Zeiss has integrated Adobe Lightroom into its ZX1 fixed-lens and full-screen camera

We've seen a lot of incredible cameras this week, but Zeiss has unveiled one of the most interesting surprise entries: a full-frame fixed-lens camera with integrated Adobe Lightroom.

The camera is in the vein of Sony's RX1 and Leica's Q – essentially sharp images. You can not change the lens from 35mm f / 2.0, but in exchange, you get a full sensor relatively (but not entirely) small body.

The Zeiss ZX1 plays even more in the "point-and-shoot" aspect. It has 512 GB of built-in storage, you do not even need an SD card (even if the camera accepts SD cards), and its controls seem pretty minimal. Among the photos we have seen, there are dials on the top to control the ISO and shutter speed, and a manual aperture ring on the lens. There seems to be only one physical button on the back.

Instead, the rest of the controls appear to be set in the 4.3-inch touchscreen. You can also edit your photos with the help of Lightroom. The camera supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB-C connections. There are many ways to make photos useful.

It seems that Zeiss has essentially designed a small highly customized Android tablet on the back of the camera, capable of running the mobile version of Lightroom. The Lightroom mobile app is actually very good. And even if I'm not sure you want to use it exclusively to edit your photos, it's a neat and surprising thing to have on the back of your camera. The fact that your photos are also synced directly to Lightroom on the desktop is also very interesting.

This is a surprising announcement from Zeiss. Zeiss is well known for its excellent lenses, but the company does not manufacture digital cameras. And the name and press release suggest that the ZX1 will not be a single piece. Zeiss says that the sensor was custom-designed internally; The camera also has a new lens.

Zeiss calls this a "camera concept", but the camera seems really real. It is supposed to go on sale in early 2019. Prices have not been announced yet, but you can be sure it will be expensive. Comparable cameras cost $ 3,000 and more.