A few years ago, carrying a DSLR with a couple of additional lenses, I said to myself: if a camera appears, from which it will be possible to achieve the quality of a DSLR, but at the same time it will be much smaller, and most importantly, lighter, I will give any money for such a device. . Then the so-called mirrorless cameras appeared - high-quality compact cameras with interchangeable lenses, which began to confidently push amateur DSLRs out of the market, because mirrorless cameras were very convenient to use, and they showed, as a rule, very good results. I have tested a lot of these mirrorless cameras. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera seemed to me the best of those tested, although there were certain comments about it. (I also note that it is the most expensive of the ones studied.) I also tested the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 from ultra-compact cameras, which seemed to me absolutely wonderful, but it is clear that such a crumb has objective problems associated with physics-optics, and there is no escape from them. (Though how they stuffed a 13.2×8.8mm Exmor CMOS and a 28-100mm equivalent Zeiss lens with f/1.8 into it, I still don't understand.) When I heard that Sony introduced the Sony model DSC-RX1 is a compact camera with a full-size matrix and a non-replaceable fixed lens of 35 mm, and especially when I was told its price of $ 2800 in the USA, at first I laughed for a long time along with those who told me about this device.
Model of Sony DSC-RX1 camera
Full Frame in a compact body - it is, of course, good, but there should be meat snacks in the house, in the sense that where is at least an interchangeable lens? Especially for such money?! Many did not even believe that Sony would release this camera in a series, because - and who will buy it anyway? Professionals will not buy it, because a 35 mm fix will obviously not suit them. Fans for that kind of money will definitely not take a camera, and those fans who show off more than money will buy some kind of Leica M-Monochrom: it may be worse and only takes black and white shots, but at least it costs humanly - $13,000, so there's something to brag about to the boys. Then Sony released this camera and, as part of its promotion, distributed a copy to several well-known blogger photographers who tested the camera and wrote about their impressions. Here, for example, is a review by Dima Shatrov, a review of Norwegian Lesnoy, a review by Anton Martynov, a review by Georgy Rozov. All of them, as I understand it, liked the camera, and they all noted that due to objective shortcomings it cannot become their main camera, but in as a second camera in case "when you completely scrap a DSLR, but you want quality" - this is it. Another thing is whether they would buy such a camera as a second one for their money? Apparently, they would not. But the more I tested mirrorless cameras and read reviews and reviews, the more clearly I understood that Sony, in general, released this camera for me. Well, not exactly personally for me, but I am the target audience of this camera. I am not a photographer. I am a blogger. 95% of my photographic interests are landscapes, nature, architecture, exhibitions, gadgets and unpretentious reporting. And very rarely - everyday portraits. For all these subjects, the 35mm is the most suitable lens. And the angle is relatively wide, at the same time with slight distortion, and the bokeh does fine, if anything, and the zoom is practically unnecessary for me: for example, for the first six months on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 I generally shot with a 12 mm fix (24 equivalents) - and nothing. Well, again - a complete matrix. It's not that I'm ready to pray for her or sexually self-satisfy, but a purely objectively large matrix is better than a small one. There are many things in the world that are bigger than small, and a digital camera sensor is one of those things!
Comparison of matrices of various camera models
Another important point - I can afford to buy this camera. In the end, I need it for business: photographing food and cats and dogs. In general, the matter ended up with the fact that I just bought it, and in the Sony DSC-RX1R modification, which does not have a low-pass filter, respectively, it makes sharper frames compared to DSC-RX1. There are also some other small differences. Well, now let's look at it. So, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R.
Matrix- 35mm full-frame Exmor, 35.8×23.9mm, 24.3MP
Picture format- JPEG, RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format)
Video Format- AVCHD Ver.2.0, MP4
Light sensitivity- ISO 50-25600
excerpts- 30”-1/4000 s
Flash- built-in
Display- 7.5 cm (type 3), number of dots 1228.8, TFT Xtra Fine
Memory card- SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
Interfaces- microUSB, Hi-Speed USB, microHDMI, Microphone Jack, Multi Interface Shoe
Battery- Li-Ion, NP-BX1, 1240 mAh, approx. 220 shots
Dimensions- 113.3×65.4×69.6mm
Weight- 453 g
Lens- Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T*, aperture F2.0, focal length - 35 mm
Approximate price: in Moscow - $3440, in the USA - $2800. Contents of delivery Comes in a mysterious black box.
Inside, everything is packed correctly - in separate boxes of no less mysterious black color. 
Equipment: camera, shoulder strap, power adapter, battery, display cleaning cloth, a bunch of brochures in various languages. 
Appearance
The design is somewhat "old school", in the style of old compact film cameras. Some users say that the design, they say, is stolen from the same Leica, however, such claims, in my opinion, are not valid: this is just an old style that Leica, Fujifilm, Olympus, and many other manufacturers use in the design of some of their cameras. . 
Here, for example, Leica M for comparison. 
The body is metal, the build quality is beyond praise. Leatherette inserts are made under the grip: under the right hand on the front panel and on the back panel, where there is a small protrusion for the thumb. 
The camera lies well in the hand, but I would prefer that a protrusion was made on the front for emphasis - like on the same Olympus OM-D E-M5. Moreover, such a protrusion would definitely not interfere with anything - the lens sticks out there anyway. The display is not rotary: a fee for compactness. By the way, it's a pity, I would have preferred the camera to be a little larger, but still with a swivel display. Top view from the front. 
Top view from behind. 
The same RX1, only in profile. 
Bottom view. 
In general, I don’t know about you, but I was pleased with the appearance of the camera. Plus, which is important, it does not catch the eye, because for the uninitiated it looks like an ordinary "soap box". Therefore, few people pay attention to it and you can take pictures quite calmly. For reliability, you can cover up the inscription Sony and RX1 with black tape, then the camera will certainly not attract attention at all. On the left side there are ports: microUSB, microHDMI, multi-interface connector. 
The battery and memory card are located in the same compartment - like the Sony RX-100. 
The memory card is easy to get. I mention this separately, because in the Sony NEX-6 they managed to place this compartment so clumsily that it was terribly inconvenient to get a memory card out of there. And how many affectionate words I said about this to Sony engineers - you can imagine. Well, now a comparison of the scale. Sony RX1 next to RX100. See how they compare in size. 
And this is Sony RX1 compared to the smallest DSLR Canon 100D and Olympus OM-D E-M5 with a kit lens. 
Control
Camera control is a very important thing, so I took out the analysis of the controls in a separate section. The upper part of the camera is a swivel mode wheel, the power lever under the shutter button (it has an input for a cable - everything is like in adults), a customizable "C" button (for I was hung on ISO switching) and the exposure compensation gear wheel. By the way, at first I was delighted with this compensation wheel, because I often use it in the process of shooting, and using the wheel compensation, of course, is much more convenient to set than through the menu on the display. But then, during the operation, he changed his mind to the exact opposite: despite the fact that a certain effort is required to turn the wheel, it can be quite easily turned by accident - with the corresponding results. A couple of times this wheel specifically ruined part of the shooting for me: in the bright sun it was not visible that the pictures were overexposed due to an accidentally turned wheel. 
Buttons on the back of the camera: image review, cogwheel, AE lock (also known as playback zoom), customizable function key (aka image preview in playback), control wheel with four buttons and center button, menu, delete and stand-alone video record button. 
The following control elements are located on the lens: a gear focusing ring, a macro mode switching ring, an aperture switching ring. 
By the way, in all types of settings, the aperture can only be set with this ring. Which, in my opinion, is not very convenient. And when you set the mode "A" (manual aperture setting) - it can also be set only with this ring. At the same time, both gears do not switch the aperture: it is strange why they did not duplicate this function, it was hardly very difficult to do it. On the front panel there is a focus mode switching ring: manual, semi-automatic (automatic with manual adjustment), automatic. 
In semi-automatic mode, when after aiming with the machine you touch the gear ring of sharpness, a greatly enlarged piece of the frame appears on the display, which you can aim at very accurately. The flash is recessed into the body and does not automatically pop out (which is very good). It can be opened manually - with a special button. The flash is lowered back manually - when you press it. 
Accessories
With such a cost of the camera, it would be logical to assume that accessories for it will cost like an airplane. So it is, I hasten to please you! Even some crummy hood - $200. Yes, yes, this is not a joke. Not $20, which would have been expensive for a lens hood, but $200! Here she is, beauty. By the way, for viewing send all Sony for $50 - walk like that.
The TGA-1 handle is a piece of plastic - $290. Again. A piece of plastic - $290.
Well, it's no wonder that for the most primitive optical viewfinder, which, in fact, is just a peephole, they want $ 645, as if telling us: "Yes, guys, we are completely fucked up, you're right." At the same time, the electronic viewfinder costs what - a miserable $ 460: I bought it foolishly (the viewfinder is still needed, so walking like that) - and then I laughed at myself for a long time, because it was impossible to use it. With him, more or less something is visible only in the center of the frame, and then everything blurs, as if you are looking at the world through the bottom of a bottle. And they are selling this shit for $460 - just amazing!
A device with a viewfinder
But I bought a branded protective light filter (so as not to carry the cap) for him for some miserable $16. Why $16 and not at least $160 - I have no idea. They probably just had some kind of annoying glitch in the system. Camera operation The information displayed on the display is switched by the Disp button on the control gear. Here is the minimum information set mode.
Electronic level. Works crooked, but you can use it.
Histogram - displayed in the process of shooting in real time, and not just on the finished frame, as in some other cameras.
Shutter speed-aperture ratio scale: very convenient to use in manual and semi-automatic modes.
A complete set of all basic settings - very informative.
Settings that can be changed with the Fn key.
ISO setting on the "C" key.
By the way, there is an ISO AUTO mode - this is when the camera takes four pictures in a row, and then takes one common picture from them, minimizing the amount of noise. You can use this mode only with a tripod. "Scene" mode. More or less standard set of settings for various tasks.
The camera can make panoramas: it shoots in any of the four directions, glues them together on its own.
In general, I must say that everything is in order with information and management here. (In contrast to the NEX series, where everything is much worse.) The keys and controls are designed very intelligently, and are well customizable. (There are only complaints about the compensation wheel.) The information content in the camera is at its best, and even there you can also flexibly adjust the output. "P" mode with parameter adjustment. This camera did not cause me any difficulties with the settings during the shooting process. And now let's look at the menu that is called by the corresponding button and pay attention to some settings. The menu here is made in the style of SLR cameras: the settings are divided into different categories, some types of settings have several sections, the settings do not scroll vertically, which is very convenient. Setting the image quality. Standard - JPG 3 MB, high - JPG 5 MB, ultra-fine - practically uncompressed JPG 10 MB, RAW + JPEG - RAW 24 MB and high-resolution JPEG (5 MB), well, RAW - 24 MB. By the way, it's not good that you can't shoot RAW with ultra-high JPG. However, I don't really need it.
Other settings.
Video settings.
FINDER/LCD settings is the viewfinder operation mode. Auto mode switches the display to the viewfinder when you bring the latter to your eyes. In manual mode, to activate the viewfinder, you must press the button on it.
Settings for various parameters. DISP is a very flexible setting of various parameters displayed by the Disp button on the screen and viewfinder. You can also turn off the Live View mode here - when the frame is shown on the display as it will turn out with the given camera settings (for example, if there are errors in exposure, you will see it on the display).
Flexible configuration of various function buttons. Here you can also disable the Movie button not in video mode - so as not to accidentally press it.
Processing of captured images.
Add a picture effect to captured images.
Memory card settings.
Here you can lower the brightness of the display - it will affect the battery life.
The quality of the LCD monitor can also be lowered to increase the run time.
Here all sound signals are turned off - the device will start shooting completely silently.
- How cognac San Pol de Mar is made Here is another option - raw.
ISO 1250. 
The colors are just perfect - very natural. 
And he - with HDR. 
And now a small trick demonstrating the capabilities of a full-size matrix. Here's a photo. 
From the original photo (6000 × 4000) we cut out that piece where the figures of people are barely visible. And here is this piece in a 1:1 ratio. 
Impressive? I was impressed. I repeatedly had to seriously crop photos, and here the full size, of course, is very useful. Well, a few panoramas. By the way, she glues them very well. 
And a vertical panorama - in a city this is often necessary to show a tall building. 
The video shoots, let's say, tolerant, but nothing special. At the same Olympus OM-D E-M5, I like the video much more. However, I don't do much video.
That's all with demonstrations. conclusions I really liked this camera. To be honest, I thought it would be worse. But I can clearly see the difference between it and any other interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras - even the Olympus OM-D E-M5, which I sort of made my main camera, which I kind of made my main camera. Now my main camera is a Sony DSC-RX1. Yes, it does not cover 100% of my photographic tasks. More precisely, it is better to say that it does not cover about 5% of my photographic tasks. But in this case, I have the same Olympus, the same Canon 100D DSLR (the review is still coming, I really liked the camera), for which I bought a normal long-focus lens - in general, somehow I can do it. The main thing is that I have a camera, which I do not want to change for anything else yet. I had an idea to buy a Canon EOS 5D Mark III after all (I still like Canon more than Nikon - well, it just so happened) with a decent width and zoom, but then I thought: "What for?" And it's absolutely not about money - buying a good DSLR will not ruin me. It's a matter of expediency. If I achieve results that suit me completely with the help of the Sony RX1R, well, why the hell do I need a full-matrix DSLR? I just won’t carry it with me - what’s the point? Well, a purely practical moment. We recently went on the same trip with some top bloggers who position themselves precisely as photographers. (Unlike me.) One of these photographer bloggers (let's not say that it was Rustem Adagamov, who is the Other) laughed for a long time, looking at my modest camera, and claimed that it was all a complete show-off, that such a camera you can’t really take anything off and that only idiots can spend such crazy money on a toy, while real boys spend tens of thousands of dollars on serious carcasses and serious glass, but they have a result - everyone would have such a result. I, in general, object to this didn’t: as usual, the work of the master is more visible when counting workdays. Then he made his own report, which personally suited me perfectly with the quality of the photo: let’s say, on a full-matrix SLR with the corresponding glasses, I would (the key word, of course, is “I would” - because I’m not a photographer) I’m unlikely to have achieved a noticeably different result, although I would have wiped my neck to hell - and then I began to wait for the report of that top blogger. And he didn’t wait - he still hasn’t made a report. (Sergey Dolya made a report - cool, as usual.) So for me the conclusion is unambiguous: I was looking for a camera that could replace my DSLR, and I found such a camera. I will answer the question, would I buy it now, when I have already studied it well. (Because I bought it primarily for review, I didn’t know then that it suits me one hundred percent.) Yes, I would buy it right now without hesitation - because this is exactly what I was looking for. I will answer the question , I would buy it in a situation where $ 3200 for me would be a vital amount. No, I wouldn’t buy it, of course, because in this case my choice would be the Olympus OM-D E-M5 (also an expensive camera, it costs more than 1000 euros without a lens), and if it was completely pressed, I would take Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 , and it would be enough for me. But in a situation where I have the opportunity to choose, yes, the Sony RX1R is exactly what I wanted. Sony promises to release even more interesting cameras soon -
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: The camera has Wi-Fi and NFC for wireless data transfer.
You will certainly like the fast autofocus and excellent processing quality. True, the short battery life makes it necessary to constantly carry a spare battery with you.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II looks unassuming like no other luxury camera. Outwardly, it resembles an ordinary compact camera. But the high quality of the camera is also indicated by the magnesium body, weighing about 500 grams, with numerous direct action buttons, two adjustment wheels, and a relatively large lens.
It's hard to believe what's really hiding inside the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: the camera is powered by a 42-megapixel full-frame sensor. Who at the same time remembered the top model of the Sony Alpha 7R II mirrorless camera is absolutely right - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II has a full-format matrix with the same high resolution. Therefore, it is not surprising that thanks to such a matrix, cool pictures are obtained, although some might have expected more.
Detail like no other camera
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: 3-inch high-definition screen that can be rotated 100 degrees We get exactly 2132 line pairs per image height with the Sony RX1R II at minimum ISO. Good sharpness of the edges of the image, thanks to which the camera guarantees great pictures with excellent detail. Even increasing the ISO sensitivity has almost no effect on the quality of the pictures: up to ISO 6400 (inclusive), the pictures are very clear.
Well, okay, thermal noise becomes noticeable at 100% image size as early as ISO 1600, especially in indoor photos. But the resolution is still great. Those who are willing to compromise can take a chance and see what results they get with ISO 102800 (see below).
More resolution than the optics can handle?
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: no built-in pop-up flash, you can only illuminate the subject using the system flash. But we must admit that the edge sharpness of the shots taken with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II could have been a little higher. The camera delivers 90 line pairs per image height more than its predecessor, which also has only 24 megapixels. The conclusion suggests itself that the camera's optics do not reach the level of the matrix in terms of technical characteristics.
Although, in general, the 35mm / F2 fast prime lens leaves a very good impression. It is not spoiled by a slight loss of sharpness at the edges of the frame (less than 20%). It seems that the matrix is able to give a higher resolution than the optics will pull. Is it bad? Unlikely. For photographs and so are a sample of sharpness and detail.
Add to this the fact that with 42 megapixels, you will have huge opportunities for subsequent cropping. What we lacked in the settings of this camera is the function of digital cropping directly during shooting (digital change of frame boundaries), as, for example, in Leica Q, which even during shooting saves the image indicating the corresponding focal length. Well, since we started making wishes, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II would definitely not damage the touch screen and image stabilizer.
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F8, 1/4s, ISO 50
F8, 1/30s, ISO 400
F11, 1/60s, ISO 1600
F11, 1/320s, ISO 6400
F16, 1/640s, ISO 25600
F22, 1/1250s, ISO 102400But the camera has what can be called a world novelty: an electronic low-pass filter. The filter, which works in three modes, suppresses the so-called moiré effect when the corresponding button is pressed. With the filter turned off, we get the maximum sharpness of the edges of the image in photos and videos. Speaking of video: due to the possible severe overheating of the camera, the camera does not support the Ultra-HD format.
But we can confidently say that Full-HD resolution (60 frames per second), stereo sound and a microphone jack should be enough for high-quality video. The Sony RX1R II has a dedicated 120fps video clipping mode, but only at 720p resolution.
Good package with a few cons
For the target audience for which the camera is designed, the photography capabilities will still be more interesting. And here we can not fail to mention another nice technical detail of the Sony RX1R II camera: using a small slide switch on the rear panel, you can extend the electronic viewfinder.
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This is a bit like sister models Sony RX100 III and RX100 IV. A viewfinder with 100% field coverage and a high resolution of approximately 2.4 million sub-pixels is also slightly larger than similar models. Especially convenient is that you do not have to push it manually.
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We really liked the fast autofocus, which even in poor lighting conditions when taking snapshots works quite quickly. Continuous shooting at 5 frames per second and 25 photos in each series for a full-size matrix is a very good result.
Sony has announced a new full-frame compact camera with fixed lens Cyber-shot RX1R II. The novelty has become the embodiment of all the best RX1 and RXIR with pumping characteristics. The matrix and hybrid autofocus deserve a separate discussion. The same equipment is installed in the flagship mirrorless A7R II, and this is worth a lot.
The compact got a convenient electronic viewfinder. Previous generations of the RX1 and RX1R had clumsy and not very comfortable viewfinders. The novelty received a pop-up viewfinder module. A similar one is used in RX100 versions III and IV. Viewfinder resolution is 2.4 million pixels.
The controls for its location are similar to those of the previous generation cameras. The camera body is about the same size. Only a few visual changes distinguish the new camera from previous models.
Like last year's cameras, the new camera has a 35mm f/2 lens. Its control dials are very well designed ergonomically. They are wide and grippy. Two separate dials allow you to control focus and aperture. To change the autofocus mode, there is a special switch in the corner of the front of the camera. The maximum continuous shooting speed of the RX1R II with AF-C tracking is 5 frames per second.
Not only the pop-up viewfinder allows you to conveniently sight the scene. The swivel display is also designed for easy shooting from high and low angles. An optional rear control dial makes it easy to adjust shooting settings.
The top panel is quite standard. It has two disks. One is responsible for switching modes, and the second for exposure compensation.
It's amazing how compact the camera is. In addition to the retractable viewfinder, the small body houses a full-frame image sensor. The body dimensions of the RX1R II are 113x65x72mm. Camera weight - 507 grams.
The camera is very interesting for its form factor and stuffing, but the video capabilities are disappointing. To start and stop video recording, there is a small button that is recessed into the case, which allows you to avoid accidental pressing. In this case, the button is located under the thumb. Although the sensor is borrowed from the A7R II, the new Sony RX1R II camera cannot record video in 4K resolution. Its maximum is Full HD. By downsampling to 720p, you can record video at 120 frames per second.
The display, mounted on an inclined mechanism, has a resolution of 1.2 million pixels. Its clarity and sharpness is very high, but touch control is the norm today, but it is not here. It is completely incomprehensible why Sony decided not to implement touch controls. A company that, in addition to photographic equipment, is engaged in the production of smartphones, should not have any problems with this. The NFC sign is located on the grip handle. Lean a smartphone or tablet with this technology against it and your devices will connect.
According to Sony's new plan, support for 14-bit uncompressed RAW will be added to many cameras. This did not bypass the RX1R II. He will be able to shoot with such color depth. Now the flagship a7R II camera with a firmware update has already received such an opportunity.
Inside the RX1R II lies a lot of interesting technology. The rear lens element enters the camera very deeply.
The Sony RX1R II is equipped with an image sensor similar to the a7R II. Because of this, the focusing system for both cameras is similar. It consists of 399 phase points. Autofocus on previous models was slow. The novelty works as much as 30% faster. With all the pluses, the RX1R II does not have an image stabilization system. Software stabilization is only available for video recording.
Another innovation is the RX1R II low pass filter. It's electronic. The filter management system offers three settings: maximum filtering, medium level and off. Thanks to the settings, you can choose between the maximum reduction in moiré, but the loss of some small details, or the maximum detail, but the presence of moiré in the frame.
The technology for adjusting the intensity of the filter is electronic. By applying different voltages, you can change the degree of blurring of the image, and this is exactly what happens to reduce moiré.
SpecificationsSony Cyber-shot II RX1R
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Price |
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Camera body |
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Style |
Compact camera with full frame image sensor |
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Housing material |
magnesium alloy |
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Image sensor |
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Maximum Resolution |
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Photo aspect ratio |
1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
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Working Resolution |
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full resolution |
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Matrix size |
Full Frame (35.9 x 24mm) |
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Sensor type |
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GPU |
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color space |
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Snapshots |
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ISO sensitivity |
Auto, 100-25600, expandable to 50-102400 |
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White Presets |
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Custom white balance |
Available with fine tuning |
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Image stabilization |
Missing |
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Raw format |
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JPEG quality levels |
Very good, good, standard |
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File Format |
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Optics and focus |
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Focal length |
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optical zoom |
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Maximum aperture |
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autofocus |
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AF assist lamp |
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digital zoom |
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Manual focus |
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Normal focus range |
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Macro focus range |
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Number of focus points |
25 contrast, 399 phase |
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Display and viewfinder |
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Rotate, Tilt |
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Display Diagonal |
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Display Resolution |
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Touchscreen |
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Display type |
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Live view mode |
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Viewfinder type |
Electronic |
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Viewfinder coating |
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Viewfinder magnification |
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Viewfinder resolution |
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Photo options |
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Minimum shutter speed |
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Maximum shutter speed |
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Exposure modes |
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Scene modes |
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Built-in flash |
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external flash |
Yes (using hot shoe) |
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Flash modes |
Off, auto, fill flash, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, wireless |
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X-sync speed |
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Shutter modes |
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Continuous shooting speed |
5.0 fps |
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Timer |
Yes (2, 5, 10 seconds) |
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Metering modes |
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Exposure compensation |
± 5 (1/3 steps) |
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White balance bracketing |
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Video shooting features |
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Permissions |
1920x1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280x720 (120p, 30p) |
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File Format |
MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264 |
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Notes |
50 Mbps bit rate support using XAVC S codec |
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Microphone |
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speaker |
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Data storage |
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Types of memory cards |
SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
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Data transfer |
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USB port |
USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) |
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HDMI port |
Yes (Micro HDMI) |
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Microphone connector |
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Headphone jack |
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Wireless connection |
Built-in 802.11b/g/n with NFC |
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Remote control |
Eat with a smartphone |
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physical characteristics |
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Protection against moisture and dust |
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Source of power |
Battery |
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Battery Description |
Li-ion. NP-BX1 |
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Battery life |
220 photos |
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Weight with battery |
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dimensions |
113 x 65 x 72 mm |
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Other Features |
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Orientation sensor |
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Interval recording |
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Today I will gut the camera Sony RX1, a sensational and ambiguous toy. Over the past few months, the camera has gone through several expeditions with me (on the ascent to Kazbek, it almost flew into a crack) and now it looks like a veteran of the battles, I can give my detailed verdict ... So, what do we have? full frame compact camera with non-replaceable optics Carl Zeiss Sonar T* 35 / 2.0 and leaf shutter. Sensor 24.3 MP (CMOS, 36x24 mm), value range ISO 50-25,600. Shooting in RAW / JPG (or both). Shutter in the range of 30s - 1/4000. Aperture values f/2.0 - f/22.0. And another 3 "screen, macro mode, video (MPEG4 / AVCHD), built-in flash and other fish food are a set of already familiar standards.
Contents of delivery
A black (to the point of minimalism) box, inside the same austerity: a camera, a battery for it, a USB cord, an 8 GB Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo flash drive, a couple of thin brochures with pictures of available accessories and a user manual. Just in case, I disassemble the box into components in search of a battery charger. There is not. The Internet confirms: still no! Gentlemen, well, this is disgusting - not to invest a charger in a standard delivery! It, they say, can be bought separately from the catalog, and charged via a USB cord from a computer. Yes. Judging by the price tag of the camera itself, it was possible to include half of this very catalog in the package, also with delivery.
First Impressions
Sadhu and two sticks
Solid metal body, good balance. The camera fits comfortably in the hand. There is a rubber insert in the right rear of the case so that the camera does not slip out onto the floor. The thumb rest is a bit lacking (in the list of optional accessories there is a Mythical Overlay that allows you to improve the grip with one hand, but I never got it live). The lens is non-replaceable, but with a wide (read - comfortable) aperture ring. Each aperture value is accompanied by a click and is well fixed. There is a separate (front) switch on the lens from the normal shooting mode (30 cm - infinity) to the macro mode (20-35 cm).
The camera has a large and high-quality screen. Navigation is convenient, performed by a circular joystick ring. At the top of the camera is a connector (ISO 518) where you can connect an electronic viewfinder (separately ordered from the catalog) or an external flash. An internal flash pops up at the press of a special button, causing allusions with the robot from "Short Circuit". The shooting mode switching wheel does not protrude beyond the body, which means it will not arbitrarily change these modes when rubbing against clothes.
Special respect for mechanical exposure compensation wheel- perhaps, this is the greatest joy from the appearance. There is nothing worse than looking for an exposure compensation item in the menu - brr! But where is the dedicated ISO quick control button? There is not?! Only the third time I found it. It is located in the same upper part of the chamber and for some reason is designated as "C". I never understood the connection between ISO and "C" and at first I thought that there was something deeply Japanese about it. The user manual (RTFM) clarified the situation: the "C" (customizable) button is configured to any of the 27 functions (ISO by default). Be that as it may, the combination of "C" and the joystick changes the ISO quite quickly.
Shooting
I am not a supporter of synthetic tests, but for those who like to shoot brick walls in different forms, I also make my own contribution to the brick business.
Brick wall. Nepal, Bhaktapur, XXI century
ISO 800, f/4.0, 1/200; frame at 1300 px lives.
And yet, what can the camera do? In fact, a lot of what the "older" mirror brothers are.
Expo metering. Matrix, center-weighted and spot. A little quirk: the camera tends to underexpose frames by about 2/3 of a stop, so keep an eye on the histogram while shooting.
Expo Correction. The mechanical wheel is responsible for the correction, which is nice to mention once again. Correction shift +/- 3 stops, minimum step 1/3.
Auto white balance detection. I always shoot in auto white balance. Firstly, automation rarely makes mistakes, and secondly, the white balance can always be corrected later, sitting in the quiet of the office with a cup of coffee. In the field, the camera behaved quite worthily - no differences from top-end DSLRs were found.
Autofocus. Autofocus (25 points) works on the principle of detecting contrast scenes. Focusing is fast and accurate - they brought the electronics to mind. In addition, a focus LED backlight has been added for dark scenes. In addition to automatic, you can use spot or tracking focus, a face recognition system.
Bracketing. Three-frame exposure bracketing, in 1/3 or 2/3 increments. With the dynamic range of modern sensors, a step of 1/3 has no practical meaning. I would like to be able to increase it from 2/3 to one stop.
Screen. LCD 3" high-quality screen, although quite standard for modern cameras. There is no built-in optical viewfinder, so the picture is shown on the screen in Live-view mode.
bar graph. The camera builds it in real time, showing it in the lower right corner of the screen. In the footage review mode, "burnt" areas are highlighted in flashing black. The only negative is the inability to turn on the display mode of "burnt" areas in the big picture.
virtual horizon. I don’t know why they put it here (the grid in thirds is already displayed on the screen), but it looks like a military one.
Optics: Carl Zeiss
The camera uses a non-replaceable (!) lens Carl Zeiss Sonar T * 35 mm, aperture f / 2.0. For the high quality of this glass, the manufacturer can even be forgiven for being disgusting with non-replaceable optics. Sharp, plastic, low vignetting lens. I didn't notice any chromatic aberrations.
Example at f/2.8
Comrade sadhu - man and steamboat
ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/800; frame at 1300 px lives.
A couple of examples at f/10-11.0
monk in meditation
ISO 1600, f/10.0, 1/800; frame at 1300 px lives.
View of Gosaikund
ISO 100, f/11.0, 1/640; frame at 1300 px lives.
Optics: sharpness in the frame
In order not to be unfounded, I am posting a few shots of our Nepalese sadhus, shot by RX1 in RAW. The frames are complete, without cropping. Under each cut section at 100%. Basic processing, Smart Sharpness (radius 0.3, amount 30%). Two weeks ago, Sony released a version of the RX1 with the AA filter removed, meant to be "even sharper", albeit at the risk of moiré. In my opinion, this is overkill. The "basic" sharpness of the camera is enough.
1. Sadhu and mirror
ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/160; frame at 1300 px lives.
Sadhu and mirror - 100% plot
2. Sadhu and pipe
ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/500; frame at 1300 px lives.
Sadhu and pipe - 100% plot
3. Sadhu and second pipe
ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/500; frame at 1300 px lives.
Sadhu and second tube - 100% plot
Battery life
The camera runs on tiny Li-ion batteries NP-BX1 with a capacity of 1240 mAh (3.6V, 4.5 Wh). The passport promises 270 frames per charge, but this is in some ideal world of Sony. In fact, focus on 180-200 frames, and even then in favorable temperature conditions. It is clear that everyone has their own preferences for shooting, but just for statistics: advancing this spring in the Himalayas, where no charge was expected for ten days, I bought one spare "original" battery and six "left" Chinese ones. The Chinese worked almost the same amount of time. Six batteries lasted me nine days of continuous shooting. At night, of course, all the batteries spent the night in my sleeping bag. Three full batteries went with me to the ascent to Kazbek, one battery worked out the final throw to the top (15 hours, 200 frames).
Sensor: DD, shadow details
Full-frame, low-noise CMOS sensor with good color reproduction and high dynamic range (DXO tests claim a DR of 13 stops, which seems to be true). As far as I know, this is a slightly cropped version of the sensor from the Sony A99. Some sources claim that the RX1 has a 14-bit sensor. After many dozens of processed frames, I would venture to suggest that there are no fourteen bits there. The sensor as a whole is not bad, on a subjective five-point scale - a solid four. Details from the shadows stretch well, but with halftones and "halos" around the contrasting areas, it is rather weak. For those who are interested, I can post RAW for analysis. However, I am spoiled by the D4 and D800.
Very dark, underexposed forest
One and a half stops more cheerful forest (from the same RAW)
ISO 100, f/8.0, 1/500; frame at 1300 px lives.
Full range of ISO values
I expose a series of sunrise shots from Langtang (tripod, correct exposure, no processing) for ISO analysis (50-25,600). 100% crop in every frame.
1.ISO 50
2.ISO 100
3.ISO 200
4.ISO 400
5. ISO 800
6.ISO 1600
7. ISO 3200
8.ISO 6400
9. ISO 12800
10. ISO 25600
Separately for high (6400+) ISO values
Finally, we have lived up to the time when the range of values 3200-6400 became working. I would not go higher without the need, but under LiveJournal / Facebook it will pull even 12,800 with low noise reduction.
Nepalese musicians over a book
ISO6400, f/2.0, 1/50
Musicians over the book (plot 100%)
Grandma with a candle is awesome from ISO 12,800
ISO 12800, f/2.0, 1/60
macro photography
I am not an apologist for macro photography, but this function may come in handy for someone.
florist
ISO 400, f/4.0, 1/320
Shutter and shooting speed
The shutter in RX1 is speed limited to 1/4000. You can't catch a bullet with this camera, but a shutter faster than 1/2000 is rarely needed at all. At the very least, flying spray or wing movement will freeze the RX1 without difficulty.
Malcheg und pigeons
ISO 1600, f/8.0, 1/1600; frame at 1300 px lives.
Frame-by-frame shooting determines whether the camera will be used in real field conditions or turn into a dusty "soap box" for rare trips with the family to nature ... Passport RX1 offers a speed of three frames per second (3 fps). Subjectively, this is the minimum speed that must be met. Below is a series of four consecutive shots of fishing in Nepal. Shooting in RAW. Acceptable. You need a clay machine gun - take the Nikon D4.
Fishermen in sight
ISO 200, f/9.0, 1/800
panoramic shooting
Well, a small fly in the ointment. Over the past few years, it has become fashionable for manufacturers to give the audience various options for panoramic shooting. RX1 is no exception. I’ll tell you right away for optimists: all panoramas (not only in this camera) are stitched on the fly in JPG. I have not met a single manufacturer that could boast of issuing panoramas in RAW (dreams, dreams!). God be with him, with RAW. Let it be JPG. But I have three questions:
- why are ALL stitching parameters set automatically?
- why in order to make a vertical panorama, you need to look for this option in the depths of the menu?
- why is the automation with maniacal persistence trying to adjust reality to a shutter speed of 1/500?
1. Dawn on Langtang. Dark, tripod. I slowly drive the camera horizontally, but the automation still can’t cope, giving out vertical stripes.
ISO 3200, f/4.0, 1/500; frame at 1300 px lives.
2. Day on Langtang. Maybe it's the lighting of the scene? And again the same picture.
ISO 100, f/8.0, 1/500; frame at 1300 px lives.
3. Climbing Kazbek. Vertical stitching (there was an option in the menu) does not save from deja vu with vertical stripes and a fixed speed of 1/500.
ISO 1600, f/4.0, 1/500
conclusions
In the review, I specifically did not touch on the issue of the cost of the RX1 ($2600 in America and one and a half times more expensive in Russia). Often, the price tag does not play a big role, but only if the product is truly revolutionary, devoid of fatal flaws and involves development. With the release of the RX1, Sony has created quite a storm in the forums and photo sites; the main reproach is non-replaceable optics, and the main message to the audience is annoyance. Today, the RX1 has no competitors (in a combination of form factor + full frame + high working ISO); there was a real chance to blow up the market, and so - the presence of a non-replaceable lens turned the novelty into a purely niche product. Yes, stylish. Yes, high-quality both in the picture and in the assembly. Yes, great optics. But - focused only on 35 mm film "classics". The only excuse we can say is that you will never get dirt on the sensor :) Most likely the RX1 is a working prototype. I think Sony is gaining technological experience, and we are on the verge of the birth of a new mount for some future RX10.
Addition: At Exler's request, I'll say a few words about control: I give subjective 8.5 out of 10 for convenience (I took half a point out of harm for too "refined" grip under the right hand). The main plus is that they combined the exposure compensation wheel and the ISO switch button in one (upper right) corner, and I only use them on the fly (I usually shoot in aperture priority). Very fast and no hell with the menu search. I have already spoken about the aperture ring on the Zeiss lens. Even on the central button of the joystick, the tracking focus (point, tenacious) is instantly activated, and it turns off by it. Conveniently.
Advantages
- "full frame" in a compact, high-quality body
- good, sharp and fast optics
- excellent quality and high speed shooting
- convenient mechanical controls
- wide dynamic range RAW
Flaws
- fixed optics
- short battery life
- small step AE bracketing
- poor delivery package
- very poor implementation of panoramic shooting
- outrageous price tag
Traditionally, there is a compartment for the battery and a memory card at the bottom. The thread of the tripod mount is placed to the right, but not far enough. Depending on the design of the tripod, access to the memory card compartment may be blocked. There is also a system speaker on the bottom, hidden under the grille.
The lens has a separate ring for switching to macro mode. By default, it focuses from a distance of 30 cm to infinity, but in macro mode, focusing is possible from a distance of 20-35 cm to the subject.
Screen and interface
The three-inch screen has a resolution of 1,228,800 pixels and is made using proprietary WhiteMagic technology. Its essence lies in the presence of four color points per pixel - red, blue, green and white. Such a display is characterized by high brightness and low power consumption. This is a matrix with excellent color reproduction, as well as wide viewing angles. Shooting in sunny weather is possible without problems. With a direct hit of the rays, however, it will be difficult to assess the correct exposure, but this can be helped by a histogram that is displayed on the screen by pressing the Disp button.
Of course, from a professional point of view, this is not an equivalent replacement for the viewfinder. Alternatively, you can use an external electronic or optical viewfinder, but it would be better to learn from Fujifilm and implement a built-in viewfinder. The screen does not have a touch layer, and it is rather difficult to set the focus point, because there are no dedicated mechanical elements for this. In addition, the display matrix has a plastic protection, although it would be a good idea to put durable glass here. This is even surprising, given the high cost of the camera.
The Sony RX1 menu was inherited from cameras with interchangeable lenses of the Alpha series. It was also implemented for the Sony RX100. It is extremely simply organized and does not require long getting used to, although it was not without its mistakes. For example, it is not possible to switch shooting modes (RAW or JPEG) through the quick menu. Along the edges of the display, both primary and secondary shooting parameters are displayed. At the same time, they look unobtrusive and almost do not distract from framing.
Another funny moment - in the settings you can change the quality of the picture on the display. This does not affect anything in terms of shooting and picture quality. Apparently, the camera turns off font smoothing and image preprocessing before displaying it on the screen. In any noticeable way, the decrease in the quality of the screen is not reflected even in the battery life. So let's put it down to the mystery of the Japanese soul.
Functionality
Here, of course, it is immediately worth talking about the matrix. This is a real full frame with a resolution of 24.3 megapixels. The same sensor (or at least technologically very close) is used in the SLT-A99 professional translucent mirror camera. There is information that the matrix has been specially modified for use in the RX1, and the noise performance at high ISO values looks better than that of the SLT-A99. But Sony itself does not comment on this.
The sensitivity of the sensor is adjustable between ISO 100-25600, and if desired, the lower limit is shifted up to ISO 50. This can be especially useful when shooting with a wide aperture in bright sunlight. For unknown reasons, the minimum shutter speed at F2.0 is 1/2000 s. In some cases, a neutral density filter may come to the rescue, but you will have to buy it separately.
The sensor itself deserves the highest ratings in all respects - sensitivity, noise, dynamic range. Such a large matrix allows at least a twofold digital zoom without significant loss of quality. In an emergency, it is not a sin to use it. Only two aspect ratios are available in the menu - 16:9 and 3:2. Well, when shooting in RAW, only a 3: 2 ratio is available.
