Thread: Awesome RX100 review by Ming Thein

Found it on DPR: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 – a somewhat comparative review

A great overview. I'm only about 1/2 way through, but thought I should share. He also compares to the LX5, XZ-1 and GRD.

This is the kind of review that I like.

I am nearly certain I'll have this camera, once they start showing up on Amazon warehouse deals. I'll probably drop my kit lens for m43, and maybe also my 14mm.

Enjoy

Good stuff here on the lens. This is a great read.

"Given the incredibly small pixel pitch, best working apertures are at below f5.6, and ideally around f4; this however is a bit of a problem as the lens only reaches f4.9 on the long end. Still, I don’t see much evidence of diffraction softening. For the most part, this is a reasonably good lens despite its ambitious specifications – the only place where it’s let down is close focusing distance (say under 20cm or so) and maximum aperture at the wide end. You’re going to have to be at f2.8 or preferably f4 to get critically sharp images when shooting close; before that point, there’s a lot of flare and coma going on that robs sharpness. At normal distances, it’s an decent performer. Mine’s does better in the corners at telephoto than wide; in fact, the corners are pretty soft at f1.8, which leads me to suspect a degree of field curvature. The top edge is also softer than the bottom edge of the frame – it’s difficult to build a retractable lens with consistently high resolving power cross-frame due to the required tolerances; not that this is any excuse. The lens also remembers your last used focal length when the camera was turned off – there doesn’t seem to be any way of disabling this though. There is a bit of bokeh available, though not much – but what you do see is relatively smooth an inoffensive (though I haven’t had any extremely harsh lighting conditions under which to shoot the camera yet)."

Good stuff here on the lens. This is a great read.

Yes, genuinely useful. I don't use compacts, but this one does seem like a solid achievement.

Originally Posted by wt21

Good stuff here on the lens. This is a great read.

"... There is a bit of bokeh available, though not much..."

I love bokeh... I guess that's why I'll always have a DSLR.

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I love bokeh... I guess that's why I'll always have a DSLR.

Yes, it can be such a cool thing. I loved it on my 5D with the 50/1.4. The X-Pro 1 with the 35 delivers beautifully.

Great review!

I have a couple of lenses on ebay right now. I think the RX100 will be my next camera, unless Canon can answer with a 1" S100 successor at Photokina, with the same blisteringly fast performance. (Sort of doubt it.)

All I really want is the RX100 and a compact, mirrorless FF.

I can get one now, and only dream about the other :(

I couldnt help myself... yesterday, instead of taking photographs, I spent an hour or more at the only dedicated camera shop that exists in our city, looking at the RX100, and the XPro1 (and others... damn that Sony A77 is nice... pity is so heavy!). Very impressed with both, but will not be buying either. If they would do tradeins I would now have an XPro... but both cameras will have to significantly reduce in price before I can have either of them... ergo, what I currently have, is enough,

I'll wait until Fuji joins the 1" sensor team.

OK. I amazon primed an RX100 over to me. Looking at it now. Will have to test it out a couple of days. I accidentally had one a few weeks ago, but sent it back immediately. This time, I'm ready to play with it, but not sure I'll keep it.

Will it make me take pictures like Ming Thein?