Sony DSC-RX100M III Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera Review

Product Description

Absolutely stunning picture quality, compact enough to take anywhere. Now your photos maintain soft background defocus even when zoomed in with the improved f1.8-2.8 24-70mm Carl Zeiss lens. There's even a pop-up electronic viewfinder for eye-level framing and a 180 tilt screen for 20.1MP selfies. Lastly, the ultra-fast BIONZ X processor adds speed and accuracy for stills as well as beautiful HD video.

From the Manufacturer

Absolutely stunning picture quality, compact enough to take anywhere. Now your photos maintain soft background defocus even when zoomed in with the improved f1.8-2.8 24-70mm Zeiss lens. There's even a pop-up electronic viewfinder for eye-level framing and a 180ｰdegree tiltable screen for 20.1MP⁴ selfies. Lastly, the ultra-fast BIONZ X processor adds speed and accuracy for stills as well as beautiful HD video.

Technology

20.1MP⁴ 1-inch Exmor R Sensor

Featuring a large 1.0” Exmor R CMOS image sensor. The back-illuminated technology doubles light sensitivity and combines with Sony’s Column A/D Conversion to reduce noise levels — a great help when photographing in dimly lit environments. Markedly reduced noise is evident even when high-sensitivity settings are used for capturing night landscapes or indoor scenes.

ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 lens

The DSC-RX100 III sports an all new bright F1.8-2.8 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 24-70mm zoom. The lens is perfect for portraits and macro shots with beautiful defocused - bokeh backgrounds. A premium multi-layered T* coating also dramatically reduces ghost and flare caused by light reflection.

Built-in SVGA OLED viewfinder w/ Zeiss T* coating

View every scene in rich detail with the bright and retractable SVGA OLED Tru-Finder. The viewfinder faithfully displays what will appear in your recording, including the effects of your camera settings, so you can accurately monitor the results. The Zeiss T* coating enhances clarity and reduces flare and reflection in the eyepiece optics.

Selfie-ready multi-angle 3" Xtra Fine LCD display

Selfies have never been easier with a beautiful 3” (1,229k dots) Xtra Fine LCD Display that rotates in multiple angles. This also makes it easy to photograph over crowds or low to capture pets eye to eye by swinging up and down approximately 180 degrees. Easily scroll through menus and preview your shot thanks to WhiteMagic technology that dramatically increases visibility in bright daylight. The large display delivers brilliant-quality still images and movies while enabling easy focusing operation.

Versatile shooting w/ XAVC S², AVCHD and MP4 codecs¹

The DSC-RX100 III records HD movies¹ in the XAVC S² format, which uses MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 for video compression and linear PCM for audio compression, while saving files in a MP4 wrapper. The highly compressed files allow extensive record times. With 50Mbps Full HD (1920x1080) 60p high quality video recording, XAVC S enables beautiful video recording with minimal compression noise even in scenes with a lot of movement. Linear PCM is adopted for audio compression. The camera also records in AVCHD, ideal for quality video for HDTV and Blu-ray Disc burning. Additionally, users can shoot the easily shareable MP4 HD video, ideal for web.

Built-in ND filter for wider-ranging photographic expression

Realize a wider range of photographic expression with built-in 1/8 (3 EV steps) ND filter that allows exposure adjustment in bright scenes.

HDMI clear output for uncompressed video recordings³

Clear, uncompressed digital movie signal output can be transferred to an external monitor/recorder (connected via the HDMI terminal) simultaneously in real time from the RX100 III³. The shooting info display can be turned off for even cleaner views of such movies on an external monitor/recorder. Frame rates include 24p, 60p and 60i.

Comfortable control ring for manual operation

A unique control ring around the lens works in combination with an intuitive, displayed user interface for meticulous SLR-type control over settings that satisfies even the most fastidious users. The control ring can be assigned to adjust various features (at various values) from basics like zooming and aperture to creative functions like Picture Effect. Moreover, it turns smoothly and seamlessly, allowing quiet, click-free usage while shooting movies including a new step-zoom function that enables instant selection of commonly used focal lengths.

Simple connectivity to smartphones via Wi-Fi w/ NFC

Connectivity with smartphones for One-touch sharing/One-touch remote has been simplified with Wi-Fi/NFC control. In addition to Wi-Fi support for connecting to smartphones, the DSC-RX100 III also supports NFC (near field communication) - providing “touch connection” convenience when transferring images to compatible Android smartphones and tablets. Users need only touch devices to connect; no complex set-up is required. Moreover, when using Smart Remote Control — a feature that allows shutter release to be controlled by a smartphone — connection between DSC-RX100 III and the smartphone can be established by simply touching devices.

Enhance your camera with PlayMemories Camera Apps¹¹

Personalize your camera by adding new features of your choice with PlayMemories Camera Apps. Find apps to fit your shooting style from portraits, detailed close-ups, sports, time lapse, motion shot and much more. Use apps that shoot, share and save photos using Wi-Fi that make it easy to control and view your camera from smartphone, and post photos directly to Facebook or backup images to the cloud without connecting to a computer.

User rating and reviews

I highly recommend this book for the RX100M3 by Gary Friedman. I bought it and love it

I bought this camera because of its faster lens (f/1.8 to f2.8), which means, to me, more light entering onto the cameras sensor which, in turn, means to me slightly better images than previous models. Which translate to a shallower depth of field available. And that's exactly what I like and want in this model, and precisely why I bought it, even though I also have the previous M2 model. One thing I want to note here before I go on. The Aperture seems to move quite fast from 1.8 to 2.8 thru the smaller zoom range. In that, a case could be made that this lens is more of a steady 2.8 thru out the zoom range.

So then what exactly did I get with this upgrade from my M2 to my new M3? Well, you've got the newer Bionz X processer. The new 180 degree LCD (for Selfies if you are so inclined). The pop-up EVF (which is an innovation in and of itself, and a help with image stabilization when pressed against my face). Zebra pattern and focus peaking which is available on my RX10 and now the M3.

I feel the 24mm-70mm lens (though not the same reach as my previous M2 model - 28-100mm) is a good walk-around lens. And since I have been using this same zoom range for a long time on my DSLRs, I feel very comfortable with this zoom range in a very capable and now compact camera. When I use this for portraits at the long end of 70mm I expect to shoot mostly 1/2 to 3/4 body shots to full body shots. As opposed to the previous models zoom range of 28-100mm where I used it up to head and shoulder shots at the long end.

This camera has the same Bionz X processor that Sony has in their A7 line of cameras (one of which, the A7R, that I have). That was another plus for me in buying this camera. As far as image stabilization, it is important to compact cameras today and thus, to me. And I find that holding the camera up to my face while using the EVF gives me the 'feel' of a more stabilized shot. And my pictures look better to me. This is important to me because now that I am in my 60's, try as I might, holding the M2 or my smartphone without an EVF - is not as steady as I'd like it to be or as I remember it was when I was younger. And I need image stabilization in lower light. And this EVF on my new compact M3 seems to provide that for me. The only 'unofficial' (perhaps non-technical) test I could do with this camera was to zoom it out to 70mm, and hold the shutter half-way to see how much 'lock' I had on the image. Then I tried it with my M2. My observation was that I did see an improved difference with the M3.

There is a slight difference in camera size from the previous model (which I also have). The thickness of this model is about 2mm more. And the weight is about 8 to 9 grams more. What this also means in terms of fitting a leather case to it is that my previous models Sony leather case will not fit this camera. You're going to need the Sony LCJRXF/B Premium Jacket Case (Black). This new case will fit all previous models as well as this model. Just as the Sony LCJRXC/B Premium Jacket Case (Black) would only fit the M2 as well as the M1. Some people think that the case for the M2 will also fit the M3. It will not. I have tried it. I also recommend the custom camera grip by Richard Franiec (camera accessories by Richard Franiec). This goes for about 35$ and is worth its weight in gold - to me. It is far better than the Sony grip that I used on the M2 for 15$. Its made of metal (anodized aluminium) is sleek looking, feels good quality and solid, and gives you a good grip on the camera while still maintaining the cameras pocketability (because it doesn't protrude past the lens assembly). Of course with the camera grip added, the M3 will not fit in the Sony Leather camera case. So it is either one or the other. So to get around this I ordered another OP/TECH USA Soft Pouch Digital D-Micro (Black) for my M3 which I also have for the M2. And it fits great.

If my review was any help with your decision to purchase, and I hope I was of some help, kindly choose 'Yes' in the comments section below. Thank You. Richard