Video: Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod First Look!
  • Posted byby Kellen

Video: Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod First Look!

Motorola has finally unveiled the Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod for the Moto Z family. Along with its $249 or $299 price tag, depending on where you buy it from, you get a Mod that takes over the back of your phone in hopes of turning it into the ultimate portable point and shoot.

When attached to the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, or Moto Z Play, you get a Hasselblad built camera with ergonomics in mind, 10x optical zoom, Xenon flash, and power and shutter buttons. It doesn’t contain its own battery, so it does utilize your phone for power and storage. 

In my short time with it, I don’t know that I have a ton of info to share, other than it does indeed shoot pictures and connects as easy as all of the other Moto Mods. It zooms too, assuming that’s something you are looking for. It’s shutter button is a bit slow or sticky, so snapping pictures can be a clunky or at the very least, leave you worrying about clean images without blur.

We’ll have more to say soon, once we have spent more time with the device on the regular Moto Z, so for now, check out our quick hands-on video that includes some image samples.

[responsive_vid]

hasselblad camera moto mod

hasselblad camera moto mod

hasselblad camera moto mod

Written by

Kellen

It’s not often that you get to merge personal passions into a professional life, but that’s what Kellen did when he launched Droid Life in 2009. After working years of unsatisfying jobs in the medical and property management fields, he took a risk to try and create an online community while playing with the coolest gadgets on the planet each day, a risk that has turned out to be incredibly rewarding. Outside of Droid Life, Kellen is your typical Portlander who drinks way too much good beer, complains often about the Trail Blazers, and can be found out on the streets for a run, rain or shine.

Post navigation

15 Comments

  • My thing is for the price why get this when you could get the Sony – DSC-QX10 that works with most all phones and is more portable

  • Canon or Nikon needs to hop onboard, make mods that accept the EF/EF-S or Nikkor lens mounts, that would be game changing.

  • Modular concept will fail, regardless of the innovative ways the mods can be assembled. People don’t have time for all that. Give us ONE compact device that can do it all. Yes, we are not there with that yet.. but that should be the direction.

  • As a non-repentant camera nerd, I was pretty excited about this, hoping that it would get a sensor larger than the average cell phone. Alas, my hopes were just dashed. Sensor SIZE (not pixel size) is a MAJOR determinant of image quality (and low light image quality especially) so if the primary reason you’re even reading this article is the hopes of better quality pictures or not having to use flash indoors, then I’m sorry to ruin your day. HOWEVER…
    What this mod offers is versatility where a cell phone offers practically none. This camera will shoot wider angle pictures than most (all?) camera phones, having a 25mm (FF equivalent) wide angle and it will actually zoom to the FF equivalent of 250mm, which is a RADICALLY different focal length than what a camera phone offers. In fact, 250mm is PLENTY for almost everything except very far away subjects. As a reference, when I go to a zoo or Busch Gardens, I’ll take a 70-300mm lens (and of course I use it at 300mm but also at shorter focal lengths) but if it were a 250mm lens, that would be just fine.
    Additional benefits… The one that stands out to me the most is an actual camera grip. I HATE using a cell phone due to the ergonomics. I’m cautious about this though as I wonder if holding it properly will cause inadvertent screen contact and if so, will that affect anything or has everything on the screen been disabled, save for the menu options? Another is the flash. Not the fact that it’s xenon… the size of it. The larger the light source, the less harsh the shadows. Now…. that flash is still small, but it’s bigger than the average LED bulb that most cell phones get. Every little bit matters. Perhaps the biggest argument for the casual user is the connectivity afforded by this mod by virtue of the fact that it attaches to the phone. That’s fantastic, IMO. One of the reasons the P&S market has TANKED is because of connectivity. But people abandoning P&S have also abandoned focal length variety. As a result, everyone is taking wide angle pictures (the average cell phone has a FF equivalent of a 28-31mm lens – which is a wide angle). A picture of an adult person will be distorted by an angle of view like that, unless you’re going for a full body portrait. With this mod, you can simply zoom to the equivalent of say 50, 85, 135, or even 200mm and produce MUCH more flattering half body and head & shoulder portraits.
    My biggest concern? Obsolescence. Will this be compatible with future versions of the phone line?
    So, I’m actually intrigued by this to be honest.

    • Personally was hoping the aperture range would have been wider :/ but then if I recall 3.6 isn’t THAT bad for a lowest setting, also was hoping it would have a descent sensor size… did they say the sensor size? (is it still phone sized, or at least somewhat larger/improved over the Sony one in the phone)

      • Large aperture means large glass, usually. So I understand, but like you – truly dislike – the smaller aperture. It’s a 1/2.3 sensor (with 5.6x crop factor vs full frame). So, usual smartphone size.

    • Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !mj61d:
      On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $8752 this last four weeks.. Its the most-financialy rewarding I’ve had.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
      !mj61d:
      ➽➽
      ➽➽;➽➽ http://GoogleFinancialJobsCash61GroupBlogGetPay$97Hour… ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★::::::!mj61d:….,….

  • Although on one hand I want to like the concept, this just doesn’t do it for me. I already carry around a 30X Leica Lens P&S when I am visiting somewhere I might want to take pictures and not lug my full size camera. This 10X camera mod plus phone would actually be bigger than it is and I highly doubt take any better quality pictures plus make using my phone inconvenient. My current camera also uses WiFi to sync with my phone MicroSD making sharing easy.

    • Same here, though not as pricey as yours. I have carried a Canon Elph P&S (one of the better one—330 HS was my most recent) but I recently upgraded to a Nikon S7000 simply for the longer zoom and convenience factor of being able to charge via microUSB. I wish Sony would bring back a modern TX-series slim waterproof camera with an OLED screen and wi-fi. I have an LG V10 and its sluggish camera and weak flash are still reason enough for me to carry a little P&S on every trip or family gathering.

  • Still don’t see the modular concept being anything more than a footnote in mobile device history. Someone somewhere is going to have a drawer full of these things, and in five years post pictures of them online as a “memba these?” pop culture piece and we’ll all chuckle.

Comments are closed.

back to top