2012 is obviously a good year for advanced compact cameras. Sony made an impressive debut with its RX100, but they just won't stop there: they are now presenting the very first digital compact camera using a full frame (24 x 36 mm) sensor, the RX1!
On Sony products, it seems "R" means "big sensor": 8.8 x 13.2 mm for the compact-body RX100 (twice the size of usual expert compact sensors), 14 x 21 mm for the old R1 bridge camera. Yet, no one would have bet on a full frame (24 x 36 mm) sensor in a compact body... which is precisely what the new Sony RX1 is about: squeezing electronics from the Alpha 99 DSLR into a camera the size of a Panasonic GX1!
Of course, you'll get no zoom in such a small volume: the RX1 gets a prime lens, with 35 mm focal length and f/2.0 aperture—therefore a good choice for street photography or photo reporting. And even so, the RX1 is already 2.7" thick, which is no longer really compact... Though you should note it's much less bulky than any 35 mm camera using a 35 mm f/2.0 lens—either film-based compacts or Leica M9 with a Summicron 35 mm. Also note that the lens' barrel is well used: it hosts no less than three rings, setting the aperture, auto-focus range and manual focus.
The RX1 is able to continuously take 5 fps at full 24 Mpx resolution and, of course, video is Full HD with 24 to 60 fps; and Sony's usual compact functions are obviously all here—creative filters, hand-held night shot, HDR and so on).
The RX1 has no viewfinder, but those who want it will be able to put one (either optical or electronic) in the hot-shoe, which is standard ISO, not the old Minolta type. By the way, it does include a flash—although Sony tried to make us believe they couldn't put one in the NEX-5R due to size restraints.
Now, you think: all this seems very, very nice, but it won't come cheap, will it?
Well, we honestly couldn't agree more: about €3,200 (£2,500) is quite expensive indeed. Yet, so far, the only competitor we can think of is a Leica M9 range-finder camera, which will be more than twice as expensive if you include any lens—one could also think of full-frame DSLRs, but they are far more bulky.
> Digital Cameras: DSLRs and Big Sensor Camera Reviews
> Photokina 2012: See all news
On Sony products, it seems "R" means "big sensor": 8.8 x 13.2 mm for the compact-body RX100 (twice the size of usual expert compact sensors), 14 x 21 mm for the old R1 bridge camera. Yet, no one would have bet on a full frame (24 x 36 mm) sensor in a compact body... which is precisely what the new Sony RX1 is about: squeezing electronics from the Alpha 99 DSLR into a camera the size of a Panasonic GX1!
Of course, you'll get no zoom in such a small volume: the RX1 gets a prime lens, with 35 mm focal length and f/2.0 aperture—therefore a good choice for street photography or photo reporting. And even so, the RX1 is already 2.7" thick, which is no longer really compact... Though you should note it's much less bulky than any 35 mm camera using a 35 mm f/2.0 lens—either film-based compacts or Leica M9 with a Summicron 35 mm. Also note that the lens' barrel is well used: it hosts no less than three rings, setting the aperture, auto-focus range and manual focus.
The RX1 is able to continuously take 5 fps at full 24 Mpx resolution and, of course, video is Full HD with 24 to 60 fps; and Sony's usual compact functions are obviously all here—creative filters, hand-held night shot, HDR and so on).
The RX1 has no viewfinder, but those who want it will be able to put one (either optical or electronic) in the hot-shoe, which is standard ISO, not the old Minolta type. By the way, it does include a flash—although Sony tried to make us believe they couldn't put one in the NEX-5R due to size restraints.
Now, you think: all this seems very, very nice, but it won't come cheap, will it?
Well, we honestly couldn't agree more: about €3,200 (£2,500) is quite expensive indeed. Yet, so far, the only competitor we can think of is a Leica M9 range-finder camera, which will be more than twice as expensive if you include any lens—one could also think of full-frame DSLRs, but they are far more bulky.
> Digital Cameras: DSLRs and Big Sensor Camera Reviews
> Photokina 2012: See all news
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