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The Alice: Camera in the Front, Your Smartphone in the Back
Combining the two products for a better user experience
As incredible as tiny smartphone cameras have become, they simply can't compete with the relatively massive amount of glass in a real camera lens. And as user-friendly as digital cameras have become, they're not as easy to use as smartphones.
Hence London-based startup Alice Camera has developed an eponymous product that aims to take the best of both worlds--and add a dose of AI to handle the more challenging technical aspects of photography.
Their Alice Camera is essentially a slim camera body with a Micro Four Thirds lens mount, and a space to attach your smartphone to the rear. The two devices wirelessly connect, and then you've got your smartphone as a massive monitor. Because they're connected wirelessly, you can choose whether to leave the phone attached or use it to monitor what the camera sees remotely.
As for the AI, it uses neural networks and machine learning for image processing purposes. It can be used to handle image stabilization, low-light compensation, exposure, color, object tracking and such, with the thought being that the user only needs to worry about the composition.
The Alice Camera went live on IndieGogo this morning. Here's the pitch video with demonstrations of usage cases:
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At press time the £550 (USD $758) device was already 79% funded. With 31 days left to pledge, it looks like they'll hit the mark for sure.
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This has been tried a few times before (never commercially successfully) most notably the Sony QX-mount lens "cameras" that clip to a phone, and some of the earlier Samsung experiments. One of the QX models had an E-mount so you could connect actual Sony Alpha lenses to it.
Motorola did this with Hasselblad, too. It's a cool idea but it never catches on.
Olympus did this awhile back. It never caught on.
Markus Wierzoch and Artefact demo'd this prototype at CES like ten years ago.
am i missing something here ? you're still taking a dslr body and a detachable lens out the door with you .... and the last time i looked, any DSLR born after about 2012 had an EVF on the back. so why would you go this trouble when you can just shoot with a simple DSLR ?