Sony’s pocket-sized RX1R camera returns with its first update in 10 years

The caller Sony RX1R III carries guardant the past version’s fixed lens and 35mm sensor. | Image: Sony

After astir a decade, Sony has announced a caller mentation of its fixed-lens compact RX1R camera that was last updated successful 2015. The caller third procreation RX1R III arrives with the aforesaid 35mm full-frame Exmor R sensor arsenic its predecessor, but with a bump from 42.4 to 61 megapixels. It besides benefits from Sony’s latest Bionz XR and AI representation processors to present amended autofocus that tin way the question of quality bodies and much accurately absorption connected their heads and eyes.

The RX1R III volition beryllium disposable sometime successful July for astir $5,099.99, according to Sony. That’s  considerably much costly than the RX1R II, which launched successful 2015 for $3,300. The RX1R III’s  compact size and Zeiss Sonnar T 35mm F2 lens puts the camera successful contention with the $4,899.95 mean format Fujifilm GFX100RF and the $5,995 full-frame Leica Q3 – some of which besides diagnostic fixed lenses.

To compensate for that lens limitation, the RX1R III includes a Step Crop Shooting relation that allows photographers to power betwixt 35mm, 50mm, and 70mm focal lengths achieved done sensor cropping. The camera besides features a macro mode activated by a ringing connected the lens that tin beryllium utilized to absorption connected subjects arsenic adjacent arsenic 20cm.

The camera has a assemblage made of magnesium alloy. To assistance marque the RX1R III arsenic airy and portable arsenic possible, Sony is present utilizing a fixed surface connected the backmost that tin nary longer beryllium tilted up and down. The alteration means you whitethorn find yourself having to contort your assemblage erstwhile trying to seizure low-angle shots utilizing the camera’s surface oregon 2.36 cardinal dot OLED physics presumption finder.

Sony is erstwhile again positioning this camera arsenic a precocious prime shooter that’s acold little cumbersome to transportation than larger mirrorless options oregon DSLRs, and its show reflects that. Shooting speeds max retired astatine conscionable 5 frames per second, and the RX1R III tin seizure 4K video astatine 30 fps oregon 1080p astatine up to 120 fps (the RX1R II maxed retired astatine 1080p) with the enactment to usage Sony’s S-Cinetone representation illustration for a much cinematic look. 

The RX1R III besides includes 12 antithetic speedy entree Creative Looks that tin beryllium customized and applied to some stills and video. And similar the Sony A7R V, its autofocus strategy features 693 phase-detection points and is susceptible of tracking quality question to find wherever a subject’s eyes are expected to be, adjacent if they’re not looking straight astatine the camera oregon their look is obscured.

It seems similar a worthwhile upgrade implicit the past generation, but if you don’t caput a spot much bulk, determination are much susceptible and affordable alternatives from Sony.