Sony has engineered a camera small enough to ride on a drone as it zips around the sky. The Sony ILX-LR1 is a lightweight, E-mount camera specifically made for “industrial use” applications.
As to what exactly this means, the company is describing the ILX-LR1 as the perfect piece of hardware for “inspection, investigation, surveying and mapping by drone.” The camera offers continuous shooting availability while in the air, snapping at a rate of three frames per second.
To meet the various needs of photographers, videographers and drone enthusiasts, it’s compatible with different E-mount lenses to go along with its 35mm full-frame image sensor. Sony also has its own program that allows users to remotely access camera functionality.
The body of the camera features screw holes to mount it, so users should check before buying that their drone is actually compatible with the mount. Beyond just drones, Sony envisions the camera also being attached to industrial machines, robots and submersibles. It’s a pretty small device that can fit in one’s hand, so it should be good to go for all but the tiniest drones.
The Sony ILX-LR1, however, doesn’t come cheap. Expected to launch at the end of November, the drone camera will run for $2,950 USD.
In other tech news, Polaroid launched the new I-2 instant camera.
