Sony RX100

[mrsz06]

My hubby has agreed to buy me the Sony RX100 as an anniversary present!!! However, before I shell out all the money I was wondering if y'all could reassure me that this camera lives up to all the hype I have been reading. Does this camera preform well on auto? Do all the modes on the camera really work as well as they advertise? I'm ready to learn more about taking better pictures and being able to capture better pictures in low light and of moving objects. I'm always bummed out when I take pictures of parades at Disney because they always turn out blurry and crappy. Then again it could have a lot to do with the cameras I have had.

 

[havoc315]

I'll post sample pics for you. It is quite impressive. Not as versatile as a high quality SLR of course, but very impressive results in a small package.
For improved results, you will need to leave the total auto mode, and play around in the semi auto modes. In camera HDR is surprisingly high quality. Applying your own creative style can be useful. Because of the limited zoom, it can be effective to crop your pictures after downloading.
Low light performance has been nothing short of amazing over all.

 

[havoc315]

photo by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

HDR

DSC00269 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Enhanced sunset effect


DSC00237 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Sports mode


DSC00294 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Low light


DSC00218 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Low light


DSC00199 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Macro


IMG_0067 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

IMG_0051 by Havoc315, on Flickr

HDR

 

[havoc315]

IMG_0005 by Havoc315, on Flickr

Gourmet

 

[mrsz06]

Thanks for the sample pics and little bit of a reivew. So is the zoom in this camera not very good at all or is it just like any other p&s?

 

[havoc315]

Thanks for the sample pics a little bit of a reivew. So is the zoom in this camera not very good at all or is it just like any other p&s?

The lens is super high quality, but because of its design, it doesnt have a huge optical zoom compared to some p&s cameras. There are cameras with 15-20x optical zoom.
The Sony Rx is just a 3.6x zoom -- the equivalent of a dslr when using the kit lens that is usually included.

But because if the high mega pixels, you have a huge sharp image that can be cropped. My daughter flying through the air was taken at quite a distance, so I had to crop it. I'll post an extreme crop in a moment.

 

[havoc315]

IMG_0015 by Havoc315, on Flickr

Want to zoom in on the yellow sign?
Lets crop it...


IMG_0015 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[photo_chick]

Since havoc315 brought the Sony RX100 to my attention I've been looking at it, as well as other cameras in it's class the last couple days. It doesn't have a lot of reach compared to many point and shoots (28-100mm equivalent where many p&s cameras are breaking 500mm now) But it is on par focal length wise with the Canon G1X, the Olympus XZ1, the Fuji X10, and the Canon s100. And all of those cameras have similarly fast lenses (that surprised me when I looked at the specs).

If I were shopping I'd really look at all the cameras in the class before settling on the Sony. What I've seen coming out of it is impressive, but it's not a game changer or anything and there are other similarly capable cameras in it's class that are great performers as well. Some of which are a few hundred dollars cheaper.

 

[havoc315]

Since havoc315 brought the Sony RX100 to my attention I've been looking at it, as well as other cameras in it's class the last couple days. It doesn't have a lot of reach compared to many point and shoots (28-100mm equivalent where many p&s cameras are breaking 500mm now) But it is on par focal length wise with the Canon G1X, the Olympus XZ1, the Fuji X10, and the Canon s100. And all of those cameras have similarly fast lenses (that surprised me when I looked at the specs).

If I were shopping I'd really look at all the cameras in the class before settling on the Sony. What I've seen coming out of it is impressive, but it's not a game changer or anything and there are other similarly capable cameras in it's class that are great performers as well. Some of which are a few hundred dollars cheaper.

Those cameras you cite, while certainly excellent cameras, are fundamentally different.
The G1x is a 4/3rds, not a compact like the RX100. Plus, the lens is slower (2.8 versus 1.8)
The s100 is the same class, and the lens is -almost- as fast, 2.0 versus 1.8. But has a much smaller sensor than the RX100, so won't perform as well in low light.

The Olympus lens is just as fast, but again a much smaller sensor. So while the RX100 can photograph at iso 25600, the Olympus is limited to 6400.

And finally, the Fuji lens doesn't go as wide (2 v 1.8), and much smaller sensor. Fuji Iso is limited to 3200.

Every professional review is calling the rx100 a game changer. BUT, for many photographers, taking many photographs, in many situations, the other cameras would indeed be equally serviceable.

 

[photo_chick]

Many reviews are paid for and not all of those reviewers are really that qualified in the field so I tend to take "professional" reviews with a grain of salt and judge for myself. Anyone can start a blog, look professional and write a review. Just like anyone can come off as knowing about photography on a message board. All I'm saying is don't buy the hype and explore all options for yourself.

havoc35 I'm glad you found a camera that fits you and I think it's awesome that you're passionate about it. But I also think something to keep in mind is that just because it's the cats pajamas for you doesn't mean it's the right camera for everyone. I know I don't want to buy a camera just because someone else loves it. I want to make sure it's the right camera for me.

 

[Shutterbug]

I looked at the RX100 when looking for a companion camera to my DSLR.
I ended up getting the the Canon S100 for $299. I cant justify $600 for a point n shoot. I would rather put the 300 I saved in getting the S100 into getting another lens for my 7D

 

[havoc315]

Many reviews are paid for and not all of those reviewers are really that qualified in the field so I tend to take "professional" reviews with a grain of salt and judge for myself. Anyone can start a blog, look professional and write a review. Just like anyone can come off as knowing about photography on a message board. All I'm saying is don't buy the hype and explore all options for yourself.

havoc35 I'm glad you found a camera that fits you and I think it's awesome that you're passionate about it. But I also think something to keep in mind is that just because it's the cats pajamas for you doesn't mean it's the right camera for everyone. I know I don't want to buy a camera just because someone else loves it. I want to make sure it's the right camera for me.

The NY Times, Consumer Reports, etc, are not paid for reviews. There is no 1 perfect camera for everyone. And the price is certainly a big issue to hold people back. As Shutterbug stated, the price difference between the S100 and RX100 may be too big to justify the differences between the cameras. (The S100 is indeed an excellent camera which will perform equally or even better in some situations, at half the price. But in other situations, it won't come near the RX100).
But I do think when questions are asked, we should present honest information. And it is dishonest to say that there are cheaper cameras with the same specs.
Different cameras will have different pros and cons. Certainly, depending what you are looking for, there are cameras better than the RX100. But no other compact point and shoot has a lens and sensor comparable to the RX100 right now. (though I am sure competing models will be released in the near future, and competition will drive prices down).

I'm just trying to present honest facts, it has nothing to do with any personal biases. You seem determined to want to group all point&shoots together.

 

[WDWFigment]

If it's any reassurance, it's by far the best compact point and shoot camera I've ever touched (I paid for my own if that makes me more "credible"). All things considered, I think it's better than all of the point and shoot cameras listed by photo_chick in her previous post. But in all fairness, it's not in the same class as many of those other cameras.

Take my opinion for what it's worth. I'm not a professional reviewer, nor do I care about tech babble, sharpness charts, or any of that junk. I'm results oriented, and in my unprofessional firsthand experience, the RX100 gets results.

I only have one test image to which I can link here:


Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 Test Photo by Tom Bricker (WDWFigment), on Flickr