Sony introduced the idea of external cameras for smartphones back in 2013, and has been riding that wave since. DxO has evened the odds for Apple users by introducing the DxO One, a tiny attachment that adds a f/1.8 lens to any iPhone or iPad.
DxO generally does not make its own cameras, and has instead focused on building image editing software while also providing lab tests and ratings for other image sensors. The DxO One is its first attempt at making a camera, and it is unusual in that the company has chosen to go with the iPhone attachment form. Inside the One is a 1-inch 20-megapixel Sony lens that is similar to the one in the Sony RX100 Mark III. It has manual exposure controls, a shutter speed of up to 1/8000 of a second, and is capable of up to 51200 ISO. It will also shoot images in RAW, although the software on the camera is not capable of processing the image itself.
Unlike Sony’s solution to the problem, the DxO One connects to the iPhone/iPad via Lightning Connector; which allows it to also include a swivel mount for the camera. This allows the user to adjust the display angle while taking pictures, and technically flip the whole thing over for selfies. That being said, it does lose the novelty of allowing the camera to be left on a tripod while the paired smartphone takes pictures from way over there.
The camera naturally has a video capture option, and automatically saves its 1080p/30 and 720p/120 videos to the onboard microSD card. DxO says that the one can also be used without the accompanying iPhone. The fact that it lacks a viewfinder makes it function in a manner similar to the HTC Re Camera, especially with its fixed focal length.
Unfortunately, the DxO One will retail for US$600 (about RM2230). This includes DxO Connect, DxO OpticsPro, and DxO FilmPack desktop software; the DxO Connect software is required for the SuperRAW mode to assemble a single bracketed image. Whether all this extra software is worth it for the average consumer is questionable, but it does at least justify the rather extreme pricing.
