Digital camera sony dsc rx1. Review of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX1R II camera. Protection against moisture and dust
Today we will talk about the smallest full-frame camera, the coolest, most expensive "soap box", about the device that you want to get hold of. So, meet: the surprise of recent years - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1.
Yes, Sony loves to experiment. Yes, Sony can still surprise. Yes, Sony does not know how to trivialize. I can’t find other words after last fall Sony unexpectedly announced the most compact "classic" lens with a non-removable high-aperture lens and an exorbitant price of $ 2800. For what, you ask? First, to demonstrate their technical potential and capabilities. For example, it’s like a mass car manufacturer unexpectedly releases a fancy supercar. Second, Sony is trying to break into the premium compact camera segment aimed at wealthy amateur and professional photographers. And here she will have to compete with very strong players. Similar models (albeit not with a full matrix) are available from Leica, Ricoh, and more recently also from. But in the compact body of the Sony RX1, far from one trump card is hidden ...
"Wow! Class! That's her?! Is it RX1? Can I see? ”. This was approximately the reaction of each of my fellow photographers when they saw a small black camera from Sony. Yes, I myself have long dreamed of getting this camera, since from the moment of the announcement I was tormented by one question: is it really good enough to cost that kind of money? Let's figure it out.
What will please you outside?
The RX1's design is not as aesthetically perfect as the Leica X2, and not nearly as close to rangefinder as the X100 (S). Compactness and practicality come first. No retro style - just minimalism.
The Sony RX1 body, lens and main controls are all metal. In the hands, the camera feels like a monolithic bar. Dimensions (113 x 65 x 70 mm) are only slightly larger than the RX100, but the camera weighs as much as half a kilo. It is precisely because of its compactness that the overwhelming majority of people perceive the Sony RX1 as a soap box, and on the street you will not attract too much attention (which has been repeatedly verified by the author of these lines).
On the front panel there is a lens, an autofocus illumination lamp and an autofocus mode switch. The switch is quite tight and very uncomfortable. In addition, there is one more claim to him, which will be discussed below. The lens looks disproportionately large and covers most of the bezel. But if we take into account its characteristics, it will turn out to be extremely small in comparison with similar “glasses” from other manufacturers.
Above are: built-in flash; stereo microphone; ISO 518 hot shoe mated with Multi Interface Shoe; ; shutter release button combined with on / off lever and cable release thread; exposure compensation dial and one programmable button. Traditionally, the flash is hidden in the body and there is a separate mechanical button on the rear panel to remove it. The disadvantage lies in the fact that the "puff" cannot be directed vertically for shooting with reflected light (and there is such a possibility). It takes a lot of effort to turn the dials for shooting mode and exposure compensation. This can also be considered a disadvantage, but on the other hand, you will know that the shooting settings will not go astray if you accidentally touch the camera with your hand or clothes. The shutter button, on the other hand, has a soft and smooth ride. The half-release is felt very well when the camera is focusing, and the "pressurization" when the shutter is released.
Most of the rear panel is occupied by a 3 "Xtra Fine TFT LCD display with a resolution of 1,229,000 dots. It is not rotary. This property has been sacrificed for compactness. Excellent viewing angles, albeit a little, save the situation. In the menu, you can manually adjust the brightness level of the LCD backlight, or select a preset for sunny weather or automatic brightness adjustment, which works very correctly. The display, although not a touchscreen, is constantly collecting fingerprints on it - this is due to the fact that for the convenience of working with the camera, you need to use both hands and, given the size of the device, sooner or later you will pop the screen.
Sony-RX1 display collects fingerprints quickly
In addition to the flash activation button, the rear panel contains another command dial (works for flipping through photos during playback, as well as for changing the shutter speed in the corresponding modes), a playback button, buttons / magnification (AEL), quick access to shooting options, calling up menus and deleting photos. There is also a small, but rather handy navipad, consisting of a scroll wheel combined with a four-way key and a central selection confirmation button (it is suspiciously similar to that of the NEX series cameras). It is possible to change the assignment of the AEL button, as well as assign up to three shooting functions to the navipad (respectively, when pressed right, left and down). It seems like a trifle, but it really increases efficiency and you don't have to dig into the menu again. By the way, a little about the latter: by pressing the “Fn” button, you can access the main shooting parameters and change them in two or three clicks. This solution, called Quick Navi, migrated to the RX1 from the line of cameras with a translucent mirror. But from NEX's (except for navipads) Sony RX1 received a “red” button hidden in a rubber cover, which allows you to start instant video recording regardless of the camera's operating mode.
All functional connectors of the camera are located on the left side panel under the sliding cover: Micro USB, Micro HDMI and microphone input. The camera is charged and powered via Micro USB. There is no separate socket for the power adapter. This is for the best, because the "gluttony" of the Sony RX1 can be easily compared to the appetites of modern smartphones. In the morning I took off the exercise - I took off a little. I came to work - I connected it to my laptop so that in the evening I would again be able to take a couple of dozen shots on the way home.
The camera has a speaker located on the bottom edge near the tripod socket. There is also a compartment for the battery and memory card slot. Following a tradition that no one understands, Sony has combined support for SD / SDHC / SDXC memory cards (at least class 4) and Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo (Micro) in one slot. The compartment has a special lock for the battery (that's what everyone would do!), And the battery will now not fall out when the photographer changes the memory card.
If we say only a few words about the appearance and construction of the Sony RX1, then we will get the following: the main idea of the camera is compactness. This very compactness contains both the advantages and disadvantages of the camera. Of course, everything is very subjective, but due to its small size, it is not always convenient to use the camera, especially with one hand. Leather-styled rubber pads on the right side of the camera do not make much of the weather in terms of convenience. They just don't let the camera slip out of your hands. Also, for the sake of compactness, the viewfinder was also abolished. For example, the NEX 7, despite the slight difference in size, boasts electronic viewfinders, while the Sony RX1 does not. And in vain ... It would be an excellent competitive aid. Especially for professional photographers. When the camera came to me for testing, for the first few days, my hands automatically raised the camera to my eyes. And, just resting my nose on the display, I sadly realized that there was no viewfinder ...
I would also like to add that, in general, the Sony RX1 does not have such a pronounced charisma as, for example, Leica or. It even seems that the engineers did not create the RX1 from scratch, but took ready-made modules from other models and glued them together with high quality: the case, flash, battery - from RX100, controls - from NEXs, menus and some chips - from SLTs , lens - Zeiss. But there's no denying the fact that the Sony RX1 is cute and lovable in its own way. And also memorable: as soon as a person sees this camera once, he will not confuse it with any other.
What's under the hood?
Don't be fooled by the compact design. Inside it managed to accommodate the main components from: Exmor® CMOS 35 mm sensor with an effective resolution of 23.4 megapixels and an updated BIONZ processor. They work in conjunction with a fixed lens Carl Zeiss 35 mm Sonnar T * F2.0 (if someone else does not know how to decipher this designation - read about). Unexpectedly for me, the combination of such “adult” components in such a “childish” body gave truly unexpected results. But first things first.
Image quality
As I said, the matrix and the RX1 processor were first used in, which, in turn, gave a very good and low-noise picture. But the Sony compact shows a completely different result. And for the better! And all thanks to the fact that the matrix in the RX1 receives more data than in the SLT-A99 (in Sony cameras with a translucent mirror, only 70% of the light flux gets to the sensor). Therefore, at the exit we have stunning photos. The detailing of the images is approximately on the same level as the Nikon D800 (and this is probably the benchmark for all DSLRs). The dynamic range is so wide that during processing you can easily "stretch" as many as three stops both in highlights and shadows without much damage to the picture quality !!! According to this indicator, only a few DSLRs available on the market can compete with the RX1. Even DD in RAW can be expanded using the D-Range Optimizer (DRO), and for JPEG, Intelligent Auto HDR is available, where you can independently select the exposure bracket. There are also no problems with the “proprietary” color rendering. Here Sony has not changed itself.
An example of a Carl Zeiss 35 mm Sonnar T * F2.0 bokeh lens. 1/80 sec f / 2.0 ISO 4000
An example of a Carl Zeiss 35 mm Sonnar T * F2.0 bokeh lens. 1/80 sec f / 2.0 ISO 8000
The sharpness of a Sony RX1 lens in the center of the frame at 100% magnification. RAW 1/80 sec f / 2.0 ISO 200
Like any other lens, the Carl Zeiss 35 mm Sonnar T * F2.0 has its share of optical distortion: distortion, etc. They are minimal, but they are there. If you shoot in JPEG, you can safely turn on the functions that remove these very distortions quite successfully. When shooting in RAW, you will have to do everything manually in a graphics editor. Fortunately, they appear irregularly and not over the entire field of the frame.
Autofocus
With autofocus, unfortunately, things are not as good as with the quality of the optics. First, it makes an unpleasant and loud noise. Secondly, the speed of the 25-point contrast autofocus system is very relative. Compared to other compacts and point-and-shoot cameras - it just flies, relatively modern mirrorless cameras (the same ones or Fujifilm X100S, for example) it is rather slow. And in low light, he just dulls and starts moving back and forth until he focuses. That said, the focusing system should be praised for its accuracy. Once the camera is in focus, then the sharpness will be exactly where it is aimed. It turns out that dynamic scenes are contraindicated for the Sony RX1. But shooting a street, for example, is very possible. During a week of testing, I had not so many situations (about a dozen) when the camera refused to aim and take a picture.
And here is a promo image of the Sony RX1, where the switch has a tracking autofocus mode.
In the end, considering the cost and positioning of the camera, Sony could equip the RX1 with phase sensors, thereby removing all the questions around autofocus. I also cannot shake the thought that Sony has brutally deceived all future RX1 owners and deliberately cut them down (oh, those marketing pranksters). This is evidenced by the promo images of the camera, which were distributed immediately after the announcement, where it is clearly seen that the focus mode selector on the front panel had four items: MF (Manual Focus), DMF (manual focus autofocus), C (Continuous), S (Single). The same modes are listed in the instructions, but in reality the selector has only MF, DMF AND AF points. And in the quick menu, which is called up by the Fn button and allows you to quickly adjust the main shooting parameters, a gap is proudly gaping at the place where the modes are selected ... And yet I was lucky enough to accidentally find a semblance of "tracking focus". To do this, select the "Focus area" item and the "Center point" sub-item in the quick menu. Then, to turn on the tracking autofocusing mode, press the navipad button: a square will appear in the center of the frame, which you need to point at the subject and press the navipad button again. Thus, the camera begins to track the subject in the frame and when the shutter button is pressed, it quickly focuses. Yes, it is possible that something will be changed in subsequent firmwares, but at the moment it is difficult and inconvenient to use the function. Or am I still paranoid?
Work speed
In terms of speed, the Sony RX1 is quite typical Sony (excuse the pun). Navigation in the menu and viewing the footage is very fast. Burst speed is also high - about 5 fps, but the camera starts to slow down after 8-9 shots in format or RAW. This is not surprising, since the average size of a single RAW file is 24 MB, and a high-quality JPEG is about 15 MB. As with the Sony SLT-A99, the RX1 takes about two seconds to power up and be ready to shoot. The same applies to the speed of recovery from the "sleep" mode. Therefore, the camera is not conducive to spontaneous shooting.
Cinematic ability
The Sony RX1 can shoot Full HD video in AVCHD or MP4 formats at up to 60 fps in progressive or interlaced. There is a built-in stereo microphone with wind noise cancellation, and any other video accessories can be connected via the Multi Interface Shoe. Manual shooting settings are available. The video mode has autofocus (including tracking) and electronic image stabilization. True, there is not much benefit from autofocus when shooting video. It runs smoothly, but unfortunately, it is extremely slow. In general, the video quality is very, very decent.
The Sony RX1 has received a lot of software features from both the Sony SLT-A99 and the Sony RX100. The camera has an intelligent teleconverter that allows you to enlarge the picture by 1.4 and 2 times, while reducing the resolution of images to 10 and 4.6 megapixels, respectively.
I already mentioned that the Sony RX1 creates HDR images easily. The camera takes three shots and combines them into one photo. In the settings, you can specify the automatic selection of the exposure bracket, or set it manually within the range from 1 to 6 stops in 1 stop increments. Everything is simple, but reliable. (If someone does not know what HDR is - see the corresponding issue of the "" and).
For those who like to take pictures of the landscape, an electronic level is provided. If, when shooting a landscape, a person appears in the frame, the camera itself can focus on his face, and when he smiles, RX1 will take a picture. You can also register the faces of your friends and family in the camera's memory, so that in the future it knows itself who needs to be photographed first.
Fans of creativity and photography will also be pleased with the camera: the Sony RX1 can provide a choice of thirteen image effects and two dozen customizable styles. For example, I got hooked on B / W and sepia ...
Peculiarities
For me, the first unpleasant feature was the excessive gluttony of the camera. The manufacturer claims that the capacity of the standard NP-BX1 battery is sufficient for 220 shots, but in my scenario of using the RX1, it was only enough for a day. During this time, I managed to take 100-120 pictures. Probably, the engineers of the Sony photography division undergo a mandatory internship in the smartphone production department, and for them it is quite logical that the device only works for a day. By the way, if you had a "brilliant" idea that this problem can be solved during long studio shoots by purchasing an additional battery, then there is a small snag. Put one battery in charge, insert another into the camera and continue shooting won't work - the battery is charged inside the RX1 itself ... Therefore, if you know that you have to take 500-700 photos, then take the appropriate number of batteries with you and do not expect to be recharged in process.
The second "bright touch" is dependence. And here you will have to break off those who like to shoot during the day at the maximum open diaphragms. At f / 2.0-3.5 the minimum shutter speed can be only 1/2000, at f / 4.0-5.0 - 1/3200, and the shortest 1/4000 is possible at f / 5.6 or less ... But the ability to synchronize the built-in flash over the entire exposure range very, very pleased. This has become a reality thanks to the special design of the shutter. The shutter itself, by the way, works so quietly that on the street you can safely listen to people point-blank and they will not pay any attention to you.
Another unpleasant feature I will highlight is the wildly expensive accessories. Since there is nothing else in the kit except for the camera, battery, charger, strap, lens cap and instructions, the manufacturer nicely offers to acquire accessories specially designed for the Sony RX1. And if a camera costs a lot of money, then all sorts of chips for it should be prohibitively expensive: lens hood LHP-1 - $ 200; handle-grip TGA-1 - $ 290; electronic viewfinder EV1MK - 480 USD; optical viewfinder V1K - $ 645 Sadness ... They would have stuffed at least a hood into the kit ...
Metal hood LHP-1
Handle TGA-1
Electronic Viewfinder FDA-EV1MK
Optical Viewfinder FDA-V1K
Photo gallery
Since over the past few weeks we have repeatedly touched on the topic, you will find more than one snapshot of this genre in the gallery. Many of them were taken when shooting blindly, when the camera was simply hanging on its stomach: as photographers say - “from the belly” (move the cursor over the upper right corner of the picture to expand the image to full screen).
1/200 sec f / 5.6 ISO 100 1/640 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 5000 1/200 sec f / 8 ISO 100 1/1600 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/2000 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 500 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 2500 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 1600 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 2500 1/2000 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1 / 80 sec f / 2 ISO 250 1/1600 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/1600 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/1600 sec f / 4.5 ISO 100 1/3200 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/2000 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/500 sec f / 6.3 ISO 100 1/200 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/160 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/125 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/320 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1 / 80 sec f / 2 ISO 250 1/500 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 6400 1/1000 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/2000 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/1250 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/320 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/1600 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/800 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/640 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/1250 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/1250 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/2000 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/160 sec f / 8 ISO 100 1/160 sec f / 9 ISO 100 1/320 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/320 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 1600 1/320 sec f / 8 ISO 100 1/250 sec f / 8 ISO 100 1/2000 sec f / 2 I SO 100 1/80 sec f / 2 ISO 1000 1/640 sec f / 2 ISO 100 1/500 sec f / 4 ISO 100 1/320 sec f / 8 ISO 100 1/60 sec f / 2 ISO 25 600 1 / 640 sec f / 5.6 ISO 100 1/80 sec f / 5.6 ISO 3200 1/640 sec f / 5.6 ISO 100 1/1000 sec f / 5.6 ISO 100 1/200 sec f / 4 ISO 100
What we liked:
- still full frame
- high image quality in RAW and JPEG
- excellent picture quality at high ISO values (both RAW and JPEG)
- the widest dynamic range of RAW files
- optical and mechanical qualities of the lens
- good performance of metering and white balance systems
- governing bodies
- ample opportunities to customize the camera to fit your needs
- many correct automatic and semi-automatic modes (Auto-ISO, BRO)
- modes for shooting panoramas and HDR images
- a set of very interesting creative effects and styles
- 1080p 60 fps video recording
- small size
- workmanship and materials
- charging via micro-USB
Disadvantages:
- small size
- no viewfinder
- autofocus
- takes a long time to turn on and wake up from sleep mode
- small buffer
- limiting the minimum shutter speed at maximum aperture
- inconvenient separation of photo and video materials when viewing
- after pressing the zoom button while viewing, the camera sometimes falls into a stupor
- no stabilizer
- high price
- expensive accessories
- poor delivery set
- cannot be shot simultaneously in RAW + X.Fine JPEG
- confusing instructions, after reading which more questions arise than answers
Alternative
The Sony RX1 has no direct competitors, since the Japanese company itself has created a market niche for full-frame compacts, but ...
Leica M-E. The "entry-level" digital rangefinder camera Leica M-E costs twice as much as the Sony RX1, and with the Leica 35 mm f / 2.0 ASPH lens. SUMMICRON-M - the price becomes three times higher. In ME there is no autofocus, no prohibitive sensitivity, no variety of creative styles and sophisticated automatic modes, but there is a viewfinder and interchangeable optics (many say that the best in the world). But to be honest, the Sony RX1 in technical terms will not leave even a wet place from the Leica M-E.
The Leica X2, like the RX1, fights for the wallets of buyers in the premium compact niche, but has, compared to Sony, a number of disadvantages: worse body materials, sensitivity, dynamic range, display, etc. But Leica X2 boasts the best autofocus and less by 500-600 USD the price.
Fujifilm FinePix X100 (S). The camera that rocked the market and won the people's love in a short time. Its price is rather big, but it is still two and a half times less than the cost of Sony. Fujifilm has a beautiful retro design, hybrid viewfinder, small lens size, better autofocus. The X100 (S) is outperforming the RX1 in APS-C sensitivity, especially at high ISOs. And Fuji X100 has managed to deserve a fair hatred of its fans for its slowness when working with RAW or burst shooting. In the updated X100S, this is already all right.
Summary
It's pretty hard to draw any conclusions when it comes to the Sony RX1. This most compact camera with a full-frame sensor has a lot of disadvantages (especially - the price of 3000 USD). But they all pale against the background of the picture quality that the RX1 gives.
The Sony RX1 is not designed to work, it is a camera for the soul. Moreover, the happy owner of this wonderful compact may be disappointed at first. And all because the camera requires a reverent attitude towards itself. You need to give up old habits and learn to understand the Sony RX1, learn to feel the 35mm focal length. It is then that the enormous potential inherent in such a small building will be revealed.
The RX1 for me personally became the first camera with which I did not think about the technical side of shooting. Set aperture priority, automatic settings and go, shoot. Think only about the frame. Especially on the street. After all, the small body makes the Sony RX1 look like a soap dish and will not attract too much attention. Probably, if Henri Cartier-Bresson were alive, the RX1 would have become his second favorite camera.
And one last thing: I am very sorry to part with the Sony RX1 ...
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 battles, I can issue my detailed verdict ... So, what do we have? Full frame compact camera with non-replaceable optics Carl Zeiss Sonar T * 35 / 2.0 and a petal shutter. Sensor 24.3 Mp (CMOS, 36x24 mm), range of values ISO 50-25,600... Shooting in RAW / JPG (or both). Shutter in the range of 30s - 1/4000. The aperture values are f / 2.0 - f / 22.0. And another 3 "screen, macro mode, video (MPEG4 / AVCHD), built-in flash and other fish food is a set of already familiar standards.
Contents of delivery
A black (to minimalism) box, inside is the same asceticism: a camera, a battery for it, a USB cord, a Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo 8 GB flash drive, a couple of thin brochures with pictures of available accessories and a user manual. Just in case, I take apart the box into its components in search of a battery charger. There is not. The Internet confirms: no! Gentlemen, this is disgusting - do not put the charger in the standard delivery! It, they say, can be bought separately from the catalog, and charged via a USB-lanyard from a computer. Yeah. Judging by the price tag of the camera itself, half of this catalog could be included 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 on the rear right side of the case to prevent the camera from slipping out onto the floor. The thumb rest is a little lacking (in the list of optional accessories there is a Some Mythic Pad, which 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 - convenient) aperture ring. Each aperture value has a click and locks in place. The lens has a separate (front) switch 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 there is a connector (ISO 518) where you can connect an electronic viewfinder (ordered separately from the catalog) or an external flash. An internal flash pops up by pressing a special button, causing allusions with the robot from the "Short circuit". The wheel for switching shooting modes does not protrude from the body, which means it will not arbitrarily change these modes when rubbing against clothing.
Separate 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 still did not understand what the relationship between ISO and "C" was, and at first I decided that there was something deeply Japanese about it. The User's Guide (RTFM) clarified the situation: the "C" (customizable) button is configurable to any of the 27 functions (ISO default). Be that as it may, the combination of "C" and the joystick changes ISO quickly enough.
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; a 1300 px frame lives on.
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 small feature: the camera tends to underexpose frames by about 2/3 stops, and therefore carefully monitor the histogram while shooting.
Expo correction... A mechanical wheel is responsible for the correction, which is nice to mention once again. Offset correction +/- 3 stops, minimum step 1/3.
Automatic white balance detection... I always shoot in auto white balance. Firstly, automation rarely makes mistakes, and secondly, the white balance can always be corrected only later, sitting in the quiet of the cabinet with a cup of coffee. In the field, the camera behaved quite well - no differences from top-end DSLRs were found.
Autofocus... Autofocus (25 points) works on the principle of detecting contrasting scenes. Focusing is fast and accurate - the electronics have been brought to mind. In addition, focal LED illumination has been added for dark scenes. In addition to automatic, you can use spot or tracking focus, face recognition system.
Bracketing... Three-frame by exposure, in 1/3 or 2/3 increments. With the dynamic range of modern sensors, a 1/3 step has no practical meaning. I would like to be able to raise it from 2/3 to one stop.
Screen... LCD 3 "screen, high quality, although quite standard for modern cameras. There is no built-in optical viewfinder, so the picture goes to 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. When viewing footage, "burned-in" areas are underlined in blinking black. The only drawback is the impossibility to turn on the mode of displaying "burned-out" areas in the big picture.
Virtual horizon... I don’t know why they inserted it here (the grid is already displayed on the screen in thirds), but it looks like a military one.
Optics: Carl Zeiss
The camera uses a non-replaceable (!) Carl Zeiss Sonar T * 35 mm lens with aperture f / 2.0. For the high quality of this glass, the manufacturer can even be forgiven disgusting with non-replaceable optics. Sharp, flexible lens with low vignetting. I did not notice chromatic aberrations at all.
Example at f / 2.8
Comrade Sadhu - Man and Steamer
ISO 800, f / 2.8, 1/800; a 1300 px frame lives on.
A couple of examples at f / 10-11.0
Monk in meditation
ISO 1600, f / 10.0, 1/800; a 1300 px frame lives on.
View of Gosaykund
ISO 100, f / 11.0, 1/640; a 1300 px frame lives on.
Optics: sharpness in the frame
In order not to be unfounded, I expose several frames of our Nepalese sadhus, shot with RX1 in RAW. The frames are full, without cropping. Under each cut area is 100%. Basic processing, Smart Sharp (radius 0.3, amount 30%). Two weeks ago, Sony released a version of the RX1 with the AA filter removed, designed to be "even sharper", albeit with the risk of moiré. In my opinion, this is overkill. The "basic" sharpness of the camera is quite enough.
1. Sadhu and a mirror
ISO 400, f / 2.8, 1/160; a 1300 px frame lives on.
Sadhu and mirror - 100% plot
2. Sadhu and the pipe
ISO 800, f / 2.8, 1/500; a 1300 px frame lives on.
Sadhu and Pipe - 100% Plot
3. Sadhu and the second pipe
ISO 800, f / 2.8, 1/500; a 1300 px frame lives on.
Sadhu and second pipe - 100% site
Battery life
The camera is powered by tiny 1240 mAh NP-BX1 Li-ion batteries (3.6V, 4.5 Wh). The passport promises 270 shots on a single charge, but this is in a kind of 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: moving forward this spring in the Himalayas, where no charging was expected for ten days, I bought one spare "original" battery and six "left" ones, Chinese. The Chinese worked for almost the same amount of time. Six batteries lasted for nine days of continuous shooting. At night, of course, all the batteries slept in my sleeping bag. Three full batteries went with me to climb Kazbek, one battery worked out the final rush to the top (15 hours, 200 frames).
Sensor: DD, shadow detail
Full-frame, low-noise CMOS sensor with good color rendition and high dynamic range (DXO tests assure that the DD is 13 stops - it seems to be true). As far as I know, this is a slightly cropped version of the Sony A99 sensor. Some sources claim that the RX1 has a 14-bit sensor. After many tens of processed frames, I would venture to assume that there are no fourteen bits there. The sensor is generally good, on a subjective five-point scale - a solid four. Details from the shadows stretch well, but with halftones and "halo" around the contrasting areas, it is weak. Who cares, I can upload RAW for analysis. However, I am spoiled with the D4 and D800.
A very dark, underexposed forest
A foot and a half more cheerful forest (from the same RAW)
ISO 100, f / 8.0, 1/500; a 1300 px frame lives on.
Full ISO range
I expose a series of Langtang sunrise shots (tripod, correct exposure, no processing) for ISO analysis (50-25,600). Each frame has a 100% crop area.
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 by high (6400+) ISO values
Finally, we have lived to see the time when the range of values 3200-6400 became working. I would not go higher without the need, but even 12,800 with a small noise reduction will pull under LJ / Facebook.
Nepalese musicians over the book
ISO 6400, f / 2.0, 1/50
Musicians over the book (section 100%)
Granny with a candle goes nuts from ISO 12,800
ISO 12800, f / 2.0, 1/60
Macro shooting
I'm not an apologist for macro photography, but someone might find this feature useful.
Tsvetocheg
ISO 400, f / 4.0, 1/320
Shutter and shooting speed
The shutter in RX1 is limited to 1/4000. You can't catch a bullet with this camera, but a shutter faster than 1/2000 is rarely required. At the very least, the flying spray or the movement of the wings of the RX1 will freeze without difficulty.
Malcheg und pigeons
ISO 1600, f / 8.0, 1/1600; a 1300 px frame lives on.
The frame-by-frame shooting speed determines whether the camera will be used in real field conditions or will turn into a dusty "soap box" for occasional trips with the family to nature ... The RX1 passport 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 a fishing trip 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 little fly in the ointment. Over the past few years, it has become fashionable for manufacturers to provide audiences with various panoramic options. RX1 is no exception. For optimists, I'll tell you right away: 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 delivering panoramas in RAW (dreams, dreams!). God bless 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 automatics with manic persistence tries to adjust reality to the shutter speed of 1/500?
1. Dawn on Langtang... Gloomy, tripod. I slowly move the camera horizontally, but the automation still fails, producing vertical stripes.
ISO 3200, f / 4.0, 1/500; a 1300 px frame lives on.
2. A day at Langtang... Could it be the lighting of the scene? And again the same picture.
ISO 100, f / 8.0, 1/500; a 1300 px frame lives on.
3. Climbing Kazbek... Vertical stitching (there was still an option in the menu) does not save you 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 did not specifically touch upon 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 a storm in forums and photosites; the main criticism is permanent optics, and the main message to the audience is annoyance. For today, the RX1 has no competitors (in a bundle 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, with excellent optics. But - focused only on 35 mm film "classics". From the excuses, we can only say 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 will say a few words about the control: for convenience I set a subjective 8.5 out of 10 (I removed 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" (usually I shoot in aperture priority). Very fast and no hell with menu searches. I have already mentioned 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. Comfortable.
Advantages
- "full frame" in a compact, high-quality body
- good, sharp and fast optics
- excellent quality and high shooting speed
- comfortable mechanical controls
- wide dynamic range RAW
disadvantages
- permanent optics
- low battery life
- small step AE bracketing
- poor delivery package
- very weak implementation of panoramic shooting
- inhuman price tag
Recently, there has been a tendency to increase the physical size of the sensor while maintaining the minimum size of cameras. Nobody is chasing megapixels anymore. In this area, Sony can be called a leader, as it released a full-frame sensor camera that belongs to the Cyber-shot line.
The RX1 camera received a sensor from the older SLT-A99 model. The placement of the camera in the Cyber-shot line can be called conditional, since the device is not entirely compact and does not belong to the segment of budget cameras in terms of cost. The RX1 is a very serious camera. Its only significant drawback is non-removable optics.
Main features of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
- Sensor: full-frame Exmor, physical size 35.8 x 23.9 mm; resolution - 24.3 megapixels
- Lens: 35mm focal length; Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T, aperture F2.0-22; minimum focusing - 14 cm in macro mode, in normal mode - 24 cm; Digital zoom due to the crop of the full matrix format. Filter diameter - 49 mm
- Stabilizer: Digital Steady Shot
- Photo resolution: 6000 x 4000
- Photo file formats: JPEG, RAW
- Aspect ratio: 3: 2, 16: 9, 4: 3, 1: 1
- Panoramic photos: wide (5536 x 2160/12416 x 1856) / standard (3872 x 2160/8192 x 1856)
- Video files: maximum resolution 1920 x 1080, 50p, 28 Mbps; AVCHD, MP4 format; stereo sound
- ISO: 100 - 25600 up to 50; Multi-Frame NR Noise Reduction
- Display: LCD LCD Xtra Fine, 3 "" diagonal, number of dots 1 288 000
- Burst shooting: up to 5 frames / sec; with single-frame focusing - 2.5 frames / sec
- Shutter speed range: 30-1 / 4000 s
- Exposure compensation: +/- 3.0 EV steps 1/3 EV
- Built-in flash: modes: Auto, Slow sync, Rear curtain; red eye correction; hot shoe
- Memory: Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo /; SD / SDHC / SDXC
- Interfaces: USB 2.0, HDMI, microphone jack
The cost of the camera in the Sony store is 119,999 rubles.
Design and construction
Sony is not trying to embody incredible design decisions. The camera turned out to be quite normal in shape.
The eye does not cling to the camera. It looks like a faceless black square. This, of course, can be attributed to the advantage of the camera.
The case is not very pleasing with its small protrusion under the hand grip. All places where the camera touches the photographer's hand are rubberized, but this makes it not much more comfortable to hold the camera in your hands. The dimensions of the device are 113.3 x 65.4 x 69.6 mm, and the weight is 482 grams. The camera is heavy for its size. Despite the fact that the RX1 is considered a compact, it does not fit in your pocket. This is the fault of the protruding lens.
Functional elements... On the front of the camera there is a lens, an LED for autofocus illumination, and an autofocus mode switch. On the left are the connectors: microHDMI, microUSB and 3.5 mm jack for a microphone. There are no functional elements on the right. There is only an eyelet for fastening the belt, which is duplicated on the left. at the bottom there is a compartment for a battery and a memory card, as well as a tripod thread. Above you can see a pop-up flash, a hot shoe, a mode switch, an exposure compensation control, a shutter button that is combined with the switch and a programmable key. The shutter button has a thread for connecting a release cable.
On the back there is a 3 "screen without a rotary mechanism, a flash trigger, a button to start viewing footage, a control wheel, a five-way joystick with buttons suitable for programming. This joystick is combined with a second control wheel. There is also a button to start video recording.
The assembly of the case is excellent, but the easily scratched glass of the screen and the lack of protection in the package are frustrating. Also not included in the delivery and cover. All this can be purchased for an additional fee. The camera comes with a bag for transporting the camera in the bag and a cloth for cleaning the screen and optics.
Control interface
The camera controls are well placed. I am glad that there is a possibility of aperture control. The control ring is located on the lens. It is very convenient to customize 5 programmable buttons at your discretion. The menu interface has two columns (right and left) for control. They are navigated using two selector rings. In general, the menu is similar to what can be seen on the Alpha series cameras and on the RX100. Interestingly, the camera lacks a photography tutorial, although Sony often supplies its cameras with such tutorials.
The RX1 lacks a viewfinder. You can attach an optional electronic viewfinder to the hot shoe. This will obstruct the mounting location for the external flash. Framing pictures can be taken on a screen that does not have a rotary mechanism. Several different types of grid and histogram can be displayed on the screen.
Functionality
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 boasts a full-frame sensor from the top DSLR Alpha SLT-A99. Its physical size is 35.8 x 23.9 mm. Resolution - 24.3 megapixels. High resolution allows for almost invisible crop to the eye, which leads to the possibility of obtaining digital zoom. The camera lens does not support zooming, so digital zoom is the only zooming method.
The images are processed by the BIONZ processor. The camera turns on for about one second. Continuous shooting allows 5 frames per second with continuous focus and 2.5 frames with single focus. A burst can contain up to 16 Jpeg and 12 RAW images.
Autofocus works on 25 points. It is fast enough and does its job well in moderate conditions. In low light, autofocus can miss and take a long time to think, but this behavior is quite normal for this type of autofocus system. Manual focusing is performed using a ring on the lens, but this ring is electronic, so sometimes there are lags in the operating speed.
There is no optical stabilization. There is an electronic one, but only for video.
The camera has quite standard shooting modes - these are P / A / S / M, iAuto +, panorama, video, scene modes and three custom modes. Exposure mode Bulb is available. It is activated when the shutter speed is set to the maximum value.
Video.
The RX1 camera can shoot FullHD video in two formats. These are AVCHD and MP4 at up to 50fps. Manual video quality settings are available. The stereo microphone has a wind noise cancellation system. An external microphone can be connected if necessary.
Shooting quality
The RX1's 35mm fixed focal length lens has an adjustable aperture ranging from 2.0 to 22. These lenses give very nice bokeh and a fairly sharp picture, but with such characteristics, optical and light distortions often occur. In most cases, camera filters correct any inaccuracies, but sometimes vignetting remains noticeable.
A camera with such an excellent sensor performs well in low light and high ISO settings.
Noise reduction works very well, but it makes the picture a little blurry. It kills the details. This option can be disabled. IAuto + gives very good results. Exposure metering and white balance determine the shooting conditions almost unmistakably. You can just turn on the automatic mode and shoot for your own pleasure.
Battery
The RX1 battery has a capacity of 1240mAh. This is enough for 250-260 shots. This is very small for a camera of this level, but most compacts show the same figure. It is very convenient that the camera can be charged directly from the mains without using an external charger.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: The camera has Wi-Fi and NFC for wireless transmission.
You will love 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 modest 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 buttons, two adjustment wheels, and a relatively large lens.
It's hard to believe what is actually hiding inside the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: the camera is powered by a 42 megapixel full-frame sensor. Whoever remembered the top model of the mirrorless camera Sony Alpha 7R II 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 such a matrix produces great pictures, although perhaps some were expecting more.
Detail like no other camera
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: 3-inch high-definition screen that can be rotated 100 degrees Exactly 2132 line pairs per image height we will get with the Sony RX1R II at minimum light sensitivity. Good edge-to-edge sharpness, thanks to which the camera guarantees great pictures with great detail. Even increasing the sensitivity to light 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 starting at ISO 1600, especially in indoor photos. But the resolution is still great. Anyone willing to compromise can take a chance and see what results are obtained at ISO 102800 (see below).
More resolution than optics can handle?
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II: no built-in pop-up flash, only the system flash can illuminate the subject. But I must admit that the sharpness around the edge of the pictures taken with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II could have been slightly higher. The camera produces 90 line pairs per image height more than its predecessor model, which, moreover, has only 24 megapixels. The conclusion suggests itself that the technical characteristics of the camera's optics do not reach the level of the matrix.
On the whole though, the fast 35mm / F2 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 capable of delivering more resolution than optics can handle. Is it bad? Unlikely. For photographs are already a sample of sharpness and detail.
Add to that the fact that thanks to 42 megapixels, you have tremendous 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 the Leica Q, which even during shooting saves an image with an indication of the corresponding focal length. Well, since we started making wishes, then the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II would definitely not damage the touch screen and image stabilizer.
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F8, 1/4 sec, ISO 50
F8, 1/30 sec, ISO 400
F11, 1/60 sec, ISO 1600
F11, 1/320 sec, ISO 6400
F16, 1/640 sec, ISO 25600
F22, 1 / 1250s, ISO 102 400But the camera has what can be called a global novelty: an electronic low-pass filter. The filter, which operates in three modes, suppresses the so-called moiré effect by pressing the corresponding button. With the filter disabled, we get the maximum sharpness of the edges of the image in photos and videos. Speaking of video, the camera does not support Ultra-HD format due to possible overheating of the camera.
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 acceleration mode, but only at 720p.
Good package bundle with few downsides
For the target audience for which the camera is designed, the possibilities of photography will be more interesting. And here we cannot fail to mention another nice technical detail of the Sony RX1R II camera: using a small slide switch on the rear panel, the electronic viewfinder can be pulled out.
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This is a bit like its sister models, the Sony RX100 III and RX100 IV. The viewfinder with 100% field coverage and high resolution of about 2.4 million subpixels is also slightly larger than its sister models. Conveniently, you don't have to pull it out manually.
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We really liked the fast autofocus, which, even in low light conditions, is quite fast when taking snapshots. Continuous shooting at a speed of 5 frames per second and 25 photos in each series for a full-format matrix is a very good result.
A few years ago, carrying a DSLR with a pair 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 optics, which began to confidently crowd out amateur DSLRs from the market, because mirrorless cameras were very convenient to use, and the results they showed, as a rule, were very good. I've tested a lot of these mirrorless cameras. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 was the best camera I tested, although there were some issues with it. (I also note that it is the most expensive of the studied ones.) Also from the ultra-compact cameras I tested the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100, which seemed to me absolutely wonderful, but it is clear that such a baby has objective problems associated with physics-optics. and there is no escape from them. (Although how they stuffed the Exmor CMOS 13.2 × 8.8 mm and the Zeiss 28-100 mm equivalent lens with 1.8 aperture - I still don't understand.) When I heard that Sony introduced the Sony model The DSC-RX1 is a compact camera with a full-size matrix and a non-interchangeable 35 mm fixed lens - and especially when I was told its price of $ 2800 in the US, at first I laughed for a long time with those who told me about this device.
Sony DSC-RX1 camera mockup
Full Frame in a compact body 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 that kind of money ?! Many did not even believe that Sony would release this camera in a series, because - and who will buy it? Professionals will not buy it, because a 35 mm fix will obviously not suit them. Amateurs for that kind of money will not take a camera for sure, and those amateurs who value show-off more than money will buy some Leica M-Monochrom: it may be worse and only makes black and white shots, but at least it costs humanly - $ 13,000, so there is something to boast about in front of the guys. Then Sony released this camera and, as part of its promotion, distributed a copy to several famous photographer-bloggers who tested the camera and wrote about their impressions. For example, here is a review by Dima Shatrov, a review by Norwegian Forestry, a review by Anton Martynov, a review by Georgy Rozov. as a second camera in case "when it is completely in scrap to drag a DSLR, but you want quality" - this is it. It's another matter - would they buy such a camera as a second one for their money? Apparently, they wouldn't, but the more I tested mirrorless cameras and read reviews and reviews, the more I realized that Sony had actually released this camera for me. Well, it's not exactly personal to me personally, but I am the target audience of this camera. I am not a photographer. I'm a blogger. 95% of my photographic interests are landscapes, nature, architecture, exhibitions, gadgets and unassuming reporting. And very rarely - everyday portraits. For all these objects, 35mm is the most suitable lens. And the angle is relatively wide, while with little distortion, and the bokeh does okay, 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 it or sexually self-gratify, but a purely objectively large matrix is better than a small one. There are many things in the world that are big - better than small ones, and the sensor of a digital camera is one of those things!
Comparison of matrices of different models of cameras
Another important point - I can afford to buy this camera. In the end, I need it for the business: photographing food and cats-dogs. In general, the case ended with the fact that I just bought it, and in the Sony DSC-RX1R modification, which does not have a low-pass filter, therefore, it makes sharper frames compared to DSC-RX1. There are also some other minor differences, so now let's take a look at it. So, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R.
Matrix- 35mm full frame Exmor, 35.8x23.9mm, 24.3MP
Picture format- JPEG, RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format)
Video format- AVCHD Ver.2.0, MP4
Photosensitivity- ISO 50-25600
Excerpts- 30 ”-1/4000 s
Flash- built-in
Display- 7.5 cm (type 3), number of dots 1.228.8, TFT Xtra Fine
Memory card- SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
Interfaces- microUSB, high-speed USB, microHDMI, microphone jack, multi-interface jack
Battery- Li-Ion, NP-BX1, 1240 mAh, approximately 220 shots
Dimensions (edit)- 113.3 x 65.4 x 69.6 mm
The 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 Supplied in a mysterious black box.
Everything inside is packed competently - in separate boxes of no less mysterious black color. 
Package contents: camera, shoulder strap, power adapter, battery, cloth for cleaning the display, 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, was stolen from the same Leica, however, such claims, in my opinion, are incompetent: this is just an old style that Leica, Fujifilm, Olympus, and many other manufacturers use in the design of some of their cameras. ... 
For example, here's the Leica M for comparison. 
The body is metal, the build quality is beyond praise. The grip is made of leatherette inserts: for the right hand on the front panel and on the back panel, where there is a small protrusion for the thumb. 
The camera sits well in the hand, but I would have preferred to have a protrusion under the emphasis on the front - as on the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Moreover, such a protrusion would definitely not interfere with anything - there is still a lens sticking out. The display is not rotatable: a price for compactness. By the way, it's a pity, I would have preferred the camera to be a little larger, but still with a rotating display. 
Top back view. 
The same RX1, only in profile. 
Bottom view. 
In general, I do not know about you, but I was pleased with the appearance of the camera. Plus, which is important, it is not striking, because for the uninitiated it looks like an ordinary "soap dish". Therefore, few people pay attention to it and you can take pictures with complete peace of mind. For reliability, you can close up the Sony and RX1 inscriptions 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 out. 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 the memory card out of there. And how many kind words I said about this to Sony engineers - you can imagine. Well, now a comparison of scales. Sony RX1 next to RX100. See how they are comparable in size. 
And this is the Sony RX1 in comparison with the smallest Canon 100D DSLR and Olympus OM-D E-M5 with a whale lens. 
Control
Controlling the camera is a very important thing, so I took the analysis of the controls into a separate section. The upper part of the camera is a rotary mode wheel, a power lever under the shutter release button (it has a cable entry - everything is like an adult's), a configurable "C" button (for By the way, at first I was delighted with this compensation wheel, because I often use it in the process of shooting, and with the help of the wheel, compensation is, of course, much more convenient to set than through the menu on the display. But then, in the process of operation, he changed his opinion to the exact opposite: despite the fact that a certain effort is required to turn the wheel, it can be quite easily turned accidentally - with appropriate results. A couple of times, this wheel specifically screwed up a part of the shooting for me: in the bright sun it was not visible that the images were overexposed due to an accidentally turned wheel. 
Buttons on the back of the camera: image viewer, cogwheel, AE lock (exposure fixation) - it is also a magnification when viewing, a customizable function key (aka preview images when viewing), a control wheel with four buttons and a central button, menu, delete and freestanding video recording button. 
The following control elements are located on the lens: a toothed focusing ring, a macro mode switching ring, aperture switching ring. 
By the way, in all kinds of settings, the aperture can be set only with this ring. Which, in my opinion, is not very convenient. And when you set the "A" mode (manual aperture setting) - it can also be set only with this ring. At the same time, both gear wheels do not switch the diaphragm: it is strange why they did not duplicate this function, it was hardly very difficult to do. On the front panel there is a ring for switching focusing modes: manual, semi-automatic (automatic with manual override), automatic. 
In semi-automatic mode, when you touch the sharpness ring after aiming with the automatic machine, a greatly enlarged piece of the frame appears on the display, along which you can very accurately aim. The flash is recessed into the body and does not automatically pop up (which is very good). It can be opened manually with a special button. The flash is lowered back manually - when you press it. 
Accessories
At such a cost of the camera, it would be logical to assume that accessories for it would cost like an airplane. That's the way it is, I hasten to please you! Even some kind of lousy blend - $ 200. Yes, this is not a joke. Not $ 20, which would have been expensive for a hood, but $ 200! Here she is, beauty. By the way, send everything to Sony for $ 50 for watching - to walk like that.
The TGA-1 grip is a piece of plastic - $ 290. Again. A piece of plastic - $ 290
Well, it's not surprising 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 absolutely fucking awesome, you are right." something pitiful $ 460: I foolishly bought it (I still need a viewfinder, so walk like that) - and then laughed at myself for a long time, because it was impossible to use it. With him, more or less something can be seen 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 sell this shit for $ 460 - just lovely!
Viewfinder
But I bought a proprietary protective light filter (so as not to carry the lid) for it for some measly $ 16. Why $ 16, and not at least $ 160 - I have no idea. Probably, they just had some kind of annoying failure in the system. Camera operation The information displayed on the display is switched by the Disp button on the control gear. This is the mode of the minimum set of information.
Electronic level. It works a little crooked, but you can use it.
The histogram is displayed precisely in the process of shooting in real time, and not only on the finished frame, as in some other cameras.
Shutter-aperture ratio scale: very convenient to use in manual and semi-automatic modes.
A complete set of all basic settings - very informative.
Settings changeable by the Fn key.
ISO setting by "C" key.
By the way, there is an ISO AUTO mode - this is when the camera takes four shots in a row, and then makes one common one of them, minimizing the amount of noise. This mode can only be used with a tripod. Scene mode. More or less a 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. (Unlike the NEX series, where things are much worse.) Keys and controls are designed very intelligently, well customizable. (There are only complaints about the compensation wheel.) The information content in the camera is at a height, and even there you can also flexibly adjust the output. I have not taken pictures in the machine for a long time: I usually use either the "A" mode with setting the aperture and adjusting other parameters, or mode "P" with parameter adjustment. This camera did not cause any difficulties for me with the settings in the process of shooting. Now let's look at the menu that is invoked 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 a several sections, the vertical settings are not scrolled, which is very convenient. Image quality adjustment. Standard - JPG of 3 MB, High - JPG of 5 MB, Superfine - almost uncompressed JPG of 10 MB, RAW + JPEG - RAW of 24 MB and JPEG of high resolution (5 MB), and of RAW of 24 MB. By the way, it's not good that you can't shoot RAW with super high JPG. However, I definitely do not need this.
Other settings.
Video settings.
FINDER / LCD settings are the viewfinder mode. Automatic mode switches the display to the viewfinder when you bring it up to your eyes. In manual mode, to activate the viewfinder, you must press a 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 in the viewfinder. You can also disable the Live View mode here - when the frame is shown on the display as it will be with these camera settings (for example, if there are errors in the exposure, you will see it on the display).
Flexible configuration of various function buttons. Here you can also disable the Movie button when 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 downgraded to increase the operating time.
All sound signals are turned off here - the device will start filming completely silently.
- How Sant Pol de Mar cognac is made Here is another option - unprocessed.
ISO 1250. 
It conveys colors just fine - very natural. 
And he - with HDR. 
And now a little trick to demonstrate the capabilities of a full-size matrix. Here is a photo. 
Cut out that piece from the original photograph (6000 × 4000) where the figures of people can hardly be seen. And here is this 1: 1 piece. 
Impressive? I was impressed. I have had to seriously crop photographs many times, and here the full size is, of course, very useful. And a few panoramas as well. By the way, she glues them together very competently. 
And a vertical panorama - in a city this is often needed to show a tall building. 
The video shoots, let's say, tolerantly, but nothing special. At the same Olympus OM-D E-M5, I like the video much more. However, I almost never shoot a video.
This is all with demonstrations. conclusions I liked this camera very much. Frankly, 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 kind of made my main camera, which I mentioned several times here. Now I have a main camera - Sony DSC-RX1. Yes, it does not cover 100% of my photographic tasks. More precisely, it is better to say - it does not cover about 5% of my photographic tasks. But for this case, I have the same Olympus, the same Canon 100D DSLR (the review is still coming, I liked the camera very much), for which I bought a normal telephoto lens - in general, I can do it somehow. The main thing is that I have a camera, which I do not want to change for anything else yet. I had the idea to buy a Canon EOS 5D Mark III (I still like Canon more than Nikon - well, that's what happened) with a decent width and zoom, but then I thought: “What for?” And it's absolutely not about the money - buying a good SLR won't ruin me. It's about expediency. If I'm using the Sony RX1R to achieve results that suit me completely and completely, what the hell is a full-matrix DSLR? I just won't carry it with me - what's the point? Well, and 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 blogger-photographers (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 all this was sheer show-off, that such a camera there is really nothing to remove and that only idiots can spend such crazy money on a toy, while real guys spend tens of thousands of dollars on serious carcasses and serious glass, but they have a result - everyone would have such a result. did not: as usual, the master's work knows better when counting workdays. Then he made his report, which personally suited me quite well with the quality of the photo: let's say, on a full-matrix DSLR with appropriate glasses, I would (the key word, of course, "I would" - because I'm not a photographer) I hardly achieved a noticeably different result, although I would have erased my neck to hell - and then I waited for the report of that top blogger. And he did not wait - he still has not done the 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 did not 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 would buy it in a situation where $ 3200 would be a vital sum for me. No, I wouldn't, 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 really pressed, I would take Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100, and I would have had enough. But in a situation where I have the opportunity to choose - yes, the Sony RX1R is exactly what I wanted. Sony company promises to release even more interesting cameras soon -
How to choose a mirrorless camera?
Beautiful pictures with wishes of good morning, good day and mood
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