Paul Giguere
www.paulgiguere.com
- Location
- Wayland, MA USA
[NOTE: The essay below was originally posted to my blog (www.paulgiguere.com) thus the introduction is slanted towards a more general public than people in this forum.]
By now many of you have probably heard about the Sony RX1. The worlds first compact full-frame camera that offers stunning image quality and superior camera and lens craftsmanship. You may also have heard it's price, an eye-watering $2800. Add some premium accessories and extra batteries and you are looking at $3200 to $3400 or so.
After reading several early reviews of the camera (most notably Steve Huff's review Steve Huff Reviews - Camera & HiFi Reviews), I decided to order one from B&H Photo and try it out. After all, I could always return it within 30 days (no questions asked which is what makes B&H a class act). A little background though. . .
A couple of years ago I was forced to sell my Canon 5D and a couple of L-class lens to pay for the removal of several trees around my house which my arborist called widow-makers. I then used my Ricoh GRD3 exclusively for all of my photography but I still felt the pull of a full-frame sensor camera and the kinds of images possible when using a great lens. Fast forward to December 1st, 2012 when the price on a Canon 5D MKII dropped below $1700 (due in no small part to the 5D MKIII and the 6D cameras either being available or on the horizon). I thought long and hard of getting the 5DMKII and a 35mm L lens. The pricing would have been similar (around $3300 with accessories). With the EVF and lens hood though, the price for the Sony goes for around $3300 or so. So, from a price standpoint a wash (no advantage either way).
I should also mention that I typically do not need lots of lens for my cameras. I typically only use 28mm or 35mm. A 50mm lens would be like a telephoto lens to me. In other words, I usually only have one or two lens at the most for my cameras (that allow for interchangeable lens) but I typically use 28mm or 35mm (no preference; either focal length feels just perfect to me).
I was ready to push the Order button on my cart for the Mark II and the 35mmL when my wife reminded me that unless I was doing studio work or "planned" photography where I needed the 5D, it always stayed home. In other words, I never used the 5D as a walk-around camera or a camera that I just grab when I was going out. It was just too heavy and bulky. Everywhere I went people turned away. Even people who would let me take a photo of them looked uneasy with such a big camera and lens pointing at them. About 99% of the time, I took the compact camera (my Ricoh GRD 3 and now 4 in this case) and the 5D stayed in it's bag unused unless I needed it for a very specific purpose. After reconsidering this, I decided that the RX1 would probably meet all of my needs and so I ordered one. Some observations having "played" with the camera for a few weeks:
- The camera truly is compact. Yes, the lens does stick out a bit but it is still much smaller than any DSLR any day.
- The RX1 body and lens are of very high quality. This is a very solid camera. I hate to use this comparison but it reminds me how a Leica M9 feels in my hands (solid, like it was carved out of a single metal block). Even the indicators and measures are carved into the body (not just painted). With the exception of the battery/memory card door (which feels a little flimsy given the rest of the camera), everything is just feels very well made.
- The image quality is amazing (in no small part to the great Zeiss 35mm lens and Sony's latest FF sensor). I don't have samples to post as I have just been eye-balling indoors (I'm still recovering from hip surgery and thus have not been able to make decent photos) but you can find samples everywhere. And yes, the bokeh of this lens is truly amazing (and satisfying) when opened wide at f2.0.
- The focus, while it is not the fastest by any means, is actually quite good (even in low light). I've made test shots in all kinds of lighting conditions and focus (or auto white balance for that matter) aren't a problem at all for me.
- The camera is very customizable (every button and dial for the most part can be programmed the way you like). Yes, Sony included some features I will never use like face recognition and various scene modes but these are easily ignored. Once I had the buttons programmed the way I like them, I found the RX1 intuitive to use.
- Manual focus works very well (focus peaking, focus enlargement, etc.). I also find it easy to zone focus manually and just leave the lens focused out to where I want it (something that I have come to appreciate with the Ricoh cameras and the snap shot feature). There is a problem though, the RX1 does not remember your manual focus setting between power-ups (unless I'm missing something here). This means either setting the camera to not go to sleep for longer periods of time or just refocusing (using the focusing wheel on the lens). Since refocusing is very easy and fast (and I don't want to drain my batteries down too quickly) this is the method I use when appropriate for the situation. Otherwise, autofocus fits my needs nicely.
- As I mentioned above, a 35mm focal length is ideal and what I use 99% of time anyway so having the ability to change a lens is not a requirement for me.
My list of issues or problems is very small:
- Yes, the price is very high for this camera but you are getting a quality camera for the price. If you can afford this camera and it meets your needs, then the price is not so bad. The problem is that there are many photographers who would love this camera for whom the price puts the camera out of reach (the problem with any high-end item; think Leica. . . I would love a Leica Monochrom with a 35mm f2.0 lens but it will never happen in this lifetime). I've read comments from people saying the camera should have been priced at $1500 or $1600. That's just ridiculous. Considering the construction and quality, the lens alone would go for about $1200 if it were interchangeable. I'm thinking that a better price would have been around $2200 (and it might go down to that once the camera has been on the market for a few months and the early adopters have made their purchase).
- I also think the accessories are way overpriced. The EVF costs $450 (which is not that outrageous but is at the top of the cost spectrum). The lens hood ($180) should have been included with the camera as well as an extra battery. The optical viewfinder is priced around $600 (you can get a Voightlander for $210 which is every bit as good). There is also a thumb-grip that sits in the hot shoe that seems quite handy (particularly if you use a viewfinder) but at $250, not handy enough for me. Also, the thumb-grip blocks the contacts on the hot shoe so you can't use the EVF or a flash unit when using the thumb-grip (stupid).
- The batteries used in the RX1 are the same exact batteries used in the Sony RX100 (the super compact that Sony released this past summer). This means that the batteries need to be changed more often (especially if you chimp your photos a lot or access the menus all of the time). No big deal (a bigger battery would have meant a bigger camera) but I feel I need at least two spare batteries for this camera to keep me going for a day of making photos. I'm sure the full-frame sensor sucks more power out of the batteries than a smaller sensor would. Perhaps with the EVF (no LCD) the power usage will drop and I will get more photos out of a battery (we shall see).
- As I said, the battery/memory card door seems a bit flimsy. I will just need to be careful swapping out batteries and cards.
Anyway, issues aside, I decided that this is the right/perfect camera for me. It is a camera that I can easily see myself grabbing when I'm going out the door or I'm working on a documentary photo project. This could also be good street photography camera if it weren't for the lack or manual focus memory between power-ups (I'll stick with my Ricoh GRD4 when I'm specifically doing street photography anyway). I did order the lens hood (a habit, I always use a lens hood) and the electronic viewfinder. I'm not particularly a fan of EVF's but I want to give this one a try. The RX1 feels like a camera that makes me want to hold it up to me eye to compose so if the EVF doesn't feel right to me, then I'll get the Voightlander (and maybe the thumb-grip; in for a penny in for a pound as they say).
Paul
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
By now many of you have probably heard about the Sony RX1. The worlds first compact full-frame camera that offers stunning image quality and superior camera and lens craftsmanship. You may also have heard it's price, an eye-watering $2800. Add some premium accessories and extra batteries and you are looking at $3200 to $3400 or so.
After reading several early reviews of the camera (most notably Steve Huff's review Steve Huff Reviews - Camera & HiFi Reviews), I decided to order one from B&H Photo and try it out. After all, I could always return it within 30 days (no questions asked which is what makes B&H a class act). A little background though. . .
A couple of years ago I was forced to sell my Canon 5D and a couple of L-class lens to pay for the removal of several trees around my house which my arborist called widow-makers. I then used my Ricoh GRD3 exclusively for all of my photography but I still felt the pull of a full-frame sensor camera and the kinds of images possible when using a great lens. Fast forward to December 1st, 2012 when the price on a Canon 5D MKII dropped below $1700 (due in no small part to the 5D MKIII and the 6D cameras either being available or on the horizon). I thought long and hard of getting the 5DMKII and a 35mm L lens. The pricing would have been similar (around $3300 with accessories). With the EVF and lens hood though, the price for the Sony goes for around $3300 or so. So, from a price standpoint a wash (no advantage either way).
I should also mention that I typically do not need lots of lens for my cameras. I typically only use 28mm or 35mm. A 50mm lens would be like a telephoto lens to me. In other words, I usually only have one or two lens at the most for my cameras (that allow for interchangeable lens) but I typically use 28mm or 35mm (no preference; either focal length feels just perfect to me).
I was ready to push the Order button on my cart for the Mark II and the 35mmL when my wife reminded me that unless I was doing studio work or "planned" photography where I needed the 5D, it always stayed home. In other words, I never used the 5D as a walk-around camera or a camera that I just grab when I was going out. It was just too heavy and bulky. Everywhere I went people turned away. Even people who would let me take a photo of them looked uneasy with such a big camera and lens pointing at them. About 99% of the time, I took the compact camera (my Ricoh GRD 3 and now 4 in this case) and the 5D stayed in it's bag unused unless I needed it for a very specific purpose. After reconsidering this, I decided that the RX1 would probably meet all of my needs and so I ordered one. Some observations having "played" with the camera for a few weeks:
- The camera truly is compact. Yes, the lens does stick out a bit but it is still much smaller than any DSLR any day.
- The RX1 body and lens are of very high quality. This is a very solid camera. I hate to use this comparison but it reminds me how a Leica M9 feels in my hands (solid, like it was carved out of a single metal block). Even the indicators and measures are carved into the body (not just painted). With the exception of the battery/memory card door (which feels a little flimsy given the rest of the camera), everything is just feels very well made.
- The image quality is amazing (in no small part to the great Zeiss 35mm lens and Sony's latest FF sensor). I don't have samples to post as I have just been eye-balling indoors (I'm still recovering from hip surgery and thus have not been able to make decent photos) but you can find samples everywhere. And yes, the bokeh of this lens is truly amazing (and satisfying) when opened wide at f2.0.
- The focus, while it is not the fastest by any means, is actually quite good (even in low light). I've made test shots in all kinds of lighting conditions and focus (or auto white balance for that matter) aren't a problem at all for me.
- The camera is very customizable (every button and dial for the most part can be programmed the way you like). Yes, Sony included some features I will never use like face recognition and various scene modes but these are easily ignored. Once I had the buttons programmed the way I like them, I found the RX1 intuitive to use.
- Manual focus works very well (focus peaking, focus enlargement, etc.). I also find it easy to zone focus manually and just leave the lens focused out to where I want it (something that I have come to appreciate with the Ricoh cameras and the snap shot feature). There is a problem though, the RX1 does not remember your manual focus setting between power-ups (unless I'm missing something here). This means either setting the camera to not go to sleep for longer periods of time or just refocusing (using the focusing wheel on the lens). Since refocusing is very easy and fast (and I don't want to drain my batteries down too quickly) this is the method I use when appropriate for the situation. Otherwise, autofocus fits my needs nicely.
- As I mentioned above, a 35mm focal length is ideal and what I use 99% of time anyway so having the ability to change a lens is not a requirement for me.
My list of issues or problems is very small:
- Yes, the price is very high for this camera but you are getting a quality camera for the price. If you can afford this camera and it meets your needs, then the price is not so bad. The problem is that there are many photographers who would love this camera for whom the price puts the camera out of reach (the problem with any high-end item; think Leica. . . I would love a Leica Monochrom with a 35mm f2.0 lens but it will never happen in this lifetime). I've read comments from people saying the camera should have been priced at $1500 or $1600. That's just ridiculous. Considering the construction and quality, the lens alone would go for about $1200 if it were interchangeable. I'm thinking that a better price would have been around $2200 (and it might go down to that once the camera has been on the market for a few months and the early adopters have made their purchase).
- I also think the accessories are way overpriced. The EVF costs $450 (which is not that outrageous but is at the top of the cost spectrum). The lens hood ($180) should have been included with the camera as well as an extra battery. The optical viewfinder is priced around $600 (you can get a Voightlander for $210 which is every bit as good). There is also a thumb-grip that sits in the hot shoe that seems quite handy (particularly if you use a viewfinder) but at $250, not handy enough for me. Also, the thumb-grip blocks the contacts on the hot shoe so you can't use the EVF or a flash unit when using the thumb-grip (stupid).
- The batteries used in the RX1 are the same exact batteries used in the Sony RX100 (the super compact that Sony released this past summer). This means that the batteries need to be changed more often (especially if you chimp your photos a lot or access the menus all of the time). No big deal (a bigger battery would have meant a bigger camera) but I feel I need at least two spare batteries for this camera to keep me going for a day of making photos. I'm sure the full-frame sensor sucks more power out of the batteries than a smaller sensor would. Perhaps with the EVF (no LCD) the power usage will drop and I will get more photos out of a battery (we shall see).
- As I said, the battery/memory card door seems a bit flimsy. I will just need to be careful swapping out batteries and cards.
Anyway, issues aside, I decided that this is the right/perfect camera for me. It is a camera that I can easily see myself grabbing when I'm going out the door or I'm working on a documentary photo project. This could also be good street photography camera if it weren't for the lack or manual focus memory between power-ups (I'll stick with my Ricoh GRD4 when I'm specifically doing street photography anyway). I did order the lens hood (a habit, I always use a lens hood) and the electronic viewfinder. I'm not particularly a fan of EVF's but I want to give this one a try. The RX1 feels like a camera that makes me want to hold it up to me eye to compose so if the EVF doesn't feel right to me, then I'll get the Voightlander (and maybe the thumb-grip; in for a penny in for a pound as they say).
Paul
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD