15 Sony Gadgets That Are Too Weird for This World

Sony Cybershot DSC-QX10 and QX100 smartphone cameras

Eight years ago, smartphone photography capabilities still lagged far behind DSLRs and mirrorless options, but leaving your big camera at home and relying solely on your smartphone for your shots was still an enticing prospect—one that Sony tried to accelerate with the Cybershot DSC-QX10 and QX100. Both devices were standalone cameras. The $500 QX100 had a 1-inch sensor, while the $250 QX-10 had a 1/2.3-inch sensor, and both had shutters, zoom buttons, and lenses all integrated into what looked like a small soup can.

They could be used on their own for photography, but this was a challenge because not every camera had an LCD preview screen. That’s where the smartphone came in. Both cameras could be attached to a mobile device, and through an app and a Wi-Fi connection, the smartphone not only became a preview screen but had access to all the photos you took, making them easy to share. The cameras definitely improved the photography capabilities of whatever mobile device they were connected and paired with, but they were still, ultimately, bulky accessories that you had to remember to pack and carry around.