In brief: Consolidation is the name of the game with Zeiss' new ZX1 full-frame camera. With it, you'll be able to shoot, edit and share your work online without the assistance of a computer. How much that convenience will cost, however, isn't yet known.
German optics manufacturer Zeiss at the Photokina 2018 trade show in Germany has unveiled its first ever mirrorless full-frame camera.
The Zeiss ZX1 is a minimalist shooter with a futuristic slant. At its heart is a 37.4-megapixel full-frame sensor with an ISO range of 80 - 51200 that was designed in-house by Zeiss. It's mated to a fixed Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2.0 T* autofocus lens consisting of eight elements in five groups that boasts a minimum focus distance of 11.8 inches.
The niche camera features 512GB of built-in memory that can hold approximately 6,800 RAW files or over 50,000 JPGs and comes with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC pre-installed, usable via the rear-facing 4.3-inch touchscreen (338 PPI). If you look closely, you'll notice the screen is curved - this is done on purpose to help separate the live view from the camera's onscreen control elements.
There's also a 0.7-inch electronic viewfinder and a 3,190mAh battery as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity.
Zeiss' vision with the ZX1 is clear in its tagline, "shoot, edit, share." With Lightroom built right in, you can do just that and upload your work directly to the web without ever having to touch a computer. That could take some getting used to as spacious monitors are typically favored for editing work but this camera can technically do it all in a single package.
The Zeiss ZX1 is set to arrive in early 2019. No word yet on pricing.