Smartphone camera attachments are nothing new, with products like the olloclip giving users the opportunity to slap different lenses onto their device to spice up their photo-taking experiences. Some newly-leaked images show that Sony is planning to take the whole photography accessory thing a step further, though, by introducing new "lens-camera" products that attach to a smartphone or tablet and contain a built-in sensor, lens, SD card slot and more.
According to Sony Alpha Rumors, these lens-camera attachments can be magnetically attached to an Android or iOS-powered device. Once clipped on, the phone will be able to control the camera over a Wi-Fi or NFC connection, turning the handset into a big viewfinder. Sony is reportedly prepping two different lens-cameras; one version (the larger of the two in the photo below) will feature an RX100MII sensor and Zeiss lens, while the other (shown above) will sport an 1/2.3-inch 18-megapixel CMOS sensor with a 10x zoom lens.
We've seen all kinds of smartphone accessories over the years, ranging from the aforementioned olloclip to a laptop that's powered by a phone. Still, these Sony lens-cameras are kind of crazy (in a good way). Judging by today's leak, they would enable anyone that's passionate about photography to cut down on their device load by simply attaching one of these lenses to their handset rather than having to buy a carry around a dedicated camera. Obviously it's unlikely that these lens-cameras will replace a DSLR or something like that, but they could negate the need for a compact point-and-shoot.
There's no word yet on exactly when these lens-cameras will launch or how much they'll cost when they do, but it'll definitely be interesting to see how much Sony charges for these unique accessories. Would you carry around a phone or tablet with one of Sony's lens-cameras attached?
