The iPhone 6 camera holds its own when compared with most smartphones on the market, but it’s still no DSLR. While it’s possible next-generation iPhones will get some DSLR-like capabilities, thanks to Apple’s recent LinX acquisition, but that’s still a ways off. DxO, which is known to most tech-savvy enthusiasts for its smartphone camera comparisons, benchmarks, and ratings, is looking to bring DSLR-level photos to today’s iPhones and iPads with a new attachment called the ONE.
The DxO ONE is a 2.65-inch-tall, 3.9-ounce camera that features an OLED display with touch controls, and a 1-inch, 20.2MP BSI CMOS sensor with a maximum f/1.8 aperture (32mm equivalent) to capture more light and image detail. The DxO ONE lets you stop down to f/11, while shutter speeds range from 1/8000 to 15 seconds. You get Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual modes, in addition to some preset settings like landscape, night, manual, selfie, sports, and portrait. For shooting video, expect 1080p video recording at 30fps and 720p at 120fps with image stabilization.
You can store your files on the device using .JPEG, .DNG, and DxO’s very own SuperRAW format (which merges four RAW captured images on either a Mac and PC). There’s no internal storage, but you can add a microSD UHS-I U3 card.
The device attaches to the iPhone or iPad’s lightning connector. You’ll need to download the DxO ONE’s mobile app to access your camera controls for the external DxO camera. While the DxO ONE camera is designed for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, it’s also compatible with the 5s, 5c, 5, iPad Air 2, first-gen iPad Air, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 2, and the fourth-generation iPad. All compatible devices must run iOS 8 or later.
As for the price, expect to pay $599 for “the little camera that can.” It’s now available for pre-order from DxO, and the company plans to begin shipping the ONE in September. The question is whether it can deliver images that are good enough to carry an extra accessory around — and leave your mirrorless or budget DSLR home as a result. Having all of your images centralized with the iPhone’s software and apps could be super-convenient. The DxO ONE doesn’t have to equal a full-frame Canon 7D to be desirable.
