Sony Another new RX100 (original) owner checking in ...

[JCinPA]

Just popping in here to have a look around. I am going on a tour/cruise from Istanbul to Venice with my wife next year and I wanted a smaller camera than my Canon 60D for quick shots when in a restaurant or shop or around the ship, but better than my iPhone. I did NOT want a 'bridge' camera, some of the larger mirrorless that are a step down from the prosumer DSLRs, but I still wanted a decent sensor and features that wouldn't leave me feeling unsatisfied. After a bit of research, settled on the Sony RX100.

Wow! For what I wanted, it is PERFECT! I could not be happier. I got a comprehensive-looking book on it by Alexander White, and am getting used to it now. I don't have any real questions, just wanted to check in. My first impression, though, is this camera deserves the accolades it has garnered.

I don't feel the need to always get the latest and greatest, and now that they are up to model III (the fourth?), the original is available at well under half the price of the current iteration, so I snagged one. You can still find some of the original DSC-RX100s for a really nice price, and if you are thinking of getting one, but the $800 price tag on the latest model puts you off, look for one of the originals!

Cheers,

John

 

[Biro]

The original RX100 is still a solid camera. Glad yours is working out nicely.

 

[bilzmale]

Congrats on the new camera John, and welcome to the Lounge.

 

[Deleted member 6640]

Welcome John and congratulations for the new camera! I had mk3 as my primary camera at one point but didn't really feel the Sony UI. However now that the prices are going down, I'm tempted to get mk1 or mk2 for the reach to go with my GR.
Looking forward to see your photos.

 

[mattia]

I really love my mk I - I mostly use it for underwater photography (hits a sweet spot for size/performance for me - you can shoot wide open and still get adequate depth of field, and the housing takes add-on lenses for ultra wide and macro purposes) but it's also frequently in the pocket when I want something a little more capable than my iphone but can't be bothered with the full-sized gear. I actually bought a second just in case I flood the housing one day and they're no longer available, and will probably buy a third when prices drop even further :-D

 

[PJacobs]

Welcome Mattia! Looking forward to some pictures of your tour.
I'm looking for a housing for a Olympus XZ-1 but have no experience.. can you recommend something?
They seem quite expensive compared to some sort of action cam..
EDIT: Chinese maker Xiaomi challenges GoPro with new Yi Action Camera

 

[mattia]

A good housing is an expensive, high quality bit of kit, and will usually be more expensive (by some margin) that the camera inside. If you're just snorkeling, you can do fine with a cheaper plastic housing. If video without too much control of framing or zooming is what you want, the GoPro is really tough to beat in terms of bang for the buck. And underwater photography is HARD, much more difficult (I find) than stuff on land, because you need to be diving well enough to not worry about buoyancy not hold your breath too much so you float off, and it's dark underwater, so ideally you'll want strobes (although a filter and post-processing and high ISO goes a decent ways). The housing is one thing, the additional wet lenses aren't cheap either, although I save a ton by going second hand. I sometimes ponder getting a full underwater housing setup for my A7r, but I don't dive enough or shoot well enough to warrant the 4000+ dollars the housing, strobes and ports would cost me. I'm realistic enough to understand I'm the limiting factor at this stage of my underwater photography evolution ;-)

I've got an Acquapazza full aluminum housing for the RX100, which gives me access to every feature and control down to depths I'll never dive. Look at BlueWaterPhoto and the like for housings for your specific models.

I feel like I'm only just getting the hang of the underwater photography thing, and I've noticed a pretty steep learning curve. Strobes are next on my to buy list, rented one and it opened up a new world of options, particularly for macro stuff. A few samples:

Natural light, from Mafia Island, Tanzania:

DSC07525_DxO by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

DSC07922_DxO by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

DSC07566_DxO by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

A few from NZ and Australia, some with strobe, some natural lighting (fairly obvious which is which...)

Clown Fish by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Minke Whale by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

The Curious Green by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Blue Maomao Arch by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Big Fish by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

 

[Steve Cohan]

A good housing is an expensive, high quality bit of kit, and will usually be more expensive (by some margin) that the camera inside. If you're just snorkeling, you can do fine with a cheaper plastic housing. If video without too much control of framing or zooming is what you want, the GoPro is really tough to beat in terms of bang for the buck. And underwater photography is HARD, much more difficult (I find) than stuff on land, because you need to be diving well enough to not worry about buoyancy not hold your breath too much so you float off, and it's dark underwater, so ideally you'll want strobes (although a filter and post-processing and high ISO goes a decent ways). The housing is one thing, the additional wet lenses aren't cheap either, although I save a ton by going second hand. I sometimes ponder getting a full underwater housing setup for my A7r, but I don't dive enough or shoot well enough to warrant the 4000+ dollars the housing, strobes and ports would cost me. I'm realistic enough to understand I'm the limiting factor at this stage of my underwater photography evolution ;-)

I've got an Acquapazza full aluminum housing for the RX100, which gives me access to every feature and control down to depths I'll never dive. Look at BlueWaterPhoto and the like for housings for your specific models.

I feel like I'm only just getting the hang of the underwater photography thing, and I've noticed a pretty steep learning curve. Strobes are next on my to buy list, rented one and it opened up a new world of options, particularly for macro stuff. A few samples:

Natural light, from Mafia Island, Tanzania:

DSC07525_DxO by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

DSC07922_DxO by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

DSC07566_DxO by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

A few from NZ and Australia, some with strobe, some natural lighting (fairly obvious which is which...)

Clown Fish by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Minke Whale by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

The Curious Green by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Blue Maomao Arch by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Big Fish by Mattia Valente, on Flickr

Wow, those are National Geographic quality images. Nice work!!

 

[serhan]

Great shots, esp the close shots of the sea turtle and the orange fish