Designed for the visually impaired, Sony's new camera kit can project a digital image from the camera directly on to the retina of the user.
Sony recently announced a point-and-shoot camera system that is designed for the visually impaired. Alongside Canon, Nikon, and Pentax, Sony is one of the leading consumer camera brands in the world. However, alongside its high-end, full-frame mirrorless offerings, Sony also makes some inexpensive point-and shoot models that make for great entry-level cameras for beginners and casual photographers.
Sony’s DSC-HX99RNV camera system includes a retinal projection technology that the company says is meant to help people with visual impairments take photos easily. The combined camera kit includes Sony’s DSC-HX99 compact camera, along with a QD Laser Retissa Neoviewer viewfinder accessory, which uses laser retinal projection technology that enables a digital image from the camera to be directly projected onto the retina of the user. The technology is meant to make it easier for people with low vision to see the world around them and take a photo or record a video.
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The main DSC-HX99 camera is a Cyber-shot travel model that was originally released in 2018 and features an 18MP 1/2.3 BIS with built-in image stabilization. It also comes with a 24-720mm (30x) zoom lens that allows users to take images of things that are very far away from them. The camera is bundled with QD Laser's Retissa Neoiewer viewfinder that projects the images to the user's retina. According to Sony, the combined technology allows users to see landscapes and faces, read signs, and capture photos.
Sony says that despite the added accessory, the camera retains all its features and functions, including high-speed shooting, high-performance autofocus, and the ability to capture in RAW. The combined kit is priced at $600, and will be available for purchase directly from Sony this summer. While the price is on the higher side for a point-and-shoot camera, Sony claims it is actually absorbing part of the cost to make the technology available to more people.
The new offering seems interesting for visually impaired photography enthusiasts, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind before buying it. Only one unit of the new camera is available for purchase per person, and Sony says it might not even work for all low-vision users. The company is, therefore, encouraging its target audience to try it before they buy it. Only time will tell if the DSC-HX99RNV is a revolutionary new product that could truly allow low-vision photography enthusiasts to start taking photos once again, but it sure sounds like a step in the right direction.
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Kishalaya has almost a decade's worth of experience in tech journalism, having written thousands of news, guides, features, and reviews for multiple American, Canadian, and Indian blogs. As a senior writer at ScreenRant, he covers everything from consumer electronics to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies to virtual reality, and electric vehicles to space. Entertainment to him means 90s sitcoms, such as Fresh Prince, Home Improvement, Seinfeld, Friends, That 70s Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. He loves dogs, sports, and pizza (in that order) and can listen to The Doors, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses all day long. He also loves watching cheesy 90s sci-fi/disaster movies like Independence Day, Armageddon, Twister, Volcano, Dante's Peak, etc.