Sony’s new compact camera the RX100 is aimed directly at the premium shooter market, The “pro-sumers” the professional Photogs looking for a pocket-sized backup, the enthusiast, The traveler looking to pack light but doesn’t want to sacrifice the quality of their travel photography gear – and it’s directly competing against the likes of the popular PowerShot S100 from Canon, the superb Olympus’s XZ-1 & the chunky but sweet, Panasonic’s Lumix LX5.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is an enthusiast compact camera based around a 20MP 1″ CMOS sensor. It features a a Zeiss-branded 28-100mm equivalent F1.8-4.9 stabilized lens featuring Zeiss T* coatings to minimize internal reflection. The rest of its specification is pretty impressive too – a 1.2 million dot 3.0″ LCD (VGA resolution but using Sony’s WhiteMagic technology to offer greater brightness or improved battery life), and 1080p60 video capture or 1080i with the ability to shoot a 17MP stills without interrupting movie recording. The camera can even boast a respectable 330 shots from a charge, according to CIPA tests.
Specifications:
- 20.2 MP Exmor”CMOS sensor (13.2 x 8.8mm, 3:2 aspect ratio) – extreme low-light shots
- 28-100mm (equiv), f/1.8-4.9 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 3.6x zoom
- Full HD 1080/60p video with manual control and dual record, 101.6 mm x 58.1 mm x 35.9 mm, 213g (7.5 oz.)
- 3-Inch Xtra Fine LCD display with bright whites & true blacks
- Ultra-slim, sophisticated aluminum body
- Steady-Shot image stabilization
- ISO 125-6400 (ISO 80 and 100 expansion, up to 25,600 using multi-frame noise-reduction)
- Face Recognition and Face Registration (up to 8 faces)
- Rear control dial and customizable front control ring
- 10fps continuous shooting in ‘Speed Priority’ mode
- 3″ 1.2M-dot ‘WhiteMagic’ LCD screen
- 13 Picture Effects (27 with variations)
- Memory Recall feature can store up to three groups of custom settings
- 1080p60 video, (AVCHD) with MP4 option (50p in PAL regions)
- Built-in stereo microphones
- 330-shot battery life (CIPA)
Video review:
