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Turn your iPhone into a 1″ sensor camera- Meet the DxO ONE

By technical editor Matt Allard:

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There has been a dramatic decline in the sales of small, compact cameras over the last few years. The main reason for this is the quality of cameras that can found in todays smart phones. For a lot of people the images that you can capture from your smartphone mean it is hard to justify carrying around a second dedicated camera. While phones like the iPhone 6 can give you spectacular results, they still have their limitations and don’t quite measure up to the image quality of larger DSLR and mirrorless cameras. For those who want to take their smartphone to the next level, the DxO ONE may well be the solution you have been looking for.

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The DxO One is a small camera that attaches to any iPhone or iPad that has a Lightning port. It bypasses the internal camera sensor and allows the user to capture far higher quality images and video. The DxO ONE features a 1″ sensor that can capture 20.2 megapixel images (RAW or JPED) and full 1080p HD video. To put the sensor size in perspective it is the same size as the the Sony RX100 and RX10. Ironically the sensor itself is made by Sony. The fixed lens has a full frame equivalent of 32mm and a f1.8 aperture. You can capture 1080p video at 30fps, and 720p video at 120fps. The camera has a six-blade aperture and the optics consist of six aspherical lenses; most phone cameras have between one and three. The minimum focusing distance is 20cm and the lens can be stopped down to f11. The camera can snap a photo in as fast as one-eight thousandth of a second, and the shutter can stay open long enough for a 15-second exposure. It has an ISO range that starts at 100 and goes up to 51,200. The DxO ONE has manually adjustable aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings, complete with the kinds of picture modes you’d see on a DSLR or micro four-thirds camera

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You connect DxO ONE to your iPhone to turn the screen into one big viewfinder. The camera can swivel and take photos or video at any angle. It has its own memory card and battery so it won’t drain your phone or use up its storage. Weighing less than 4 ounces and well under 3 inches tall, DxO ONE is built to fit in your pocket. It’s made of durable materials, including forged aircraft grade aluminium.

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The DxO ONE is definetely aimed squarely at photography, but it will be interesting to see its performance and quality when capturing video. It would be great to see the DxO ONE used with apps such as FilmicPro, but as the DxO ONE uses its own app to work with the camera this may not be possible. When attached to the phone, you can stream video from the card which may be very useful for a lot of video journalists. There’s no image stabilization for stills, but it does have electronic image stabilization for video.

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The downsides of the DxO ONE are the built-in battery’s life only lets you take 150-180 shots and it won’t work with Android phones. The cameras main competition comes from the Sony QX100 which has a similar sensor and a 3.6x zoom lens, with optical image stabilization and Android support. The Sony QX100 also has the advantage of being able to be places anywhere and does not have to be connected to the camera like the DxO ONE.

This from DXO Mark:
As with any other camera, the DxOMark team has fully evaluated the ONE in objective laboratory tests and will be as transparent as possible regarding the science and implementation that enable DxO ONE to achieve a score of 85, one stop better than the best one-inch sensor so far.

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The DxO ONE outputs two different sets of RAW files, which is why there are two different DxOMark sensor results. The first “standard” RAW score of 70 is just above the extremely popular Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX100 III, which achieves a score of 67. The second DxOMark sensor score up to 85 is the result of what DxO refers to as SuperRAW Plus™, which is actually the result of four RAW frames captured in quick succession. DxO Connect software for Mac and PC utilizes Temporal Noise Reduction (TNR) to combine the four RAW files into one new SuperRAW Plus file that DxOMark analyzed.

The DxO ONE camera’s score of up to 85 puts it on par with many DSLR cameras, such as the Nikon D7200 and the Sony A7S (both with a score of 87), and is well above such Canon DSLRs as the EOS 5D Mark III (81) and the 7D Mark II (70). This score also places it in third among compact cameras, just behind the full-frame Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 and the DSC-RX1R, which score 93 and 91, respectively.

The performance results of the DxO ONE camera are quite impressive, in that a sensor score of up to 85 in such an incredibly compact camera clearly represents a breakthrough in design. The results demonstrate that the ONE can provide low-light performance similar to the best high-end micro-four-thirds or APS-C DSLRs. Coupled with the fact that the DxO ONE pairs seamlessly with the iPhone and iPad, the DxO ONE has redefined what a connected camera can be, and has demonstrated the level of image quality that can be achieved by such a system.

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This from DxO:
When you buy DxO ONE, you also get DxO FilmPack and (for a limited time) the Elite Edition of DxO OpticsPro — our professional editing software (a $300 combined value). Your photos will look great the moment you snap them, but if you want to go a step further, you’ll have the power to enhance them even more and add your own creative touch.

DxO ONE:
Price: $599
20.2MP
Still Resolution (5406X3604)
1080p/30fps Video Resolution 720p/120fps
1″ format
Sensor Size: 13.2×8.8mm
Sensor Type: CMOS – BSI
Focal Length: 11.9mm (equivalent to 32mm in full frame)
Lens cover: Integrated, sliding (on/off)
Aperture: f/1.8 adjustable down to f/11 (6 blade iris)
Shutter button: 2-stage
OLED Settings display, touch control
Iso Range: From ISO 100 to ISO 51200 (Hi 2)
Shutter Speed: From 1/8000 to 15s
Image Stabilization: Electronic (for video)
Camera modes: Auto, Sports, Portrait, Landscape, Night, Program, Aperture Priority, Speed Priority, Manual, Selfie
Video modes: 1080p (30 fps), 720p (120fps)
File formats: .JPG, .DNG, .DxO (SuperRAW™), .MOV (H.264)
Focus range: 20cm – infinity
Autofocus: Contrast detect, using face-detection
Focus modes: Single-shot, continuous, tap-to-focus
Metering modes: Spot, center weighted, multi-zone
Zoom: Digital 3x
Micro USB port
USB 2 (power charging, mass storage connection)
Lightning connector: Retractable/collapsible, +/- 60º rotation
Screen size: Varies, function of connected iDevice between 4” and 9.7”
Screen resolution: Varies, function of connected iDevice between 727,040 and 3,145,728 dots
Storage type: microSD UHS-I U3 (not included)
Orientation: Gyroscope + accelerometer
Battery type: Integrated lithium ion
Battery life: ~200 photos
Weight: 3.8oz (108g)
Dimensions: 67.5 x 48.85 x 26.25 mm
Compatible with: iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad (4th gen), iOS 8 or later

EXAMPLE IMAGES:

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FAQs
How is it possible for DxO ONE to capture images as good as a DSLR?

Within the camera industry, we’re known and respected for our deep knowledge on the science of image processing and for spending over a decade partnering with camera companies, other scientists, and academics. Over 300 million cameras worldwide contain our embedded imaging software, and we created DxOMark, the global standard for objectively grading image quality.

The DxO ONE camera can record two types of RAW files: default RAW files in DNG format, and DxO’s proprietary SuperRAW™ format which automatically merges four RAW files into one. SuperRAW™ and DxO’s advanced image processing, which includes the very latest in spatial and temporal noise reduction, allows the ONE to achieve a DxO Mark sensor score of 80, demonstrating that the quality of images produced by DxO ONE far exceeds that of most high-end digital cameras, even DSLRs costing and weighing considerably more. Read the full DxOMark ONE review here.

Will DxO ONE impact either the battery life or storage space on my iPhone?
DxO ONE is powered by its own rechargeable battery and saves the pictures you take to a microSD memory card (available in the DxO shop). It won’t drain your iPhone battery, and you can choose whether or not to automatically save photos to your iPhone.

What do I need to get started with DxO ONE?
You can use the DxO ONE as a standalone camera, but you’ll need a compatible iPhone or iPad to get the big, interactive viewfinder and many other powerful DSLR features. When connected, you can easily access your DxO ONE photos on your iPhone and iPad. Which means you can easily edit them in Photos or your favorite app, and you can share them via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or anywhere else you care to share your photos. (Note: DxO ONE is currently available for iOS only)

Do I need to have DxO software to use DxO ONE?
Default images from DxO ONE are captured as DNG files so you can view and edit them in Adobe Lightroom or your preferred photo app. In addition, you get DxO FilmPack for free and DxO OpticsPro Elite Edition (free for a limited time),so you’ll have incredibly powerful and intelligent photo correction software at your fingertips.

Can I share photos from my DxO ONE?
Yes! The free DxO ONE app for iOS lets you instantly share via Mail, Message, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more, when connected to your iPhone.

Can I return the DxO ONE if I don’t like it?
Of course. If you don’t love using it, send it back within your first 30 days with your receipt. We’ll even pay the return shipping.

At this time, the DxO ONE can only be purchased in the US, but we’re working to bring it to you.

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