Lenovo Debuts a Strange, Cheap Compact Camera in China
Chinese technology company Lenovo, best known for its computers, announced a cheap compact camera, the Lenovo C55. The camera is made with vloggers and content creators in mind, sporting a circular flash around its built-in lens.
As initially reported by Yanko Design and Notebook Check over the weekend, and spotted by DPReview, the camera appears slated for release only in China, where it will start at CNY 499, or just about $69.
As its low price point suggests, the Lenovo C55 is not a tour de force of groundbreaking camera technology. The camera features a 64-megapixel Type 1/3 Sony image sensor, which is significantly smaller than the sensors typically found in most smartphones. Lenovo says the camera can record 4K video, features what appears to be a fixed 2.8-inch display, and includes special effects filters accessible via a top control dial. The lens seems to a fixed focal length one, although the 64-megapixel sensor enables up to 18x digital zoom. Granted, image quality will be getting pretty iffy by that point.
As DPReview notes in its coverage, Sony does not publicly list a 64-megapixel sensor of this size. For its part, Lenovo does not describe the sensor beyond saying that it is a “professional” Sony sensor. That said, it is a very safe bet given the extremely low cost of the Lenovo C55 that the sensor is not one of Sony’s latest and greatest — not even close.
While it is possible that some wires have been crossed somewhere along the way and that a key specification has been misstated, it is also possible that the C55 uses an older, cheaper sensor that is not 64-megapixels, like the 16-megapixel IMX481, which is a Type 1/3.09 chip that can be bought wholesale for well under $20. The C55 would not be the first affordable compact camera to claim a megapixel number based on an upscaled photo mode.
Further, given that the Lenovo C55 lacks an electronic viewfinder — not surprising at under $70 — the fixed display could be a nuisance. However, the Lenovo C55 seems to have a small mirror on the front, which should help users compose their self-facing photos and videos.
There is little that is especially fascinating about the Lenovo C55, save for its built-in LED ring light that surrounds the front of the built-in lens. While Lenovo does not specify the brightness of this light, the company claims it can serve as a high-quality fill light.
While Yanko Design characterizes the Lenovo C55 as punching above its weight, that assumes someone doesn’t already own a smartphone. While there are advantages to using a dedicated camera, there is little on offer here to move the needle. As far as photo and video quality is concerned, nearly every modern smartphone will deliver more than the C55 in terms of photo and video quality and features.
That said, not everyone has access to a smartphone, and cameras like the Lenovo C55 can make photography more accessible to a wider audience. Regardless of the camera’s performance, enabling more people to be able to take photos is always a good thing.
Image credits: Lenovo
