It's been nearly a decade since the second iteration of Sony's enthusiast-grade RX1R camera, a compact full-frame shooter with a fixed lens that's designed to slip into your tailored jacket. It's got a bunch of new internals and features to bring it up to date – and command an eye-wateringly high asking price.
Perhaps the most significant update for the RX1R III that's made for fuss-free creative shooting is the 61-megapixel output from its 35-mm Exmor R sensor (which previously did 42.4 megapixels in the RX1R II).
The idea is that even though you'll be using a fixed prime lens, you'll still have plenty of flexibility to crop into a tight, thoughtful composition, and end up with a sharp and detailed result.
The lens in question is a Zeiss Sonnar T35mm F2 lens. A Step Crop Shooting feature lets you switch between 35 mm, 50 mm, and 70 mm focal lengths through sensor cropping. You'll also find a macro mode to get as close as 7.8 in (20 cm) to subjects.
There's an AI chip on board for image processing, subject detection, and real-time subject tracking alongside 693 phase-detection autofocus points. And as you'll have seen on many modern cameras, the RX1R III features a selection of 12 stylized 'Creative Looks' that can be applied to both photos and video. This model's shooting speed tops out at five frames per second; video capture options include 4K at 30 fps, or 1080p at up to 120 fps.
Sony went with magnesium alloy for the RX1R III's body, and ditched the predecessor's articulating back panel for a fixed one to keep the weight down to 1.1 lb (498 g). There's now a fixed LCD touchscreen on the back which may make for a better display but more cumbersome composition, plus a "high resolution and high contrast" OLED viewfinder for framing up. The compact camera comes with a much larger fast-charging battery than before, which is good for up to 300 stills when it's fully topped up.
Now, this is clearly a luxury shooter for discerning photographers, but it's pricey any way you slice it at US$5,099. That's before you tack on accessories like the body case, lens hood, and thumb grip, each of which will add a couple of hundred dollars each to your bill.
At that price point, you're in Fujifilm GFX100RF territory: that's a slightly different affair with its medium format 102-megapixel sensor. Heck, if you've got that kind of scratch, you likely won't hesitate to consider Leica's more closely comparable Q3, which is currently listed at $6,735.
The folks at PetaPixel noted Sony's compact a7CR is a lot cheaper, while featuring the same sensor and focusing chops, along with the advantage of interchangeable lenses. For about $3,800, you could get this system with a nice Sony 24-mm F2.8 or 40-mm F2.5 lens, and always have the option to build it out further. If you're trying to choose between these, you'll want to have a good think about what your shoot days look like, and the kind of flexibility you need while you're on location.
Check out the RX1R III on Sony's site, where you can pre-order it for shipping by the end of July.
Source: Alpha Universe
