Sony Cyber-shot DSC compact camera review

These are the first and so far the only cameras with built-in optics that have full-frame, i.e. 35mm sensors. You have to hand it to the developers: the units are assembled in a very compact way for such a stuffing. They are smaller than the Canon G1 X, Fujifilm X100T and even the Nikon P7800 exceeds them in some dimensions. But these constructive masterpieces are many times more expensive than most compacts and, most importantly, the full frame “system” cameras Sony A7 and A7 II. You cannot help but think about the usefulness of such a purchase.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1/DSC-RX1R

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1/DSC-RX1R

24MP 25mm 1x 3” 110,000 Dollars.

The RX1R, released almost a year after the RX1, they removed the low pass filter from the sensor to greatly increase the level of detail and microdetail that can be squeezed out of a full frame compact. As the saying goes, there’s no limit to perfection. In fact, both models are so specific that we can talk about them more as a kind of typical phenomenon on the market rather than give a specific recommendation for a purchase.

These are the first and so far the only cameras with built-in optics that feature full-frame, i.e. 35mm sensors. You have to hand it to the developers: these cameras are assembled in a very compact way for such a stuffing. They are smaller than the Canon G1 X, Fujifilm X100T and even the Nikon P7800 exceeds them in a number of dimensions. But these constructive masterpieces are many times more expensive than most compacts and, most importantly, the full-frame “system” cameras Sony A7 and A7 II. You cannot help but wonder why such a purchase is worthwhile.

The optics are the premium Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens. It should not be confused with the very similarly-named Sonnar T* 35mm prime lens which comes with a Sony E mount. They differ significantly in design, and most importantly, the built-in version has a significantly higher aperture ratio, not to mention a larger diameter image circle. For these outstanding cameras, the developers chose a special hybrid interface. The “analog” dials for aperture and shutter speed on the lens and top of the camera, respectively, are very handy for manual settings, but don’t make automatic settings difficult. They do not need to be switched to a special “auto” position in order to switch to priority or program mode. Just turn a separate standard PASM selector. What is unusual for such serious devices, next to the classic “quartet” of modes, there is a point for selecting scene programs – a toolbox for the amateur.

A separate wheel is for exposure compensation. An optional ring on the lens lets you change the minimum focus distance, engaging the entire focus range or omitting the foreground to reduce stress on the drive train and electronics, as well as to save the time it takes to find focus. Aiming is done solely by contrast detection, so the focus performance is not record-breaking. Sony’s full frame hybrid autofocus came later with the Alpha A7. But the manual focus is active all the time, so a photographer can at any moment turn the appropriate third wheel on the lens to help the automatic or to correct the result of its work. For clarity, in addition to the usual on-screen magnification modes, the camera also offers Contrast Boundary Illumination Focus Peaking . an experienced photographer can estimate the correctness of aiming according to the scale of focusing distances projected on the screen.

Designers have tried to incorporate all of their own and the industry’s accumulated experience in organizing the interface, control and monitoring of shooting parameters. For those who want to take advantage of the optional external electronic viewfinder, there is even a special incredibly informative screen on the main display on demand. In addition to detailed information about the manually selected and automatically set parameters, it also shows an accurate histogram and digital level.

Despite the compactness of the cameras found a place for a built-in flash and a “hot shoe” – still new to Sony and standard for all other manufacturers design. If desired, in addition to pulsed light sources, you can install a constant diode light or a microphone, an input for which is provided among the connectors on the interface. They’ll prove useful because the cameras have an excellent video mode with manual exposure control and the ability to change focus during recording. True, how much creativity the operator can deploy within the fixed angle of view of the lens is still a question.

Specifications:

Sensor	Manufacturer	Sony
Model	Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R
Average price*	110000
Size, inches	35,8×23,8
Effective pixels, million	24
ISO** sensitivity	100-25600
Lens, focus	EQ. Focal length, mm	35
Zoom, multiplicity opt./digital	1x/14x
Photo Shooting	Image stabilization***	–
Aperture values	2,0
Manual focus	+
Macro mode, MDF, cm	–
Shutter speed range, sec	30-1/4000
Scene programs	7
Mode A	+
S Mode	+
M Mode	+
Manual white balance	+
Built-in function flash, m	6,0
Connection external flash	Hot-shoe
3:2 image format	+
16:9 image format	+
RAW	+
Video and sound	Video, pixels	1920×1080@60p
Video sound	+
Sound Commentary	–
Recorder	–
Camera	LCD monitor, inches	3,0
LCD monitor resolution, thousands of pixels	1229
Viewfinder****	–
Memory cards	MS Duo/SD/SDHC/SDXC
Internal memory, MB	–
Power *****	Li-ion 270
Dimensions, mm	113x65x70
Weight, g	482
Date of announcement	9/12/2012

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III

20.2MP 24-70mm 2.9x 3” 37,000 Dollars.

When Canon designed the PowerShot GX7 X, it certainly had every chance to knock the Cyber-shot RX100 from its pedestal. But Sony has a big time advantage. While Canon only introduced its first one-inch pocket camera, its competitor has already perfected the nuances on three generations of cameras. The RX100 III encompasses practically the entire range of technologies currently available on the digital market. It’s not just the “heir” to all its family members, but a qualitatively new device, a leap in evolution.

Image processing system improved in large part by borrowing some algorithms from the “system” A7S full-frame camera. Due to the fundamental difference in the size of the matrices of these devices, a comparable image quality, of course, do not wait, but the camera handles noise commendably. Among other things, the donation of technology from a top segment mirror-less cameras led to the fact that the characteristics of video mode in this compact camera actually reached a professional level. There’s also support for recording in XAVC S format at 50 Mbps with the ability to simultaneously save a dub of the clip in AVCHD or MP4 at 720p to the memory card. Like the A7S, the video recording signal is collected from the entire sensor, not individual sensor groups, and with minimal cropping. That’s why the detail, effective sensitivity and angle of view when recording video is greater than the competition. Panasonic LX100 and FZ1000 are probably the exceptions, supporting 4K format. Bionz X processor with image distortion correction algorithms. Not only can chromatic aberration and vignetting be worked on, but the negative effects of diffraction are eliminated with small apertures.

In addition to the RGBW tilt-adjustable display, the designers have managed to build in a retractable electronic viewfinder with an OLED-matrix at 1440 thousand. points. Since it retracts fully into the casing, the camera dimensions remain small, but the eyepiece is big enough.

The camera is both functionally and operationally adapted to complex shooting with a variety of manual settings. There are a pair of control wheels, one of which is mounted on the lens, and two customizable function keys. The built-in pop-up flash can be expanded by an external flash, which can be mounted on the “hot shoe. In the same slot, thanks to the comb contact multifunction interface, you can connect other accessories such as zoom-controlled microphone or even XLR interface unit.

Looks classy and neat. No particular design frills, but the rich implements fully compensate for external modesty.

Specifications:

Matrix	Manufacturer	Sony
Model	Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
Average price*	34600
Size, inches	1,0
Effective pixels, millions	20,2
ISO sensitivity**	160-12800 125-25600
Lens, Focus	EQ. Focal length, mm	24-70
Zoom, magnification opt./digital	2.9x/11x
Shooting photos	Image stabilization***	o
Aperture value	1,8-2,8
Manual focus	+
Macro mode, MDF, cm	5
Shutter speed range, sec	30-1/2000
Scene programs	13
Mode A	+
S-mode	+
Mode M	+
Manual white balance	+
Built-in performance flash, m	0,4-10,2
Connecting external flash	Hot-shoe
Image format 3:2	+
16:9 aspect ratio	+
RAW	+
Video and sound	Video, pixels	1920×1080@60p
Video sound	+
Audio commentary	–
Recorder	–
Camera	LCD monitor, inches	3,0
LCD monitor resolution, thousands of pixels	1229
Viewfinder****	je
Memory cards	MS Duo/SD/SDHC/SDXC
Internal memory, MB	–
Power*****	Li-ion
Dimensions, mm	102×58×41
Weight, g	290
Announcement Date	5/16/2012

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

20.2 Megapixel 24-200mm 8.3x 3” 46,300.

High-quality zooms with a long focal range, the next evolution in the compact class of cameras after large sensors. The Olympus Stylus 1 was mentioned above, with its impressive 10x zoom at F2.8, but its sensor was limited to 1/1.7 inches. The Cyber-shot RX10 went even further by equipping the device with an inch CMOS sensor with backlighting. Resolution of 20 megapixels thanks to optics, a special micro-lens layer with high light gathering and quality processing algorithms, the camera is quite working. However, you have to pay more than 1.5 times the price for a significant increase in image quality.

RX10 is further enhanced by the new generation of Bionz X image processor borrowed from Alpha A7 series. The RX10 is incredibly fast and will appeal not only to genre and reportage photographers, but also to videographers. For the latter there is a 1080@60p recording mode with manual control, zebra, focus picking, two iris and focus control modes, as well as the ability to output uncompressed video with 4:2:2 color sampling via HDMI. The aperture options are worth a special mention. A special ring on the lens is provided for changing it. When shooting photos, it triggers discretely, locking in each individual position to select the exact values. But this is not convenient when recording movies because it doesn’t give a smooth change in depth of field in this way. For such cases the ring is switched to a smooth rotation mode. To ensure smoothness, the focus distance can be set independently of the speed of the focus ring.

Since the capabilities of built-in microphones for the target user of such a functional video mode may not be enough, the designers have provided an interface for connecting an external microphone. Combined with the superior optics, this set of features looks especially attractive. Top-of-the-line hinged display and OLED viewfinder. HDMI-out allows you to display a “live” image during shooting and therefore you can connect the camera to an external professional display.

The RX100 isn’t small at all in terms of format. There’s even room for a separate monochrome LCD to show basic shooting data, just like in DSLRs. The body is made of metal and protected against dust and moisture – a rare feature in the older class of compacts.

Specifications:

Sensor	Manufacturer	Sony
Model	Cyber-shot DSC-RX10
Average price*	46300
Size, inches	1,0
Effective pixels, millions	20,2
ISO** Light Sensitivity	125-12800
Lens, focus	EQ. Focal length, mm	24-200
Zoom, magnification opt./digital	8.3x/2x
Photo Shooting	Image stabilization***	o
Aperture values	2,8
Manual focus	+
Macro mode, MDF, cm	3
Shutter speed range, sec	30-1/3200
Scene programs	9
Mode A	+
S Mode	+
M Mode	+
Manual white balance	+
Built-in flashes, m	1,0-20,4
Connecting external flash	Hot-shoe
3:2 image format	+
16:9 image format	+
RAW	+
Video and sound	Video, pixels	1920×1080@50p
Sound Video	+
Sound Commentary	–
Voice recorder	–
The Camera	LCD monitor, inches	3,0
LCD monitor resolution, thousands of pixels	1229
Viewfinder****	je
Memory cards	MS Duo/SD/SDHC/SDXC
Internal memory, MB	–
Power*****	Li-ion 420
Dimensions, mm	129x88x102
Weight, g	813
Announcement date	10/16/2013

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100

20.2 MP 28-100 mm 3.6x – 16,500 Dollars.

Sony doesn’t stop trying to make photographers fall in love with its camera consoles for mobile devices. In any case, this is evidenced by the appearance of a mirrorless version of such a device, more about which you can read in the review of system cameras. In the class of compact cameras with a large sensor can be attributed QX100, which is a truncated version of its predecessor RX100 III.

All QX cameras are dependent modules that necessarily require a modern smartphone – an iPhone or some Google Android 4 smart phone.x. Despite the QX100’s shutter button, internal memory and zoom lever, it’s impossible to get to any settings without connecting to a smartphone: there are no other controls on the camera, nor is there a screen. The entire interface, live viewfinder image and of course footage is displayed only on the smartphone display via Wi-Fi. The developers offered specialized software for Google and Apple mobile operating systems, which controls all the electronic stuffing of the device. This is both a plus and a minus of the whole concept.

First of all, Wi-Fi is a very battery-hungry way to communicate. The connection consumes the battery power of both the camera and the smartphone. Secondly, the connection does not always go smoothly and takes some time, which means that it is far from always possible to take a picture as soon as the photographer sees a suitable scene. And finally, thirdly, the performance of the bunch depends not only on the electronic stuffing of the camera, but also on the smartphone. If the power of the latter is low, then the overall efficiency decreases. On the plus side, the “detached” display from the camera makes shooting incredibly fun. Photographers are not limited in the choice of angles at all, can play with perspective at will and get very unusual pictures of quite ordinary subjects. Everything is limited only by imagination.

The QX100’s creative freedom is complemented by a high level of quality because it uses one of the best compacts in its class as its main component donor. In addition to the large sensor, the wide-angle lens with high aperture ratio deserves attention. All the key hardware has been retained here, including the optical stabilization system. The interface displayed in PlayMemories Mobile – software for smartphones to work with set-top boxes, tried to bring as close as possible to the control system used in full-fledged cameras. There’s even a full range of semi-automatic and manual shooting modes. However, it was not possible to reproduce all the functionality in full. In particular, the option of saving pictures in the RAW file format was not provided.

QX100 can be paired with a smart phone and the QX100’s communication capabilities are not limited. The RM-LVR1 wristband with a 1.5-inch screen, shutter button, and zoom controls can also control the camera via Wi-Fi. It was originally developed for use with compact camcorders for extreme shooting, so there is no access to the QX100’s shooting settings. But it has its uses, too. At the end of the day, you can rely on the camera’s automatic.

Specifications:

Sensor	The manufacturer	Sony
Model	Cyber-shot DSC-QX100
Average price*	16500
Size, inches	1,0
Effective pixels, millions	20,2
Light Sensitivity ISO**	160-3200 25600
Lens, focus	EQ. Focal length, mm	28-100
Zoom, magnification opt./digital	3,6x/-
Photo Shooting	Image stabilization***	o
Aperture values	1,8-4,9
Manual focus	+
Macro mode, MDF, cm	5
Shutter Speed Range, sec	8-1/2000
Scene programs	–
Mode A	+
S-mode	–
M Mode	–
Manual white balance	+
On-board operation flash, m	–
Connecting external flash	–
3:2 image format	+
16:9 aspect ratio	+
RAW	–
Video and sound	Video, pixels	1440×1080@30p
Sound Video	+
Sound commentary	–
Recorder	–
Camera	LCD monitor, inches	–
LCD monitor resolution, thousand pixels	–
Viewfinder****	–
Memory cards	MS micro/microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC
Internal memory, MB	–
Power *****	Li-ion 220
Dimensions, mm	63×63×52
Weight, g	179
Announcement Date	9/4/2013