Thread: Sony RX1 Full Res Samples Posted on Flickr

Originally Posted by adanac

To me the RX1 doesn't look like it'll be too small to handle well.




I often walked around all day with the X100 in hand - the NEX-5N while not as nice a looking camera in my eyes, was more comfortable even with a heavy Zeiss lens on it. I manage ok with the GXR.

This camera at 482g is substantially lighter than the GXR/M + ZM35/2 (370 + 240 = 610g) but is very slightly heavier than the X100 at 445g. NEX 5-9 with Zeiss ZA24mm is 494g. By comparison the much larger M9 weighs 585g without lens.

Sure, it'd have been nice to see a slightly larger camera with an integrated EVF and a tilt rear LCD and all that for the same price. :)

October 8th we'll see the first reports of how it handles in the hands of photographers and reviewers.

I agree that it looks reasonably sized for what it is. I should have been clearer in my original remark. This was in discussion about an interchangeable lens camera. Luke had referred to some concerns about changing lenses meaning a larger camera. I responded with the above remark; I don't need a camera to be tiny. Something a bit larger than the new Sony would not bother me at all. It's the size and weight of the overall kit, say the camera and 2 -3 lenses, that is important to me.

A slightly larger interchangeable lens version would be just fine with me too. But will we see such a beast anytime soon? I'm not really following the NEX developments but from what I understand full frame lens support on their full frame Handy-cam comes at a cost of adding Alpha lenses with an appropriate lens adapter from Sony.

If so, the camera kit is starting to get pretty big by virtue of lenses and it may be more sensible to purchase a DSLR.

Maybe I'll be proved wrong but my suspicion is that the RX1 will remain on its own as the only truly compact full frame auto-focus camera for at least another year or two while Sony, and other makers, try to decide what to do next.

For Sony's part despite the apparent demand for a full frame NEX sized camera, they need to see real market demand (paying customers for the RX1?) and run some flags up the pole to see if a kludge lumpy NEX would be accepted. If not, then they (and every other maker) need to have a hard look at developing another line of interchangeable lenses tuned for very very short back focal lengths.

Seems like a lot of work when DSLRs are already out there ready to serve the full frame market, and APS-C is pretty darn good.

Maybe the RX1 will show there is a limited number of people who are that interested in 35 on 35 to spend the requisite dollars, and Sony's Mike Weir comment about this camera being a "classic" meaning not much follow through because, well, it's a classic, could be borne out.

I wish I didn't want one but it does touch a lot of my hot buttons.

What would seal the deal for me is a high quality lens adapter, or two, that turned the camera into a full frame 25mm (or 28) | 35mm | and 85mm camera *system*. That and in-camera or post cropping for other effective focal lengths will make it versatile enough for my purposes.

I've been carrying the GXR with a full bag of lenses for most of the last year, with a couple of one month stints in between carrying just camera and one lens. Just as it as when I owned an X100, I find one camera one lens tends to be with me almost 100% of the time, but carrying a multi-lens kit (and camera) happens rarely.

Perhaps I should sell off my ZM25/2.8 which I use on the GXR / APS-C m mount module to approximate a 35mm, and my ZM35/2 which I really love even on APS-C but prefer on 35mm film (and would love on a M9 or M)... and carry the RX1 instead and actually get 35 on 35 in a camera that like the X100 would always be with me.

I've got a pre-order in while I sort all this out in my mind.

Hands on experience and many more samples - not from Sony - are coming next week as of Oct 8 once the cameras in in reviewer hands and the embargo is lifted. Or have I said that already...

Mike

It is a lot to sort through in your mind. I have also found that more often than not one lens (in my case 50) takes care of most of what I do. At one stage I had too many lenses, and at that time my camera was a large FF. They were great lenses, but some received less and less use. Finally, I sold them all and grabbed a GF1 and two lenses, and worked with that small kit for nearly two years just to hone my skills and find what I loved to shoot.

I am very happy with my current camera and lenses, (X-Pro 1) and will stick with them for a while. But I sense that in the long run I would be happy with something that has the current cameras' image quality and a 50, and then a FF with a few primes and wides for landscape work.

Greetings from the unusually sunny wet west coast!

The trend for both of us has been smaller for sure. My current bag weighs less than one of my medium format lenses... well almost, that's barely an exaggeration. Size wise... about the same. But I loved that huge hunk of glass though... man it was great. Sigh.

My late 1970's Contax almost always had a 28mm stuck on the front and was small enough to carry everywhere, certainly by todays DSLR standards. 28mm is too wide for me now for a one lens camera; now I'd even prefer a 40ish mm perspective, but 35 I know I can work with for much of what I like to do plus there's sufficient pixel count to permit cropping without meaningful IQ loss.

What I'm mostly worried about is the short telephoto end of things but may depend on the GXR for that, not a bad solution really.

Meanwhile, it's one camera one lens for me until such time as I decide the RX1 will work for me or I cancel my pre-order.

The list price makes sure that supply=demand. Sell them any cheaper and there would be a waiting list (forever).

Be aware of the lens defects: The Online Photographer: Lens Test

But serious, one of these and another one with 100mm f2 would cover 99% of my needs. I saw it at photokina and was surprised how small it is. Being used to my RX100 I“m sure it would feel good in my big hands.

Wolfgang

It is an amazing feat of engineering to put that technology and full frame sensor into that sized body so for that Sony deserves great credit, they are the innovators and have done what many have asked for (and many said couldn't be done) first.

I have no problem with it being a fixed lens (I have the X100 and it is a great easy carry camera), fixed lenses in many respects allow us to hone our personal skill set as we get used to the restrictions, we learn to move to compose rather than zoom/change lenses and if that is a price we have to pay and the reward is full frame quality equivalent to the D800 the I would not complain.

The leaf shutter will be silent to use and with a max shutter speed of 1/2000 allows ample flash capabilities as well as sufficing for most peoples needs (analogue Leicas still only give 1/1000).

I like the idea of this camera with optical viewfinder for street work as it will be small, fast and offer great quality of image in a smaller less obtrusive package than a full frame DSLR, it will also serve for good landscape/cityscape images so if it does what it should say on the box, I for one will be interested...............only when the price comes down though!

Originally Posted by JJJPhoto

I know leaf shutters typically have problems opening up to the widest aperture at high shutter speeds because of the way they work in the lens, but being limited to 1/2000 at any aperture wider than f/4 REALLY stinks ... particularly at this price point.

My medium format lenses all had leaf shutters in them and each one cost more than a RX1. Most of my lenses maxed out at 1/500th of a second; two could reach 1/1000th.

If I knew this was going to be problematic for the shooting conditions, I used lower ISO film. With interchangeable backs and dark slides this wasn't a horrible inconvenience but wasn't nearly as convenient as the ISO dial/control on a digital camera. :)

Guess what... from what I was able to unearth at a Japanese language site, it looks like you can pull the RX1 down from base ISO to ISO 50 and move up from there in 1/3 stops... 50, 64, 80, 100 and so on.

If this proves to be the case, I'm quite a happy camper. A full stop slower than any digital compact I've owned ought to compensate for 1/2000th @f2 max shutter speed.

If that's not enough, or if the feature isn't as I've read, I have no problem at all popping a B+W neutral density filter on the camera. This isn't an additional expense at all, for me, as ND filters are a standard piece of equipment, for me, useful for much more than achieving max aperture in bright conditions.

Ooops, meant to mention that as the embargo has now been lifted, early sample images from other photographer / reviewers are starting to roll in. We need a new thread!

DP Review

Just Posted: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 sample images: Digital Photography Review

Steve Huff
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/20

Imaging Resource
Sony RX1 Gallery shots posted! - Imaging Resource

Originally Posted by Amin Sabet

Attachment 4467
Link: Flickr: Sony Electronics' stuff tagged with sonyrx1

They look really good, don't they? Superb resolution, beautiful colors, lovely bokeh...

If not for the price, I'd be standing on line outside of my local Sony Style Store on release day.

.. the most Seriously over-priced Compact ...

This could be even a mini-system camera - add in a dedicated wide and tele-converter. With a 2x telephoto effect at full aperture it could be quite a good portrait set up.

But still not even weather sealed at such a price and with a fixed lens - rather sad.