With little room to grow (or shrink) on the housing front, we've begun to see manufacturers take a different approach with point-and-shoot cameras, boosting the size of image sensors to present a clear advantage over smartphone cams, which continue to cannibalize their dedicated counterparts. Sony, for its part, has just announced what's by far the most compelling Cyber-shot to date -- the DSC-RX100. To the amateur's eye, this all-aluminum pocketable camera looks like any old high-end point-and-shoot, with a familiar compact design and a small, permanently attached optical zoom lens. Hiding behind that f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 3.6x zoom optic, however, is this model's true gem: a 1-inch (13.2x8.8mm) 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, offering four times the area of the 1/1.7-inch imagers found in most comparably sized devices.
A larger sensor means sharper details, improved low-light performance and that creamy shallow depth-of-field that's synonymous with large ILCs. Having an f/1.8 lens on-board also doesn't hurt -- the optic offers a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-4.9, but can still manage captures just beyond f/2.8 at the 50mm position, giving it significant versatility. There's also a 3-inch 1,229k-dot LCD with a new technology called WhiteMagic, which adds white pixels to boost outdoor visibility while still delivering VGA resolution. A pair of control dials -- one surrounding the lens and the second on the rear -- enable direct access to frequent settings.
There's a full manual mode on-board, giving you complete control over both stills and 1080/60p video, along with RAW capture, a seven-blade circular aperture and a BIONZ imaging processor, with support for ISO 80-25,600. The RX100 is packaged with a new battery, which is capable of 330 shots on a single charge, and packs a MS/SDXC slot, HDMI port and a USB port with charging capability. There's also a 10 frames-per-second continuous mode, 13 Picture Effect options and features that were previously only available on Sony's interchangeable lens models, like Sweep Panorama. The RX100 is designed as an all-in-one unit, so there's no microphone input or hot shoe to be found, but given the camera's incredibly small size, we really don't mind. What's slightly less encouraging, however, is the price tag -- the RX100 will run you $650 when it hits stores in July, while accessories like a jacket case ($85), battery pack ($50) and screen protector ($12) place it further out of reach. Take a closer look in the hands-on video just past the break.
Continue reading Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 boosts image quality with 1-inch sensor, f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens (hands-on video)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 boosts image quality with 1-inch sensor, f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | |
Email this |
Comments
Without a doubt the most interesting feature on Sony's new flagship pointe-and-shoot RX100 VI is the new zoom lens. That Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm f2.8-4.5 glass is much longer than the 24-70mm equivalent on the previous model, making the RX100 VI a m...
As far as compact cameras go, there's no question that Sony's RX100 series has been the one to beat since its debut in 2012. But the company isn't resting on its laurels. With the RX100 VI, announced oday, Sony is making its flagship point-and-shoot...
With the introduction of its RX100 series in 2012, Sony raised the bar for point-and-shoot cameras. As such, it's no surprise that the latest model can do things like capture JPEG and RAW photos at a mind-boggling 24 frames per second. The RX100 V is...
Today at an event in New York City, Sony revealed its latest compact cameras, the A6500 and RX100 V. And they have one thing in common: They're all about speed. With the A6500 flagship mirrorless, you get a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor with 11-fps con...
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read their continuously updated list of deals at TheWirecutter.com.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutte...
