Junior Staff Writer, Wired.co.uk
The best camera is always the one you have with you, which for
most people in most situations these days means the camera on their
phone. Cameras on phones like the iPhone 5S and the Samsung Galaxy S5 are so good that pocket-sized point-and-shoot
cameras are becoming increasingly irrelevant, and it’s rare that
I’d get excited about one.
Congratulations then to Sony, which has changed all that with its freshly unveiled Sony RX100 III. An upgrade on last year’s
RX100 model — widely lauded as the best compact of the year –
this camera is the snapper that even the pros will want to carry in
their back pockets.
The key here is a 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor which, despite the
RX100 III being smaller than its predecessor, has remained the same
size. It’s been paired with a seriously powerful image processor,
the BIONZ X, which is also used in Sony’s high-end, full-frame
dSLRs. There’s every reason to be excited about the crisp, detailed
pictures this combination of tech could potentially produce.
There’s a new, specially developed Zeiss lens on this camera,
which covers the 24-77mm focal length. While it’s shorter at the
telephoto end than the lens on the previous RX100, it also has a
brighter and wider aperture. With an aperture ranging from f/1.8
ranging to f/2.8 at the telephoto end, it will be really exciting
to see what the RX100 is capable of achieving in low light (Sony
claims it can let twice as much light in as the previous model).
Being able to capture wider shots and grab fantastic snaps in low
light seems like a worthwhile tradeoff for those lost 20 or so
millimetres zoom ability at the top end in my opinion.
As if that’s not enough, Sony has managed to squeeze a
high-resolution pop-up electronic viewfinder into the RX100 next to
the retractable flash. Considering this camera is so tiny, this
really does seem like an astonishing feat of engineering.
Previously the only option to add a viewfinder to the RX100 was to
buy an expensive unit to fit on the top, but that’s no longer
necessary and it’s a big boon as a viewfinder is something that
those serious about their photography don’t like to compromise on.
Even though the camera is likely to be more expensive than its
predecessor at around $800 (£476), at least there’s no need to
splash out on a pricey extra module.
Don’t
miss
Another reason to be excited is that this is the first of Sony’s
compact cameras able to capture HD-resolution video at a rate of 50
mbps, which should result in high-quality footage. On the back is
an LCD screen that tilts 180 degrees, meaning that there’s no need
to compromise on the quality of your selfies either.
Of course, all this said, I’ve yet to try out the RX100 and
until I do I can’t verify it lives up to all that is promised by
its heritage and specifications. It’s released in June and I have
high expectations that once I get my hands on it I won’t want to
let it out of my sight.
Reasons to get excited about Sony"s RX100 III compact camera
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