Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

An interesting article about a new Sony camera. We have debated whether photography is art, but I can't make up my mind whether the output of this camera will qualify as photography:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2597880/sonys-perfume-bottle-camera-is-aimed-at-selfie-addicts.html

Sony's perfume bottle camera is aimed at selfie addicts
Tim Hornyak
Aug 22, 2014 4:20 AMe-mailprint
If you’re focused on fashion and love selfies, Sony has a camera for you.

Announced in Shanghai and Hong Kong on Friday, the Cyber-shot DSC-KW11 looks like a perfume bottle, complete with Swarovski crystals. The “cap” of the bottle is a wide-angle 21-mm (millimeter) lens that can swivel 180 degrees for easy self-portrait pics.

It’s got a maximum aperture of F2 and a 19.2-megapixel Exmor RS sensor. It’s the first Cyber-shot featuring Sony’s stacked CMOS image sensor, which layers the pixel and circuit functions of the component without using a substrate.

The sensor is especially effective when shooting in low-light environments, according to Sony, which announced in July that it would boost production capacity for the sensors for use in smartphones and other imaging devices.

The body of the camera has a 3.3-inch OLED screen that can be swiped with a thumb to activate the timer mode. The unit also has Wi-Fi and NFC (near field communication) connectivity for sharing photos on social networks and linking to other mobile devices.

The selfie camera is being targeted at female users in their late teens and twenties who enjoy fashion and taking photos of themselves, Sony said.

It has a Beauty Effect mode that can improve the appearance of skin tone and smoothness. It also has “eye widening” and “face slimming” options so users can tweak their appearance in photos.

Sales at Sony’s Imaging Products & Solutions segment, which includes compact digital cameras, fell by 9 percent in the three months to June 30. Sony posted a net profit of ¥26.8 billion (US$261 million) for the quarter, a jump up from ¥3.1 billion a year earlier.

“While the compact camera market has been declining, the market for cameras that allow self-portraits has grown over the past few years, especially in Asia,” a spokeswoman at Sony’s Tokyo headquarters wrote in an email.

Available in white, pink, green or violet, the Cyber-shot DSC-KW11 is slated to ship in the Asia-Pacific region in October for about $811. Sony will see how it does before deciding on a wider launch, the spokeswoman said.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Every woman is a work of art. Every woman enhances her appearance. A woman enhancing a selfie is, therefore, a work of art by definition.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I don't see why it wouldn't be photography... it's a functioning camera, controlled by the user, that takes still pictures.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

I can see this being used as a spy camera where standard cameras may be banned. Or in night clubs for celebs wh may ban cameras.

EngineerAl

Yours is pink, isn't it Peter.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Why thank you Al. If you have ever seen the Rodeo in Las Vegas, you will have seen that many of the male participants wear pink shirts.

Why? In support of breast cancer charities, and on the basis that these very capable riders are tough enough to wear pink in a public forum populated by some very conservative people. They do it to support a good cause and to make a statement about prejudice.

But thank you for searching through old threads to find another way to shed more light upon your own character.

The good thing about light is that at its best it can be clear, pure and bright.

Thank you for your clarity about your personality and beliefs.