Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 REVIEW
It’s a big claim: “The best pocket camera ever made.” … or so The New York Times declares. No doubt there will be some rumblings from a well-known German company about such a contention. And Nikon will be banging at the gate too!
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Sony’s story is that the RX100 does do things quite a bit differently from the rest of the crowd. For one thing, as a fixed lens camera, the sensor is claimed to be considerably larger than the rest of the crowd, with many having 11mm sensors (as a diagonal measurement). Sony claims the RX100′s sensor is a one inch job.
Screeech! Reality check! The RX100′s CMOS measures 13.2×8.8mm, which means the diagonal is only 15.8mm and not 25.4m (one inch) … same as the Nikon V1and N1 cameras.
It gets stickier. The RX100 has 20.2 million effective pixels, while the Nikons offers only 10.1 million packed onto the sensor. Same space: smaller pixels. Not a good start!
Well I’ve got that off my chest.
Now let’s look at the lens. At last! A star! One of dear old Carl Zeiss’ top optics: the Vario-Sonnar T* f1.8-4.9/10.4-37.1mm job. Yes, it’s relatively fast at f1.9, but this drops off to a much smaller f4.9 at the tele end, giving a modest 3.6x zoom range (based on the 35 SLR equivalent range of 28-100mm).
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 Features
Built around an aluminium body, the camera inherits some features from Sony’s Alpha range of cameras which places it in the same territory as the mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.
Although small, the RX100 feels chunky, solid and workmanlike, while feeling surprisingly heavy for such a small camera. Powered down, it fits a pocket easily. Powered up, the lens protrudes another 3.5cm from the 3.5cm deep body.
It feels good in the hand, although I would have liked a textured grip surface at the front right edge, as there is at the rear edge.
Controls are very Sony-like: power, zoom and mode dial on top; the rear has a Function button (HDR, scene modes, exposure compensation, ISO), with controls for menu, replay, instruction guide and the movie record button.
There is a USB port at the camera’s right end with the mini HDMI and memory card access placed in the camera’s base.
At this point I should mention the lens control ring, close to the body and giving direct access to aperture, shutter speed and manual focus … all operable with the camera in Program AE, shutter or aperture priority and visible on the LCD screen. Pretty neat!
I have to say the manual focus arrangement is one of the best I have come across: easy to access and giving the clearest indication of sharp or unsharp focus. However, I found the shutter button hard to feel for, as it’s recessed beneath the top surface. A bad design flaw.
Maximum image size is 5472×3080 pixels, enough to make a 46x26cm print.
Movies are well taken care of with maximum res at Full HD 1920×1080 in AVCHD or MPEG format for the lesser sizes.
Speaking of which: sounds of the shutter button and zoom can be heard while shooting video — but you can shoot stills while in video mode. The stabiliser works well as does the auto focus. The instruction manual indicates that in some video resolutions still capture is not possible … but I had no trouble.
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 ISO Tests
While the specs indicate the camera has an upper ISO setting of 25,600 this is only available in Auto ISO, with the camera making the setting according to prevailing light levels.
At ISO 80 the image was sharp and noise free. Only when ISO 1600 was reached did noise appear. By ISO 3200 noise was up but not to an objectionable level. At ISO 6400 noise was up but definition was acceptable. A good performance.
Startup Times
It took three seconds from startup to first shot; follow-ons about a second apart.
Distortion
No problems at the wide or tele ends of the zoom. A good performance.
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 Verdict
Quality: the pictures I shot with the RX100 simply jumped off the screen with excellent definition and accurate colour. A top performer, no doubt thanks to Herr Zeiss’s precision.
Why you’d buy the Sony Cyber-shot RX100: a pocket performer.
Why you wouldn’t: a vari-angle screen would have made the camera near-perfect;
An elegant and practical camera it could be used by virtually anyone with any skills level. However, it could seriously sing and dance in polished hands!
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 Specs
Image Sensor: 20.2 million effective pixels.
Metering: multi zone, centre-weighted, spot.
Lens: Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f1.8-4.9/10.4-37.1 (28-100mm as 35 SLR).
Exposure Modes: Program AE, shutter and aperture priority, manual.
Effective Sensor Size: 13.2×8.8mm Exmor CMOS.
Shutter Speed (stills): 30 to 1/2000 second and Bulb.
Continuous Shooting: 2.5/10 fps.
Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo cards.
Image Sizes (pixels): Stills: 5472×3080 to 2592×1944.
Movies: 1920×1080 (AVCHD); 1440×1080, 640×480 (MPEG4).
Viewfinder: 7.6cm LCD screen (1,228,800 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, RAW (Sony ARW 2.2), JPEG+RAW, MPEG4, AVCHD.
Colour Space: sRGB, Adobe RGB.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 25600.
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 102x59x36 WHDmm.
Weight: 213 g (inc battery).
Price: Get a price on the Sony Cybershot RX100 at Amazon.
28 Responses to “Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 REVIEW” - Add Yours
July 28th, 2012 at 1:55 am
A compact camera that deliver usable photo taken at 6400 is more then a good performer. It’s stunning! It got the size of a small Canon S100 with the performance of the much bigger Nikon J1. Wow!
Must resist… Must not buy… Weak man I am…
July 28th, 2012 at 2:03 am
“It gets stickier. The RX100 has 20.2 million effective pixels, while the Nikons offers only 10.1 million packed onto the sensor. Same space: smaller pixels. Not a good start!”
Wouldn’t that mean it’s better ie. packing more pixels into the same sensor? More detail? Finer Detail?
Not sure maybe I’m missing something but when pixels go up in the same size I thought that was a good thing.
July 28th, 2012 at 2:14 am
I SO wish I had the money for this right now, as this looks to be an outstanding P&S. I’m very happy with my current Sony P&S, but I’ve been waiting for them to come out with a decent competitor to the S100, LX5, etc. – something that has a decent-sized sensor and the ability to shoot RAW. And the kick-ass Zeiss lens is the cherry on the cake!
July 28th, 2012 at 7:17 am
If only it had a EVF my hand would already be searching for my credit card. Am currently trying out a Delkin folding hood on my Canon s90 and if it cures the sun glare problem, I might be tempted by the Sony.
July 28th, 2012 at 7:26 am
It’s hard to find an EVF on a P&S, though, unless you go for the likes of the Canon G1X or Nikon P7100, but then those aren’t really compact anymore.
July 28th, 2012 at 8:55 am
@roger
more pixels on the same size sensor means each pixel is smaller. They can’t capture as much light as larger pixels so the image is noisier. Any gain you get in resolution, you loose with noise at higher iso. This is why most P&S camera’s perform so badly above iso200. Though I must say this camera seems to preform exeptionally well.
July 28th, 2012 at 9:02 am
To Roger
smaller pixels can mean an increase in noise.
an excellent discussion on this matter can be found at
http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/does.pixel.size.matter/#sensorconstant
July 28th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
it says that the sony DSC RX100 is he best compact camera right now at the moment that shoots video. interesting video and test indeed for a point and shoot looking camera with professional features.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTzLtvHbk68
July 29th, 2012 at 12:24 am
I’m the only one that over the 10mpx mark does´t care anymore for more resolution, but only on actual pixel-dot size? Larger the better?
This camera has a pp of 1.6 microns. Roughly the same of a standard 10mpx P&S.
I’m the only one that finds ridiculous to see how all the companies are dropping the mpx race and rolling back their maximum resolution even on presume/enthusiast market to the 10~12mpx mark while Sony alone keeps running alone increasing their resolution and sacrificing IQ at iso 400+? Look at the noise of this camera at ISO 800, is awful.
Not alone i find ridiculous this posture of Sony, i see no point at all in this camera at this price point. i can have a larger sensor (4/3), virtually the same body size with much better overall IQ, specially at low light for a LOWER PRICE POINT (either pen, or gf3).
What’s the point of this camera again? Another Sony camera im passing. Try decreasing your resolution next time and i may consider buying from you guys again
July 29th, 2012 at 6:57 am
One inch does not refer to the chip’s diagonal measurement. It’s an old nomenclature from tube days. Explained here: http://www.dpreview.com/news/2002/10/7/sensorsizes
The RX100 rocks.
July 29th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Awesome Camera, got one last week
August 1st, 2012 at 3:07 am
This is not impressive…my Sony DSC-w210 is better than this.I prefer investing on a entry level DSLR rather than this.Just my opinion.
http://nepalgunjeyes.blogspot.com
http://flickr.com/ssatyamm
August 1st, 2012 at 9:47 am
Purchased the RX 100 and set quality to jpeg and raw – after taking pics and downloading to mac, i was only able to find the jpeg files, not the raw. suggestions?
August 1st, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Satyam: I love my 210, too, but I think this model has some defnite advantages that the 210 doesn’t; namely the 1.8 lens and RAW file format. Now, it’s debatable if those advantages are worth an extra $400…
You’re right that if you don’t already have DSLR, an entry-level DSLR would probably be a better purchase for the money (depending on one’s true needs, of course), but I think this camera appeals to those who already have their DSLR, but want a pro-quality P&S to carry around with them.
August 3rd, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Kinda tempted with this one. I love my Sony a33 and a77, but have been wishing for a decent compact to take out to dinner and that sort of thing. How is the low light performance and what’s the built in flash like?
@jewel – there are so many discussions about sensor size vs pixel count. As someone once pointed out to me, it really takes a balance between not just the size of the sensor and the number of pixels but also the capability of the built-in software. You can’t just say high pixel count = bad.
That said, I do wish my a77 didn’t have quite so many pixels crammed in. If only to make the file sizes a bit more manageable!!
August 3rd, 2012 at 10:26 pm
How does this compare with the new Panasonic LX7?
August 4th, 2012 at 8:21 am
I’m a big Sony fan and currently shoot with the a 390. I needed something smaller for my street work so I went with the Lumix LX5. The RX 100 looks like it takes great pictures but I couldn’t bring myself to spend that much money on a P&S.
August 5th, 2012 at 9:25 am
Sold my D7000 kit today (24-120 f4, 35 1.8, 85 1.8d), bought an RX100 and banked $1,700. I’m very happy with my decision and look forward to my new pocketable camera when I travel. From what I can see, it’s capable of capturing some beautiful images.
August 10th, 2012 at 5:07 am
I own a Nikon D300, and it is great when I want to haul around my 50-60 lbs. of gear. But I often end up with so-so phone photos, or nothing at all because of the lack of motivation to get a workout lifting weights.
My 12 year old daughter has a Panasonic Lumix, and is getting great results in bright light, but when dusk hits, not so good. She has great potential shooting candid portraits, but my old Nikon D100 is not appealing to her small hands. The RX100 will also give me the opportunity to introduce her to shooting “RAW” when the time comes.
My wife loves to shoot video with her P&S, but results are often shaky.
The RX100 looks to be the ideal fit for all three of us. For me, it’s not a matter of “if?”, but rather “when?”
August 10th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
@jewel
As you say, you are completely missing the point. The RX100 is an easy-to-carry camera that fits in your shirt pocket. No m4/3 camera fits. The best camera is the one you always have with you, and I doubt very much that you’ll carry your m4/3 camera everywhere you go.
I’ve examined the high ISO performance of the RX100 against the much-vaunted S100, and the RX100 easily wins hands down. If you say the noise at ISO 800 is awful, the question is, relative to what? M4/3?
The point is, you’re getting an easily pocketable camera with low light performance never seen previously in this category. And for that, the camera commands a price premium. Now do you understand?
August 12th, 2012 at 12:21 am
I have an RX100 and love it. I have two minor nits about it that I haven’t seen reported elsewhee.
First, none of the display options in the shooting modes displays current batery level. You have to go to the playback mode to get a battery level readout.
Secondly, if you use a tripod camera plate that extends to the width of the control ring it will block the turning of the control ring. I have to place a small rubber washer between the camera and the plate of my Shotoku tripod to be able to rotate the ring when the camera is on the tripod.
One other thing that is different from other Sony p&s cameras. The playback function only accesses one of the three folders (photos, mp4, AVCHD0 at a time. You have to manually switch between the folders to see all collections.
Other than that, the camera is essentially flawless.
August 12th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
@satyam
How is the Sony W210 better than this camera? It has a tiny, 1/2.3″ sensor which exhibits horrible smearing of detail (in JPEG) even at ISO 800. I can still see pretty good detail in the RX100 images at ISO 3200. The difference between these two cameras (sensors) is like night and day.
Moreover, the RX100 has astonishing AF speed, pretty good shot-to-shot times, and low shutter lag. It may not be a DSLR replacement, but for an easily pocketable camera, it is certainly very close to being a DSLR in terms of IQ and performance. I have a Canon 40D, and I’d be happy to pick the RX100 over it, just because of the enormous convenience. Kudos to Sony for an amazing achievement.
August 16th, 2012 at 10:12 am
Can you please get reviewers who are knowledgeable. The designations of 1″ and 1/1.7″ (etc…) do not mean they are 1 inch or 1 and 1/7 inch “big”. Actually a 1/1.7″ sensor is SMALLER than a 1″ inch sensor. These designations are hold overs from days gone by when they where used as ratios for the vacuum tubes used in video cameras. I expect the people that do reviews would be knowledgeable about the subject they are reviewing and not bash the company for using the industry standard terminology.
August 16th, 2012 at 10:22 am
Of course a 1/1.7 inch sensor is smaller than a 1 inch sensor.
But what on earth has the ratios from the days of vacuum tubes have to do with 21st century digital camera sensors?
If we’re talking about sensors and comparing the diagonal measurements of various ones, let’s use a common yardstick.
As I said about the RX100: “the diagonal is only 15.8mm and not 25.4m (one inch).”
Beter still, let’s all use metric figures for all specs. No-one talks about an f3.5/one inch lens!
August 18th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
@David there needs to be RAW updates to all software like Adobe so they can access the files. Until then u have to use the shite Sony software that comes with the camera, apparently its dreadful.
August 20th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
I’ve been thinking of getting a Sony RX-100 but I’ve been hesitating mainly because I’m starting to think Sony seems to be a good choice only because they advertise a lot where I am. Hahaha. It’s a relief to know there are real good reasons to get it.
March 26th, 2013 at 9:37 pm
This camera is one of the best compacts I’ve ever tested. The very versatile Zeiss zoomlens is powerful and excellent, the AF respons is excellent, the multi-functional lensring very practical, the high ISO value of 6400 is excellent (for a compact), though it looses a bit of detail sharpness, it’s sensor has enough pixels for a large print, the colors are spot on (one of the best Imatest-results I’ve ever seen on ‘standard’), it’s size and weight are really compact for a f1.8 zoom. Only flaw is dynamic range of 9 and you’d have to get used the menus. The RX100 would be a very cool basis for a new Sony system-camera range with exchangeable prime lenses! But I guess Nikon has claimed it’s rights with Sony since both sensors come from the same factory…
March 31st, 2013 at 12:02 am
I’m hooked. After years of lugging around my Sony Alphas for my daily street photography work, I’ve come to appreciate the small format p-&-s which we all probably evolved from while striving for better picture quality. I’m not giving up my SLT and DSLR, nor all my interchangeable lenses, flashes, etc., but for a lot of my daily shooting, the RX-100 has earned its place in my pocket.
I’ve recently blogged about using it alongside the A77: http://jimmartinphotoblog.blogspot.de/2013/03/testing-sony-rx100-at-zoo.html
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