Olympus announced on Tuesday that it will start selling its Air 01 interchangeable lens camera (ILC) in the United States and Canada in July. The smartphone gadget resembles Sony's QX1, another mirrorless camera that is iOS and Android compatible. Olympus Air converts a basic mobile phone into a compact cylinder camera with a high-quality lens, minus a display and standard controls.
The Olympus Air is already on sale in Japan. The U.S. version, which will have a $300 price tag ($500 for 14-42 mm lens), will also include a new app and support Amazon Cloud Drive.
Like the QX1 digital camera lens, the Air also uses a smartphone or tablet for camera controls, and features a live view display. However, it has a 16-megapixel Live MOS Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor, according to Digital Trends.
The Air features a rear cradle design. This makes it fit various mobile phones and tablet computers with a variety of sizes.
Olympus Air connects to a user's mobile gadget through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, according to The Verge. Its connection is fast and reliable.
The Air includes a pancake zoom lens, which makes it lightweight and compact digicam that users can basically toss into a bag and then go anywhere with. It weighs just 5 ounces (14 grams).
Olympus' new device is not a run-of-the-mill smartphone accessory. Users can transform it into a professional camera by mounting an M.Zuiko telephoto lens.
The smartphone gadget also includes a companion app, QA Central. It is in fact eight apps that let users make various adjustments to color, brightness, saturation, and so on.
Olympus Air 01's performance is weaker than a traditional camera's. However, it was designed for smartphone owners who want DSLR-like pictures without purchasing a professional-grade camera.