Sony RX100

[havoc315]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[mrsz06]

I appreciate all the great feedback from everyone as well as the sample photos. My hubby isn't very happy about spending the money on the RX100 and doens't get what the big deal is. I will admit the small zoom in the camera is a little disappointing. I have also been looking at a Sony HX30. I know this has a 20x zoom so that is nice and another memeber on here has posted some pretty good pictures with his HX30 he took. I was all set on getting the S100 but I read a lot of recent reviews from June and July of people reporting "lens errors" on their cameras making them useless so that steered me away from it.

As you can guess I am looking for a point and shoot because I don't want to have to carry around a dslr and have to worry about changing lenses and what not. My main reason for falling in love with the RX100 is because of the shutter speed and the huge lenses size as well as taking good photos in the dark.

[havoc315]

If a huge optical zoom is important to you, and you don't want to be troubled with cropping in post processing, then I wouldn't recommend the rx100. There are very capable cameras with huge optical zoom, but you will sacrifice low light capabilities.

[mrsz06]

A huge zoom isn't important to me. I don't often find myself needing a huge zoom. The only place this would be useful would be at Disney or on vacation or something. Also what kind of memory card should I get for the RX100?

[Gianna'sPapa]

When you say what kind of memory card, there are several factors which go into purchasing them. First there is the brand, which to me is the least important of the factors. Next is what type of format will you be using to take your images. The Sony has three formats which will vary the amount of images your card can hold, JPEG-more pictures, RAW-less pictures, Raw + JPEG-less and less pictures. Next is the speed of the card. With video the minimum you can usually use is a Class 6. Personally I use Class 10 for my DSLR that has video and a minimum Class 6 for my non-video DSLR's. The camera has a large 20+mp sensor which use quite a bit of memory. I would recommend at least a 16 gb card. Again this depends on which format you choose. I do not like to use large memory cards just in case of a card failure. I won't lose as much data. Saying all this, it comes down to budget. I have used Sandisk, Kingston, Panasonic and Transcend cards. I have had several Sandisk cards break (I never lost data, just a physical break). I have a 6 year old Panasonic SDHC which is still working great. I have had trouble with my Kingstons using an external card reader (no problem when using an internal card reader). Recently, I purchased two Class 10 16 gb Transcend's and have been pleased with them.

It really is up to you to decide on which format you are going to use and to what thought you are going to subscribe to on the size of the cards.

I don't know how many images you take between battery charges, but the Sony is rated at approximately 330 images per charge. If you take video that could be reduced (the same with your memory cards). When I'm at WDW or on one of my motorsports shoots, I usually take more images than that. I would recommend a second battery. I know you didn't ask that question, but I thought I would throw that in anyway. It sounds and reads like a very nice camera. I would also recommend enhancing you photography knowledge to fully use the capabilities of this camera (knowledge is the least expensive thing we do in photography ). Good luck and as I always say "shoot more, shoot more often!"

[mrsz06]

Thanks for the info this really helped me a lot. I was more or less wanting to know which class and how many gbs I should get. I will probably stick with jpeg for now, so a 16gb will be more than enough. I don't see myself taking more than 330 pics in one day. So I will be able to charge the battery over night so I don't see a reason to get another battery. I am with you on enhancing my photography knowledge!

[Renysmom]

Originally Posted by 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.

Tom's review on his blog turned my attention to this camera. I then went and researched and researched (Not paid reviews, real reviews) and I bought it last week. In the past 60 days I had bought and returned the Oly OMD5 and the new Nikon P510. Neither proved to be what I was really looking for which was to replace the need to carry my dSLR and lens with me everywhere I go (which I did 90% of the time) and to take hi-res, quality shots. This camera is the solution for me. I absolutely love it. Easy to use, packed full of features, small and powerful. While you may not get the zoom of a dSLR you are definitely getting the output of a dSLR in my opinion.

[mrsz06]

Thanks Renysmom. I think I'm gonna make the plunge today and buy it! Thanks again to everyone who helped!!!

[havoc315]

I am considering getting a second battery. You need to remember that the 330 shots is not a hard & fast rule. Certain types of pictures will drain the battery more. If you end up reviewing pictures while standing in a line, you will drain the battery more.

And also, you may end up taking a shocking number of pictures. I remember using real film in my dSLR, and with the cost of film, the annoyance of changing film.. Maybe I would go through 1-2 roles per day -- about 48 pictures per day.
Yesterday, my kids were on a carousel for about 4 minutes. Because it was moving, I wanted to be sure to capture some good pics. So I set the camera to sports mode, and switched the drive to continuous shooting --- 10 shots per second. So every time I just clicked the shutter, it was taken 4-5 pictures in quick succession. In the 4 minute ride, I took about 50 pictures. I then deleted 40 of them.
To me, part of the method of getting good pictures is simply to take a lot of pictures. Take enough, and you'll get a few good ones just out of luck.
In an active day at Disney, I easily take 200+ pictures. And with the ease of pulling out this camera, I could see myself doing a lot more than that.

[Renysmom]

Originally Posted by havoc315

I am considering getting a second battery. You need to remember that the 330 shots is not a hard & fast rule. Certain types of pictures will drain the battery more. If you end up reviewing pictures while standing in a line, you will drain the battery more.

I would never go anywhere on vacation without at least 2 batteries. I already bought the 2nd and am wondering about a third before my 7 day cruise in October LOL.

[Renysmom]

Originally Posted by mrsz06

Thanks Renysmom. I think I'm gonna make the plunge today and buy it! Thanks again to everyone who helped!!!

Enjoy it. BTW if you order it directly from Sony and use coupon code RX100ESP you will get a free 2 year extended warranty for all damage issues.
Details here.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=42178375


Some are saying they have called and applied the code when bought somewhere else others say it hasn't worked. I know I got it directly from SONY.

Come back and let us know what you think.