro camera. You can, indeed, do nice photos and videos with phones, even low-budget movies, but they still are just phones with a Mount Fuji of limitations for photography and video recording.

                        Schlafwandler, 15 Sep 2024Yeah, but it’s the same direction. Nowadays we only have le... moreIt's not same direction. Computational photography demands power and this increases every year, same with sensors, they are getting better and better. With something like QX you are stuck with the same hardware forever.

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                          • Anonymous
                          • 0p}
                          • 15 Sep 2024

                          Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024This is great in practice but ultimately it'll fail. N... moreRx100 wipes floor with any cellphone.
                          Srnsor is bit smaller than 4:3 1" ..

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                            • Anonymous
                            • 4D@
                            • 15 Sep 2024

                            This is great in practice but ultimately it'll fail. Not because it's a bad idea, but because "techies" will label this as a gimmick and bury it with comments like "iPhone just works and so you should just buy an iPhone". Phones like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Vivo X100 Ultra and Huawei Pura 70 Ultra already showed us that phone cameras can rival point and shoot cameras with same size sensors, sometimes come close to micro four thirds in terms of output.

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                              • Anonymous
                              • 05e
                              • 15 Sep 2024

                              Why would we remember a concept phone that never existed when Samsung actually sold a fully functional Mirrorless camera Android device called Galaxy NX?
                              It's not a bad idea, as it technically would make phones cheaper to make while you get to reuse real lenses. The problem is to make people understand the advantage, which is "mission impossible" when gadget bloggers keeps repeating hyperbole lies about the quality of phone camera image and video. Particularly the ridiculous ones by Apple.

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                                • Anonymous
                                • 0p}
                                • 15 Sep 2024

                                Schlafwandler, 15 Sep 2024Yeah, but it’s the same direction. Nowadays we only have le... moreOnly phone in 2024 that takes better photos than previous generation is Pixel 9 series. It does not look like taken by pixel, that is the correct way.
                                Less contrast, less sharpening. Would should have been done since 2016.

                                  DashF, 15 Sep 2024Add wheels to the camera, so it can carry itself tooApple be like: "And we'll charge you an extra $800 for those wheels!"

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                                    • DashF
                                    • rK@
                                    • 15 Sep 2024

                                    Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024or just buy a normal conventional camera, leaving the smart... moreAdd wheels to the camera, so it can carry itself too

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                                      • Anonymous
                                      • KLR
                                      • 15 Sep 2024

                                      or just buy a normal conventional camera, leaving the smartphone just for calls

                                        Anonymous, 15 Sep 2024QX was a camera that could use phone as viewfinder. Not a... moreYeah, but it’s the same direction. Nowadays we only have left two major OS. And often only camera is the selling point for a new phone. If Sony (or other camera specialists) would offer such lenses/cameras today we would have better photo quality and no need to buy new phones all the time.

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