Sony's DSC-KW1 came out in 2014 as a selfie camera shaped like a perfume bottle — tall, slim, topped with a clear cap that twists round so the lens faces you. Two little Swarovski crystals sit by the flash. It sold across Asia for around $845, aimed at people who wanted a camera that looked like something off a beauty counter. The point wasn't zoom or clever modes — just bright, flattering selfies from a thing you'd be happy to hold.
THE LOOKS
In pink, the KW1 really does pass for a perfume bottle until you twist the cap — 57.7 × 125 × 20.1mm, tall and narrow, with the clear top rotating to reveal the lens. Two cut Swarovski crystals are set into the body beside the flash, catching the light like the stones on an actual scent bottle. The whole back is a bright touchscreen. At 136g it feels lighter than the glassy look suggests. Also in white, purple, and green.
THE SPECS
The lens is bright and wide and doesn't zoom — wide enough to fit two or three faces at arm's length, bright enough to take a decent selfie in a dim bar without a harsh flash. The sensor is a fast, modern one, which powers the beauty tools: smooth skin, brighter eyes, a slimmer face, less shine — each one you can dial up or down to taste. It sends photos straight to your phone wirelessly, no cable. The back is a big, sharp touchscreen you frame and tap on. 57.7 × 125 × 20.1mm, 136g.
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
- A bright, wide lens for selfies: fits two or three faces at arm's length and takes a good shot in a dim room without a harsh flash.
- Twist-round lens cap: turn the clear top and the lens faces you — that's the whole thing, no menus, no buttons to hunt for.
- Real Swarovski crystals on the body: two cut crystals set beside the flash — the detail that put it on a beauty counter rather than a camera shelf.
THE VERDICT
The KW1 is a fashion object first — but it takes real photos. The perfume-bottle shape and crystals are the sell, yet the bright, wide lens and quick sensor mean the selfies actually come out: wide, well-lit, and cleaner than a phone of the same year managed in a dark room. The beauty tools do the flattering on board. Pink leans hardest into the whole bottle idea. Built as a luxury toy for the Asian market, and it knew exactly what it was.