If the title looks confusing, that is because it is! Zeiss, famous by its phenomenal optics is now selling Android phones? With a full frame sensor? Well, actually, it’s a camera, and you cannot phone with it. Is it a deal-breaker?

At the first glance, Zeiss ZX1 is a camera. Very much like Sony RX1, compact made around Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2 lens and 42.4 MP full frame sensor. What’s the key differences? Zeiss ZX1 has a fast, high-performance 35mm f/2 ZEISS Distagon lens, and full-frame 37.4 MP CMOS sensor that is supposed to deliver the incomparable ZEISS look and image quality. But that’s the least of difference.

It’s an Android camera. Yes, it has full operative system, as you can find at your smartphone, and a quite a bit of software in it. It has a ‘gigantic’ 4.3” touchscreen that is — curved!

As you could expect, you need such a big screen because the camera does not have many physical controls (only five, well chosen), and everything is controled through this touchscreen. And since this is a computer with big screen, you can edit your images in it with integrated Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC!

Another advantage of the Android operative system is an easy sharing of your photos, that is if you have network available. In that case you can also enjoy automatic software updates, that is improving upon the range of functions via firmware download and update over-the-air (OTA).

So, at the second glance — it’s a computer! How is it powered? The battery pack is quite substantial, physically big, and offers around 3190mAh, but declared at only 250 shots per charge at the pre-production model. Disappointing? Well it has an operative system to power! One point is that you have to keep the camera in the sleep mode, because the constant restarting of the Android OS would render it useless. Zeiss claims that in ‘sleep’ mode, your battery should only drain by about 10% over the course of a day. Still, you will have to find a place in your pocket or camera bag for another battery, or have a secured dock with some USB port.

If you have to carry another big battery pack, at least you don’t have to drag memory card with you! How’s that? Zeiss ZX1 has a huge built-in 512 GB SSD, like a true computer. Still, we don’t have an info if that SSD could be replaced, or you can just throw the whole camera when it dies, and then conveniently buy a new Zeiss model.

Interested? These kind of hybrids usually inflame curiosity. You can find Tech Spec and more company informations at the dedicated Zeiss ZX1 page. A short Hands-on preview you will find at the excellent dPreview.com, and the only thing you won’t find, is the price tag. But you can be the first to know if you sign in at their page: