My RX100 first report - review now up

For all talk about digital compacts or EVF-SLRs in the Minolta, Konica Minolta or relevant Sony ranges
David Kilpatrick
Site Admin
Posts: 5985
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 1:14 pm
Location: Kelso, Scotland
Contact:

My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2012/07/2 ... 00-review/

Moderate mixture of facts and fiction as usual, but fairly straight because the camera isn't breaking too many rules.

David
dvincent
Acolyte
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:09 am
Location: Waltham, MA, USA
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by dvincent »

Video steadyshot is Active Optical SteadyShot, not pixel shift. Also, the USB port is a Micro USB port, used by many devices. It's less common than the old mini-USB B ports but it will be supplanting them in the future since it's much harder to break than the Mini USB B ports. It's not Sony proprietary, strangely enough. Other than that, I don't see much fiction. A very good review and one I'll be passing around.
peterottaway
Imperial Ambassador
Posts: 600
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:24 am
Location: Northam, Western Australia

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by peterottaway »

I may be just another over the hill SLR/SLT fan but this sort of camera just isn't for me. It may be a the cult camera of the month and if Sony turns a profit on the thing then all well and good. But all these high end P & S leave me wondering why.

I did a quick price check and came up with these figures,
1. RX 100 from AUD 699.95 to 749.00
2. Nex F3 with 18-55 zoom from AUD 590.00 to 695.00
3. Nex 5n with 18-55 zoom AUD 669.90
4. A37 with 18-55 zoom from AUD 659.00 to 695.00

Any of these cameras would be a more sensible choice for almost anyone looking for something more than a camera phone. Sony may be pleased that it is bringing the brand name before a larger buying public like it has with the Nex range but to me it is a definite one trick pony.
User avatar
artington
Imperial Ambassador
Posts: 553
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:22 pm

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by artington »

Nice report, David. This seems to be a take it or leave it camera for many. For me, the former because it's as portable as a pack of cigs so it goes verywhere in my pocket, produces IQ as good as the NEX-5N in a much smaller body/lens combo and the close focus is outstanding. Yes it is overpriced in relative terms and the lack of separate battery charger is an irritating constraint but, hey, you cant have everything. I shall be pleased, though, when Adobe updates its LR ACR to process the RX-100 raw files. Right now, its not even possible to process jpeg + raw in LR because it won't accept the files, which Isuppose are bundled together.

One small tip. No need to carefully clean out your pockets and wrap the camera in m-f cloth if you happent to have the Sony F20AM flash. The pouch which comes with the latter is an exact fit for the RX-100.
User avatar
bfitzgerald
Subsuming Vortex of Brilliance
Posts: 3996
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:48 pm

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

I can give Sony a nod for making an effort. I'm in the leave it category on this (despite being in the market for a premium compact I can't find one that nails it for me)
No grip (bah cmon Sony a camera is to hold!), No VF, price is too high, and really not a fan of in camera only charging (great as a choice but not the only choice) I think the ironed out problems X10 update might hit the spot. This isn't a bad first bash but not good enough at the asking price
David Kilpatrick
Site Admin
Posts: 5985
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 1:14 pm
Location: Kelso, Scotland
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

dvincent - where do you have info that video is not pixel shift stabilised? The manual and using the same seem to indicate that it is, as does the reduced image area. Standard stabilisation is optical for movies. Active is pixel shift. I've just checked now and the crop with Standard is the same as with Off, but when you set Active, the video crop is much tighter.

I thught I'd said Micro USB, I definitely have said so in my BJP report written at the same time (also Micro HDMI - much less common).

David
David Kilpatrick
Site Admin
Posts: 5985
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 1:14 pm
Location: Kelso, Scotland
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

I've just confirmed that I did refer to Micro USB, I've made it clearer by capitalising Mini USB as well to ensure that I am referring to a standard.

I have checked the stabilisation and added this paragraph, as the Active video stabilisation is definitely pixel shift:

When shooting video in 16:9 format with stabilisation set to Standard (optical) or Off, the lens range is trimmed to 29-105mm equivalent, and the image is cropped only slightly on pressing the Movie button. If you set Active stabilisation for video, optical stabilisation is replaced by pixel shift electronic stabilisation on the sensor. The crop is to 0.87X of the normal video field (measured here), meaning that the effective focal length range for Active video is 33-120mm. This 0.87X factor is exactly the same as the NEX-7 video crop factor.

David
User avatar
Greg Beetham
Tower of Babel
Posts: 6117
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: Townsville, Qld. Australia
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

I guess if you bought two RX100’s you could use one as a battery charger, then you would also have a backup camera, how cool is that? Hmmm except it would be at home charging the spare battery…that means you would really need three RX100’s so you could have a proper backup…but on the other hand it’s more or less a backup camera itself anyway and who buys a backup camera for a backup camera? I reckon it won’t be long before Sony comes up with an aftermarket charger for the RX100 for maybe $600 (includes a spare battery) and then people could decide whether or not too keep the backup-backup RX100… I think these babies are going to go UP in price anyway because of the temporary shortage as people initially all buy three each, so it’ll be a win win, especially as spare batteries by themselves are rumoured to be about $500.
Greg
Ps btw where is the silver model? I think the black colour makes it look too professional and that isn’t what one wants to do when posing as a non intrusive snapper and I also think Sony should bring out the next model with more rounded edges so it looks even more like a genuine p&s, and no viewfinder please, that is a dead giveaway, the moment someone starts looking through a viewfinder instead of gazing/squinting at the back of the camera everyone will know that he/she is not a genuine p&esser at all. :mrgreen:
dvincent
Acolyte
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:09 am
Location: Waltham, MA, USA
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by dvincent »

David Kilpatrick wrote:I've just confirmed that I did refer to Micro USB, I've made it clearer by capitalising Mini USB as well to ensure that I am referring to a standard.

I have checked the stabilisation and added this paragraph, as the Active video stabilisation is definitely pixel shift:

When shooting video in 16:9 format with stabilisation set to Standard (optical) or Off, the lens range is trimmed to 29-105mm equivalent, and the image is cropped only slightly on pressing the Movie button. If you set Active stabilisation for video, optical stabilisation is replaced by pixel shift electronic stabilisation on the sensor. The crop is to 0.87X of the normal video field (measured here), meaning that the effective focal length range for Active video is 33-120mm. This 0.87X factor is exactly the same as the NEX-7 video crop factor.

David
Ah, okay. I stand corrected then. I blame this on Sony's use of "Optical SteadyShot Active" on the NEX 18-200 lens and some of their Handycams, and is really, really nice. It would have been better if they used a different term for pixel shift instead of Active. That's where the confusion came from. I prefer the optical steadyshot instead of pixel-tracking, so I'll be sure to use Standard on my RX-100 instead of Active. Thanks for helping to clear that up.
alphaomega
Viceroy
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:20 pm

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by alphaomega »

So David has resolved the question of is the RX100 a 24-100 or 28-100 camera? If shooting Jpeg it starts at 28mm and shooting RAW only it starts at 24.8 or thereabouts. Interesting. So I could potentially use the camera as I shoot RAW, but not at that price and my current cameras can do what I need.
David Kilpatrick
Site Admin
Posts: 5985
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 1:14 pm
Location: Kelso, Scotland
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

For what it's worth, I do not think that having completed my review here and one paid-for review, I will keep the RX100. It has been a constant companion, that's the only issue - I use it far more than I would any other camera.

The money however will be needed for the Alpha 99...

David
User avatar
edrice
Oligarch
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 12:35 am
Location: Sunny Southern California

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by edrice »

David Kilpatrick wrote:It has been a constant companion, that's the only issue - I use it far more than I would any other camera.
And that's exactly what happens with my S100. I use it far more than my Nex-7 or A65 because it's with me wherever I go.

But the RX100 arrived yesterday and for what little I have used it so far, I have to say that I am more than pleased with the results over the S100. My wife really likes it too and now wants one so her S95 and my S100 are both going on the auction block. Both are great little cameras but this is more of a crossover to the DSLR/DSLT/NEX realm than either of the little Canons.

Ed
User avatar
pakodominguez
Minister with Portfolio
Posts: 2306
Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 5:38 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by pakodominguez »

David Kilpatrick wrote: The money however will be needed for the Alpha 99...

David
Sell your NEX5n again....
Pako
------------
http://www.pakodominguez.photo/blog" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
bfitzgerald
Subsuming Vortex of Brilliance
Posts: 3996
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:48 pm

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

I'll keep an eye out for the X20 from Fuji which seems to address the problems of the last model and that new sensor looks rather good too.
I don't really like the handling of the RX100 though the price is a bit better now. The IQ is excellent has to be said maybe the next version will iron out some issues.

No viewfinder again a mistake IMO for this market. Wake up time Sony premium compact and many want a viewfinder (of some type)
alphaomega
Viceroy
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:20 pm

Re: My RX100 first report - review now up

Unread post by alphaomega »

Barry Fitzgerald wrote
I don't really like the handling of the RX100 though the price is a bit better now. The IQ is excellent has to be said maybe the next version will iron out some issues.
No viewfinder again a mistake IMO for this market. Wake up time Sony premium compact and many want a viewfinder (of some type)
The IQ is certainly impressive for a camera this size. Not sure what the issues are but at first I thought that the omission of an EVF was a problem. I have the NEX-6 with EVF and 16-50 pancake. This combo fits into a belt bag but is "bulky" compared with the RX100 in a small unobtrusive bag or a pocket. I am getting on fine without EVF as the rear screen is quite good. The lens at 28-100mm is useful and as I understand it I get close to 25mm using RAW. It is "horses for courses" as usual. I tend to just take the RX100 and perhaps should not have spent the money on my NEX-6. I consider my purchase of RX100 at net £407.00 one of my best camera purchases ever. In fact, for my purposes I consider that Sony have finally delivered what I require in the form of A580 for DSLR, NEX-6 for compact interchangeable and RX100 for walk about.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests