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Sony RX100 20.2 MP Premium Compact Digital Camera w/ 1-inch sensor, 28-100mm ZEISS zoom lens, 3” LCD

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$459.99

$ 99 .00 $99.00

In Stock

1.Color:Black


2.Style:Base


About this item

  • Approximately 20.1 megapixels , Exmor CMOS Sensor, 28-100mm equivalent F/18-49 lens, ISO 125-6400 Expandable ISO 80, 100, and 25,600, 3-Inch LCD screen with 12M dots
  • Operating temperature:Approx. 0°C to 40°C (32F° to 104F°).1080p video, Steady-Shot image stabilization,Rear control dial and customizable front control ring
  • Burst Mode (shots)-Approx10 fps,(VGA) Moving Image Size -640x480 30fps Approx3Mbps. Flash range:ISO Auto: approximately 0.3 meter to 17.1 meter (W), approximately 0.55 meter to 6.3 meter (T)
  • Bright F18 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with 36x zoom, Full HD 1080/60p video with manual control and dual record, ,Ultra-slim, sophisticated aluminum body. Extensive features in a sleek camera
  • Dimension: 1016 mm x 581 mm x 359 mm, Weight: 213g (75 oz). Exposure Compensation: +/- 3.0 EV, 1/3 EV step
  • 20.2 MP Exmor"CMOS sensor - extreme low-light shots
  • Bright F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with 3.6x zoom
  • Full HD 1080/60p video with manual control and dual record, 101.6 mm x 58.1 mm x 35.9 mm, 213g (7.5 oz.)
  • 3-Inch Xtra Fine LCD display with bright whites & true blacks
  • Ultra-slim, sophisticated aluminum body


Product Description

Exquisite image quality and creative freedom in a truly compact package. For razor-sharp images and pro-quality defocused backgrounds, the RX100 features a large, 1-Inch sensor and an ultra-bright Carl Zeiss/1.8 lens. It also features a handy control ring for easy access to aperture settings and more for total creative freedom.1-Year Limited Warranty.What's in the box: Micro USB cable, Instruction Manual, Battery NP-BX1, Wrist Strap, AC Adapter AC-UD11 and Shoulder Strap Adapter. For more in depth look, check out the RX-100 . Input Output Terminals: Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0), Micro HDMI, Micro USB. Shutter Speed: iAuto (4-1/2000), Program Auto (1-1/2000), Manual (30-1/2000), Shutter Priority (30-1/2000), Aperture Priority (8-1/2000)

From the Manufacturer



Cyber-shot Digital Camera
DSC-RX100

Exquisite image quality and creative freedom in a truly compact package. For razor-sharp images and pro-quality defocused backgrounds, the RX100 features a large, 1" sensor and an ultra-bright Carl Zeiss f/1.8 lens. It also features a handy control ring for easy access to aperture settings and more for total creative freedom.


Technology



1" Exmor CMOS sensor, 20.2 MP

Compared to the average point and shoot 1/2.3" sensor size, the RX100 boasts a large, specially developed 1" Exmor CMOS sensor to capture more light and reproduce every stunning detail with greater fidelity. Original dual noise reduction & column A/D conversion further decrease noise to ensure smooth, clear reproduction - even in low-light.

Bright F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens

Newly developed large-diameter F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens delivers refined background defocusing - bokeh. A premium multi-layered T* coating also dramatically reduces ghost and flare caused by light reflection.

Wide Range ISO Sensitivity

Shoot in nearly any light with natural results thanks to sensitivity that ranges from ISO 125 to 6400. Auto ISO mode automatically determines the most appropriate setting, or manually expand sensitivity for greater control. The bright lens, extra large sensor and precision image processing work together to ensure remarkably low noise.


Complete Creative Control

Get SLR-like handling with a full range of controls for video and still shooting-from Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual (P/A/S/M) modes for more advanced photographers, to an incredibly effective iAuto mode perfect for beginners. On-screen prompts help you refine your skills and exercise greater creative control.

RAW Image Capture

Save pictures as compact JPEG files, ultra high-quality RAW files, or both at once. When shooting in RAW format, images are saved prior to de-mosaicing or applying white balance, sharpness and color enhancement for maximum latitude when enhancing images on your PC.

Gorgeous Full HD Video

Create amazingly clear, extra-smooth movies with Full HD 1080/60p video capture in the AVCHDâ„¢ Ver. 2.0 (progressive) format at a high frame rate of 60 fps. You can even record fast-moving subjects and dark settings with astonishing clarity thanks to the large image sensor and high-performance lens.


Additional Features


Massive 1" Exmor CMOS sensor, 20.2 MP

The massive Exmor CMOS sensor with 20.2 MP captures ultra-high definition images that take full advantage of the camera’s sharp Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar T* lens. The sensor enables advanced column A/D processing that reduces noise levels, resulting in astonishing low light images with incredible smooth and clear details.

Bright F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 3.6x zoom

Newly developed large-diameter F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens delivers refined background defocusing - bokeh. A premium multi-layered T* coating also dramatically reduces ghost and flare caused by light reflection.

P/A/S/M modes for video and stills

Enjoy a full range of controls for video and still shooting from the beginner's iAUTO mode to P/A/S/M: Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. On-screen prompts help you refine your skills, build your confidence and exercise greater creative control.

Capture JPEG files, RAW files, or both

The DSC-RX100 saves pictures as compact JPEG files and/or ultra-high quality RAW files. RAW files save images prior to de-mosaicing, white balance, sharpness and color enhancement. This retains maximum latitude for enhancing the image on your PC.

Full HD 1080/60p

Record crystal clear movies at the highest resolution available with capabilities for 60p in 1080. This provides stunning, fast motion video with less distortion for playback on your HD TV.2 With dual record of stills and movies, you can shoot both at the same time.

Low-light ISO 6400 sensitivity

ncredibly clear low-light pictures without sacrificing detail, made possible by the low-noise Exmor® CMOS image sensor and refined BIONZ® image processor.

High speed Auto Focus

To improve focusing speed and sensitivity, the Exmor® CMOS sensor uses its rapid throughput to deliver high-quality image signals to the camera’s BIONZ® processor, which provides intelligent response data to a new high speed actuator motor in the lens. The result is fast, DSLR-like focusing speeds even in low light.

Capture the decisive moment with up to 10fps

Capture full 20.2 megapixel resolution images at up to 10 frames per second, helping to ensure that the decisive moment is captured such as the soccer ball flying into the goal. In addition, a mechanical shutter helps reduce distortion when continuously shooting moving subjects.

3" Xtra Fine LCD Display

The 3" (1,229k dots) Xtra Fine LCD Display makes it easy to scroll through menus and preview life. WhiteMagic increases visibility in bright daylight. The large display delivers brilliant-quality still images and movies while enabling easy focusing operation.

Customizable function button

Assign up to seven different functions to the function button, to allow quick access to your most frequently used features.

Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode

Optical SteadyShot™ with Active Mode for blur-free movies even while walking. Camera-shake compensation using Optical SteadyShot/Active Mode has been improved with the addition of new electronic image stabilization. Now it’s easier than ever to obtain sharp, blur-free movies even when zooming in unsteady situations, such as shooting with one hand while walking.

Memory recall

MR (memory recall) mode can memorize up to three groups of the user's preferred settings. Settings include zoom magnification, white balance, exposure compensation, date, and grid lines. This enables quick switching of settings at the right moment.

Sophisticated metal body

The sophisticated aluminum body is lightweight, slim, and strong.

Auto portrait framing

Simply photograph a person and Auto Portrait Framing will save an additional, optimally framed image in portrait or landscape orientation. Combining Face Detection and By Pixel Super Resolution technologies with rule of thirds, Auto Portrait Framing provides beautifully composed and appealingly balanced full resolution portraits.

Auto HDR mode

Captures more scene dynamic range than a single exposure can handle—and more range than photo film. Combines the best highlight detail from one shot, the best mid-tones from a second and the best shadow detail from a third for one incredible shot (up to 6 EV stops). Captures in a split second. (Recommended for still subjects.)

Face Detection/ Registration technology

The camera can automatically detect and register up to eight individual faces and adjust focus, exposure, white balance and flash to help deliver crisp, properly lit images of family and friends. Can prioritize children or adults.

Multi-aspect ratio recording for still images

Capture still images in any of four aspect ratios — 1:1, 2:3, 4:3, or 16:9 (vertical to horizontal). This provided the freedom to choose a ratio that matches the scene or the specific shooting purpose.

3.6x optical/7.2x Clear Image digital zoom

Most digital zooms use electronic cropping to get closer to the subject, resulting in unsharp images. With Clear Image Zoom the powerful processor compares patterns found in adjacent pixels and creates new pixels to match selected patterns, resulting in more realistic, higher-quality images. Clear Image Zoom digitally doubles optical zoom for closer photos.

Built in pop up flash

Enjoy the convenience of flash photography everywhere you go.

Four focusing modes

This camera has two Autofocus modes: Single-shot AF (AF-S) or Continuous AF (AF-C), which tracks moving objects. It also has Manual Focus for manual focusing freedom, and Direct Manual Focus (DMF), that first uses autofocusing to focus on the subject, and then allows fast and easy switching to manual focusing for even more precise adjustment.

Digital level gauge

Digital level gauge to allow easier leveling of the camera.

MF assist and peaking

Manual focus becomes much easier because peaking highlights the edges that are in focus in your choice of three colors (white, red, or yellow). This is especially helpful during macro or portrait photography where your focus setting can make or break your shot.

Multi-frame noise reduction

In this mode, the camera automatically shoots multiple images and layers them to produce a single noise-free image. This method provides noise reduction equivalent to a 2-stop lower shutter speed while maintaining the same aperture setting. Since the Multi Frame NR mode can be used in combination with P/A/S/M modes, it expands the user’s shooting flexibility.

Photo Creativity

The Photo Creativity interface enables you to easily enjoy the creative expression of SLR-quality digital imaging without complex jargon. Changes can be combined/ removed and viewed in real time on the LCD making it a breeze to make adjustments. Choose from several different Photo Creativity functions using the convenient control wheel and center button including; Picture Effect, Background Defocus, Color, Brightness, and Vividness.

Picture Effect mode

Realize your creative potential with Picture Effect, a fun and simple way to convert ordinary landscapes and portraits come to life by heightening mood and emphasizing certain attributes. Effects are Soft Focus, Posterization, Retro Photo, High Contrast Monochrome, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature, Soft High-key, Toy Camera, Pop Color, Partial Color, Watercolor Painting, HDR Painting, and Illustration.

Creative Style settings

Control how the camera processes your images with six finishing styles: Standard, Vivid, B&W, Sunset, Portrait and Landscape. You can even fine-tune contrast, saturation, and sharpness to your personal taste.

Sweep Panorama™ Mode

Capture expansive landscapes automatically. Press the shutter, sweep vertically or horizontally. The camera does the rest, continuously shooting images and stitching them together.

Superior Auto mode

Get cleaner, more dynamic pictures and fewer missed shots. The camera automatically recognizes the correct scene mode, then quickly shoots and combines up to six shots to produce images with greater clarity, optimum dynamic range using Backlight Correction HDR technology and lower image noise using 6 shots layering technology. Superior Auto intelligently detects 33 scenes for still images and movies, making it easy to get the best shot.

Intelligent Scene Recognition mode

Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN) Mode automatically detects 33 different types of scenes for photos and 44 scenes for movies, and then selects the appropriate camera settings. In Auto Mode, the camera takes a single shot using the optimal settings. In Advanced Mode, the camera takes a photo with the optimal settings and, if in difficult lighting (low light or back light) immediately takes a second photo with another optimized setting so you can choose which to keep.



Please see the comparison chart below to find which RX100 series model is best for your shooting needs.






Sensor

20.1MP4 BSI-CMOS

20.2MP BSI-CMOS

20.2MP CMOS

Processor

Bionz X

Bionz

Bionz

Lens focal range

24-70mm

28-100mm

28-100mm

Lens max aperture

F1.8-2.8

F1.8-4.9

F1.8-4.9

LCD (degrees of tilt)

3" tilting (180/45)

3" tilting (90/40)

3" fixed

EVF

Built-in

Optional

No

Hot shoe

No

Multi-Interface

No

Max video bit rate

50MBps (XAVC S)

28Mbps (AVCHD)

28Mbps (AVCHD)

Wi-Fi

Yes, with NFC

Yes, with NFC

No

ND filter

Yes

No

No

Battery life (CIPA)

320 shots

350 shots

330 shots

Dimensions

102 x 58 x 41mm

102 x 58 x 38mm

102 x 58 x 36mm

Weight

10.2oz

9.9oz

8.5oz


1. Records in 29 minute segments

2. Requires HDTV and HDMI cable sold separately

2014 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony, Cyber-shot, Optical SteadyShot, Smile Shutter, Sweep Panorama, Exmor, Xtra Fine LCD, WhiteMagic, BIONZ and the Sony make.believe logo are trademarks of Sony. AVCHD is a trademark of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. HDMI is a trademark of HDMI Licensing LLC. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac is a trademark of Apple, Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Features and specifications subject to change without notice.
* From The New York Times, June 28th, 2012 © 2012. The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used under licence.


donald clancy
Reviewed in Canada on January 26, 2020
takes great pics
Cliente de
Reviewed in Mexico on January 17, 2020
A pesar de que los celulares tienen ya muy buena tecnología, esta belleza sigue sacando unas fotos de noche espectaculares.
RENATO ENOC
Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2018
La cámara llegó en perfecto estado. En cuantoa la cámaraestoy muy satisfecho. Tiene pracyicamente todos los controles de una reflex en modo manual. En semiautomatico hace una exposición muy buena, para cuando uno necesita fotos rápidas o no quiere uno estar moviendo los controles. El flash es muy bueno y esta excelente que se pueda doblar para luz de rebote. La calidad de las fotos es excelente, el desenfoque que se logra gracias a su apertura 1.8 me fascinó para ina camara de este tipo. La uso con mi Samsung galaxy para transferirle las fotos via cable mini usb en el cel. y compartirlas en tiempo real (con o sin edicion). La verdad es que salen tan bien, que solo en ocasiones las mejoro, casi nunca para corregir exposición. Muy satisfecho por su tamaño portable. En definitiva una cámara muy potente y prácticapara llevar y hacer fotos y conpartirlas vía cel. Inmediatamente o para hacer trabajos mas serios de edición en la computadora.
BRUNILDA
Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2018
En su oferta comercial, la fotografía corresponde a una cámara Sony con 4K, y la cámara que entregan no es de estas especificación.La versión recibida es un producto de calidad, pero sí deben tener cuidado en lo que están comprando.
Juliano Cottitto
Reviewed in Canada on February 24, 2015
Seems to be legit - best price I could find in Canada. I was debating going between this and the RX-100II but this model is a) cheaper b) less clunky (as the RX-100II has attachments and I don't plan on bringing anything else with me) c) Weighs less.You should note that the RX-100II DOES has a better sensor for low light conditions but this really is an amazing camera for it's size. The manual focus is pretty damn good and coming from a guy that loves his DSLR... This is now my new travel camera. If you're looking for a camera case that isn't 99.99 or wondering what will fit well the Case Logic DCB-302Black Compact Camera Case is a nice snug fit (plus you can store an SD card, wire and USB stick in there too).
peederj
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2012
This review is for pro photo/videographers who are buying this as a pocket cam. You will be pleased I think. Using firmware 1.0 for this review.My preferred settings lean toward cinematography where all-manual operation is used most often, and it's cool a pocket camera supports that way of working now. For photographers, there are cool features such as DMF focus (much like autofocus with full time manual override), AEL lock can be set to the center button, etc. They did not dumb down the computer inside this from the Alpha or NEX levels it seems.You can get the Freniec grip when it comes out but I suggest instead a bottom handle for video such as (which is too small for larger hands, but is fine for such a light payload) if not one of the cowboy studio plastic shoulder rigs. This will work well on the flycam nano I think. It has optical image stabilization "steadyshot" in concert with digital IS and both crop the image a bit. There are separate SteadyShot settings for stills and video, "Active" is stronger crop factor than "Standard" which would be for more stable situations. It works well enough for me to handhold 1/20th OK for stills and doesn't look bad on video.Tragically, there is no 24p, but there is 60p (or 50p in those countries, can't have both in one body, I figure they are trying to prevent gray market sales with that restriction). The 60p should be shot at 1/60th shutter speed or faster, you will have motion artifacting below that. The problem of course is 1/60th at 60fps looks too clear and smooth to be cinematic, it's video. But "nearest neighbor" rate conforming works OK, and retiming rate conform, to make 40% slo-mo, works fine too, although not a really impressive slo-mo like an FS700 can do. There is no timelapse support and no remote to workaround that with.For creative style, I suggest Standard -3, -3, -3. You could do -2 saturation but you are trading off detail in the reds with rich redness. Dynamic range optimizer you might get away with, it doesn't seem to change much while shooting when not on Auto, and boosts the shadows for a flatter response curve. It does not affect the highlights like Canon's HTP. I like to shoot somewhat flat and push in post so maybe DRO 1 is a good thing. There is a handy meter offset next to the aperture readout that tells you what it thinks you should adjust in EVs, based on the metering mode you have selected.There is a lot of coarse blue noise at ISO 3200. DRO boosts this noise a lot, so I would only use DRO at low ISO if ever. The worst thing for video regarding noise is you can't prevent digital zoom from being available...it is locked on in movie mode, and if you zoom past optical (there is a visual detente but not a practical one really) your noise profile will change (to coarser) and that may defeat your NR profiles you are applying, causing headaches. They should allow the disabling of digital zoom in movie mode, even though in daylight it's good.Macro is available, to the 2 inch point, only at the widest end, which is fine. The minimum focus distance is 18 inches or so full tele. Video AF is usable, manual of course is better, but it's nice for run and gun and the manual control ring turns to Aperture control which is very cool for rapidly controlling exposure. Aperture changes this way are far smoother than on Canons. The plastic, but tough looking lens barrel retracts midway a bit but it always out when on.I suggest a screen protector for the LCD as you want this in your pocket guilt-free, otherwise there is no point. The LCD is good, VGA but bright. You could glue on a cheap magnetic loupe to make it an EVF (and cheesycam is coming out with magnetic CP and ND filters for the lens) I suppose. There is a micro HDMI port on the bottom, immediately next to the tripod mount, which makes it hard to use without a clever 1/4-20 rig, which I found I could do. Worse is the battery and memory compartment cannot be accessed period without unmounting from tripod. Odd restriction.Another odd restriction is all the JPEG-only things can't be done in RAW + JPEG. Why can't I have both an HDR photo and its RAW ingredients? My 5D3 allows this. So if stuff doesn't work it may be a mode restriction. HDR of 6EV range looks more like 3EV range, but it is nicely graded and not like one of those paintings (though that may be one of the picture styles built in).I often prefer Kelvin white balances which this allows (Canon restricts that to pro bodies), though the color shift thing is a bit coarse for fine adjustment on the RX100. It's very easy to set up custom white balance compared to Canons, but for some reason they make you switch to a stills mode to do it. Expose the still properly and aim at a neutral spot. It will apply to movie mode when you switch, automatically.The bokeh is bit wooly especially toward the corners but there is in-camera correction of CA and distortion and the centers are terrific, which is fine. This isn't the quality of an APS-C sensor camera like the Rebel, but it is better than any pocketable camera I know of. There is good and shallow DOF available at all focal lengths.The manual control ring can indeed get stuck on a tripod plate (it protrudes past the bottom edge a touch) so you will have to use smaller plates or deftly avoid the conflict. Peaking cannot be assigned to a function button but I just leave it on when in manual focus. Bracketing is a drive mode and offers 0.3 or 0.7 stop options, but they seem broader range than described and work fine. There is WB bracketing if you are odd like that.Controls are somewhat customizable, I have white balance to the left of the dial (instead of drive mode), ISO to the right (instead of flash), and AF/MF control toggle on the center. I put a bunch of what moved into the Fn button array. The movies are kept apart from the stills, even in the internal player, and are down in PRIVATE/AVCHD/Stream. MF assist is really nice I think, it temporarily zooms in automatically in stills mode, but tragically, not movie mode. Pressing the center button gives takes the zoom from 8.6x to 17x for micro-fine peepling. You can't get the histogram in movie mode, but can in stills. You can get the electronic level before and during recording in movie mode if you need it.You can use ISO1600, 1/60th and f/1.8 and a bit of NR in post to get decent dark indoor film shots. Variable aperture means zooms wide open will change in brightness, but it's smart and if you set the aperture at all above max it holds it during zoom. In-camera NR settings didn't seem to affect video but I didn't test much. Movie mode is available in most mode dial settings but most likely you'll just want to use the movie mode. There are three memory positions, not terribly fast to access like the 5D3, and they don't save things like Peaking on/off. They do save Steadyshot on/off, and other things.In image review you can toggle the zoom rocker to zoom in on the shot you just took without pressing play, and it brings you right in for a pixel peep to check sharpness which is nice. The big manual control ring has a long throw but no hard stops, and it can take some wrenching to go from macro to infinity. No setting available to tweak that. In playback you can use the zoom rocker too, and while zoomed, turning the value wheel skips you forward or back an image.Self-portrait mode is clever for timer shots, it just waits until you are in the image, and seeing your face, it shoots every 3 sec until you leave the picture. Speed priority continuous shooting is very fast but the card I had (transcend class 10) only let it take a half dozen-odd shots before buffer stall. I tried a 95MB/sec UHS-1 Sandisk Extreme Pro card to see if that does run faster here, and no, it does not run faster than the Transcend class 10 in the RX100. No spare batteries, no DAM RAW support yet, no external battery charger, it's the bleeding edge here in July 2012, by fall those should all be sorted. I ordered a USB portable li-ion charger thing (Anker 10KmAh) which works (with Sony's USB cable, not Anker's) but only when powered off. Battery life is meh, but it's small OK. Note that the play button will turn the camera on just like the power button (is that a bug?), so you might lose battery (and uh-oh, even have the lens extend with two presses) if you don't protect the play button in your pocket.Sound recording is fine enough internally, no control or i/o. Zoom happens slower and quieter when filming. Shutter noise is low in general, not much OIS noise. ? button doubles as trash icon...not sure why those labels weren't reversed, delete is much more common than the superficial help that screen provides.You can record 29:50 continuously at 60p. The camera is warm to the touch after that time in a 70F room but not hot. You can fit five of those shots on a 32GB card (roughly 2.5hours of 60p). I am annoyed the USA version camera doesn't shoot 50p (which would conform better to 24p @1/50th) yet has the European 29 minute video restriction...you would think it would be one way or the other.Anyway those are my random thoughts after 24 hours shooting with this cute thing. Everyone loves it, and the images are quite nice indeed. Share your preferred settings in the comments please.
Adam Brown
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2012
I've been using this camera for about 6 weeks now. Briefly, it blows me away.Before I get into details of the camera, my own background in perspective. I'm a total amateur, who has gone in and out love with photography as a hobby. I had a SLR back in the film days, but really a mid level camera with a couple different lenses. Around 2006, I purchased a dSLR -- The Sony Alpha A100. I chose that model, simply because it was compatible with the lenses I already owned. I built up my gear, around that camera. Added a tripod, added a (old used) fast prime lens. In 2011, I took my family to Disney World, and was constantly making use of the whole camera setup. That was the high point of my dSLR use. Then slowly, gradually, I felt like I was being weighted down by the camera. Too cumbersome to carry all the time. Even when it was strapped to my back, too much of a chore to change the lenses. So when planning another trip to Disney World in 2012, the Sony RX100 caught my attention. dSLR quality, in my pocket. Could it really be that good?I'm sure that the Sony RX100 will not measure up to a top-of-the-line 2012 model dSLR. But I am very confident that it will generally match up well against a current model entry level dSLR. And it gets significantly BETTER results than my old 2006 dSLR.So when looking at the pros and cons, how does it differ from my 2006 dSLR?Probably the 2 most important elements in any camera, are the lens and the sensor. dSLRs have significantly bigger sensors than point & shoot cameras. A bigger sensor can capture more light faster, and typically therefore can produce far better results. The Sony RX100 sensor is still smaller than dSLRs, but it is significantly larger than almost any other true compact camera on the market. While still smaller than my 6-year-old dSLR, I'm guessing advances in sensor technology over the 6 years, makes up for some of the size difference. Turning to the lens -- a dSLR camera can change lenses. the RX100 only has 1 lens, but WOW -- It is an amazing lens, made by a well respected brand in lenses. The lens stops down to a 1.8 aperture at the widest angle. For those who don't know aperture, it means that the lens opens very wide, allowing more light to reach the sensor, more quickly. On the "included" lens that comes with most dSLR cameras, then aperture is not nearly as wide.So combine the above-average-sized sensor for a point and shoot, with a top of the line lens -- And you get results consistently better than my 6-year-old dSLR, with mediocre lenses.This sensor/lens combination gives you a lot of advantages, comparable or even superior to some dSLR/lens combinations. It shoots VERY well in low light. Sensor "sensitivity" to light is measured in ISO. My old camera maxed out at 1600 ISO. So even with a very wide aperture, I wasn't able to take pictures on dark rides at Disney. The RX100 maxes out in manual mode at 6400. (there are some auto tricks that raise it even higher). With ISO 6400 and the wide aperture, I was capturing usable images of rides in the dark at Disney.Another great advantage of the wide aperture is bokeh -- The ability to take a picture with a blurred background. It's fairly easy to achieve with a dSLR AND an extra lens. The lens included with most entry level dSLRs, won't have a wide enough aperture to achieve this effect. The RX100 achieves it with fair success. My SLR, with an extra lens, can still do it a bit better. But the RX100 probably does it better than any other compact camera.Finally, the whole system focuses very quickly and accurately. Typically, SLRs focus much faster than compact cameras. The RX100 focuses MUCH faster than my 6-year-old dSLR. The focus speed feels comparable to most entry level DSLRs.For someone with a real or developing knowledge of photography, this camera has the advantage of very full manual control. You can take control over just about any of the settings, and can customize various menus and settings to your liking. While common in dSLRs, this is not found across compact cameras.The camera has the pro of it's 20 megapixel sensor combined with the ability to shoot in "RAW" mode. This allows you to capture huge amounts of data in every photograph, which opens a lot of possibilities in post processing.The camera has a whole array of special modes, that are becoming increasingly common across cameras.The best ones that are included:In camera HDR -- Automatically quickly snaps 3 images and combines them. In the past, I could only do HDR with post processing, and generally had to take the pictures with a tripod. Now I can do it, in camera, hand held.Panorama -- Works the same as the new iphone.Handheld low light and similar modes -- Much like HDR, it combines multiple images. In this case, it combines the image results to correct for low light, or correct for camera shake.There are multiple other modes. For example, I've had fun with the watercolor mode, which turns the photograph into a watercolor painting. Also selective color capture -- A black and white photograph, but with just 1 color showing through. These little things are a bit gimmicky and can be applied in post- processing. But if you want to avoid post-processing, then this can give you fun results right out of the camera.Whether used in automatic or manual modes, I am regularly blown away by the image quality of this camera. And that's what really matters.Now, the camera isn't perfect. There are some places where Sony made sensible compromises, and some other places where they just made mistakes.Sensible compromises:-The lens does not have a huge zoom. There are compact travel zoom cameras with 20X zoom. The RX100 is limited to about 4X optical zoom. (You can zoom further digitally). For most photographs, in most situations, this zoom is good enough. Further, with 20 megapixels to work with, you can easily crop to get a more zoomed-in result. But you're not going to be photographing a lady bug from 50 feet away. I listed this as a sensible compromise, because to build a lens with the quality of the RX100 AND with a massive zoom, the lens alone could cost $1,000+. The mega zoom lenses found on compact cameras typically have a mediocre quality. They don't have the aperture ability of build quality of the RX100.-No GPS or WiFi. These are becoming more common in cameras. I like GPS data built into the picture personally. But these things are easy to live without. They don't affect picture quality. And leaving these items out, helped keep the price from becoming ridiculous.- No touch screen. I don't even love touch screens. Probably left out, to help keep the price down.- No optical viewfinder. No hot shot, to allow addition of a viewfinder or external flash. I suspect this was primarily done to help keep the size of the camera down. A compromise I'm willing to accept, to keep this camera truly a "compact."Mistakes -- Not many.- No external charger. 3rd parties already are coming out with chargers, but 1 should have come with the camera. As sold, the battery can only be charged in the camera.- Flimsy door for charging/USB. Speaking of the in-camera charging, the door to the port feels flimsy and feels like it is going to fall off every time I open it.Some final thoughts.Comparing this camera to a true dSLR, the pros and cons are obvious. A dSLR, with a larger sensor and the ability to change lenses, gives you a much broader range of possibilities, with higher potential quality. But it's big, cumbersome. And to get all those lenses, you need to invest more and more money. In contrast, the RX100 fits in your pocket, and in MOST situations, can give you pictures quite comparable to a dSLR. In that context, the price of the RX100 is a bargain. It's about the same price as the entry level dSLR, but you don't need to invest more in lenses.Where you enter a grayer area, is the wide assortment of bridge cameras/mirrorless cameras. There are an increasing number of cameras that are smaller than dSLRs, but still slightly larger than a true compact. Some of these cameras have interchangeable lenses, some have fixed lenses. They may also have sensors somewhere between compacts and SLRs. Within this category, you may find cameras of similar quality to the RX100, at a similar price. They will be larger than the RX100, but not as large as a dSLR. So for many people, this whole group of cameras may be a consideration as well.Anyone who loves photography, will enjoy the RX100. It won't replace a dSLR for all people in all situations. But it can accomplish remarkable results for a tiny camera.
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