Sunday 23 December 2012

Review: Sony DSC RX-100


Sony hopes to challenge the big boys with its little compact.
WE have heard a lot of good things about Sony's latest compact camera, the DSC-RX100.
The camera has powerful features and it'll be interesting to see how it fares in a world dominated by DSLRs and mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILCs).
It is impressive just how much Sony managed to cram into such a small frame. The body itself is made from aluminium which gives it a solid look and feel.
The camera is designed such that it gives users easy access to manual controls. For instance, the control ring that wraps around the lens can be customised to do just about anything such as focusing, zooming, adjusting aperture and changing ISO settings.
There's also a function button for quickly adjusting settings like ­exposure compensation, white ­balance, d-range optimiser and ­creative filters (of which there are 13).
MORE CONTROL: The dial around the RX100's lens is invaluable for making fine adjustments on the fly.MORE CONTROL: The dial around the RX100's lens is invaluable for making fine adjustments on the fly.
However, it lacks some features found on larger MILCs like an accessory port and electronic viewfinder (which can come in handy when outdoors).
The RX100 also doesn't have built-in WiFi which is disappointing because this is just the type of camera that would benefit from being able to upload photos directly to social networking sites.
Also, while the metallic body is cool, it's a little hard to hold and a bit ­slippery.
Features aplenty
The RX100 features a 20.2-megapixel sensor, a fast f/1.8 Carl Zeiss lens, an ISO range of 125 to 6,400, and is capable of shooting at up to 10fps (frames per second) in continuous shooting Speed Priority mode.
The RX100 has enough creative options to satisfy ­experienced users with the usual PASM modes on the mode dial, as well as two Intelligent Auto modes to help less experienced photographers.
RICH COLOURS: The 3in screen on the back acts as your viewfinder and you have a number of controls on the back to tweak the camera settings to your liking.RICH COLOURS: The 3in screen on the back acts as your viewfinder and you have a number of controls on the back to tweak the camera settings to your liking.
Sony also has included features like Sweep Panorama, an easy way to take a panoramic scene without the need for a ­tripod or editing in Photoshop afterwards.
There are also Picture Effect filters like tilt shift, partial colour and soft focus but we are most impressed with the illustration and watercolour filters, which we have not seen in other cameras of the same class.
The two effects take a bit of processing after each shot but the results are quite pleasing, as it gives pictures an artistic makeover.
Speed demon
The camera's startup time is incredibly fast. From the moment you turn it on, the RX100 is ready to take a shot and almost instantly gets a focus lock on a subject.
It still can't beat the speed of a DSLR but it's good for situations when you want to snap a shot ­quickly.
HANDY: The RX100 can be charged using a microUSB cable just like most smartphones which is convenient.HANDY: The RX100 can be charged using a microUSB cable just like most smartphones which is convenient.
The same can be said of the camera's lightning quick autofocus which worked well in most situations although it was a bit inaccurate in dimly lit areas.
Again, it's not as fast as a DSLR but impressive nonetheless for a compact camera.
But what took us by surprise is the image quality - the photos turned out sharp with great colours and dynamic range.
The combination of its wide-aperture lens and large sensor allows the RX100 to shoot great looking bokeh (blurred backgrounds) photos and perform well in low-light situations.
Not only are the images crisp and sharp but the ISO performance is worlds apart from that of a regular compact camera.
At ISO 1,600, for instance, the images are clear of noise with little softening. For most compacts, the image would have turned out blurry and looked like a mosaic painting.
The camera also offers the option to shoot in RAW format for those who like to tweak their images to the max.
Just like most modern cameras, the RX100 is capable of recording videos in full HD in AVCHD format. We found the video quality to be acceptable but it's definitely isn't as good as the RX100's photo taking capabilities.
The built-in stereo microphones do a decent job but if you want to capture speech clearly it would be next to impossible in a noisy environment.
There is also the option of recording in MP4 format although this lowers the video resolution to 1,440 x 1,080 which is no longer full HD.
In terms of battery life, the RX100 shot about 300 photos on a single charge. Interestingly, it is charged over microUSB, the very same way most smartphones are, so it's easy to keep it powered.
Last shot
Smaller than a MILC, the RX100 offers great ­performance and will serve well as a secondary ­camera for DSLR owners who travel often.
The combination of solid design with a fast lens and great picture taking capabilities makes it a perfect ­compact for serious photographers.
ODD: The RX100's HDMI port is strangely located on the bottom of the camera.ODD: The RX100's HDMI port is strangely located on the bottom of the camera.
Another thing going for it is the control interface which makes it easy for shutter bugs to tweak ­settings on the fly.
However, it's not perfect. For instance, the HD video recording capability could have been better.
It's also not cheap - it's priced close to entry-level DSLRs and MILCs.
But if portability is ­paramount then the RX100 is well worth the price of admission.
Pros: Great photo quality; compact size; smartly designed controls for manual shooting.
Cons: Pricey; HD video recording not great.
DSC RX-100
(Sony)
Prosumer compact camera
SENSOR: 20.2-megapixels (5,472 x 3,648-pixels)
VIEWFINDER: 3.0in LCD (1,228,800-dots) TFT LCD
LENS: 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.8 (wide) - f/4.9 (telephoto)
SHUTTER SPEED: 30 sec - 1/2,000sec
ISO RANGE: 100 to 25,600
SHOOTING MODES: Auto, Auto Advanced, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Three Custom modes, Smart Auto, Sweep Panorama, Picture Effect
VIDEO MODE FORMAT: AVCHD (1,920 x 1,080 at 60 fps) or MPEG4 (1,440 x 1,080 at 30 fps)
BATTERY: Lithium-ion NP-BX1
STORAGE: SD/SDHC/SDXC
INTERFACE: MicroUSB port, micro HDMI out
OTHER FEATURES: Face detection, Control Ring, Flash
DIMENSIONS (W x H x D): 102 x 59 x 36mm
WEIGHT: 240g
WEBSITE: www.sony.com.my
PRICE: RM2,499
RATING: 4 stars
- Chong Jinn Xiung (The Star)

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