Jump to content

Sony RX10 Reviews


Recommended Posts

Since there is a fair bit of interest in the Sony RX10 as a lightweight stock capable camera, I thought it might be good to have a thread to compile reviews. Here's one from Steve Huff:

 

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2013/11/11/the-sony-rx10-review-one-amazing-superzoom/

 

My 5DIII and three full frame lenses are on eBay. I have a little SL1 with the kit 18-55 and 55-250 STM zooms, capable performers, but I have a feeling I know where part of the eBay proceeds are going.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I am interested in the RX10 too, but after my experience with the RX100 (where the sensor is great but the lens does not impress) I am waiting to get some real life feedback.  I have tried a good quality m4/3 superzoom in the past but soon sold it because of poor IQ at the long end.  

 

Also would be nice if it makes the Alamy "suitable" list.

 

Scepticism aside, if it works it could be a nice, if rather heavy, solution....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you ordered one? I am on the fence over this.It's winter,getting colder...the likelihood of me going out to take a lot of pictures is fading as it gets colder...Yet,I am intrigued.I am selling off my Fuji X Pro 1 gear.I still have the camera,flash and 18-55mm left.I told myself I'd wait until after all the Fuji gear sold. Very nice camera system,I just do not want two different systems.I use the Canon 6D for work and also have the Sony RX100MII that I may sell if I buy the RX10.

 

L

I haven't ordered one. I'm going to wait until next year after they've been out awhile to see what bugs crop up. It also seems to me that other manufacturers may have similar things on the drawing board. Perhaps the price will drop a bit.

 

Here are more reviews:

 

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/sony-cyber-shot-rx10-review-23331

 

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/sony_cybershot_dsc_rx10_review/

 

http://www.cinema5d.com/news/?p=22136

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am interested in the RX10 too, but after my experience with the RX100 (where the sensor is great but the lens does not impress) I am waiting to get some real life feedback.  I have tried a good quality m4/3 superzoom in the past but soon sold it because of poor IQ at the long end.  

 

Also would be nice if it makes the Alamy "suitable" list.

 

Scepticism aside, if it works it could be a nice, if rather heavy, solution....

I have an RX100 and the lens on mine is fine. I think there was a bit of variability among cameras though as some people have issues and others don't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll add that I've sold off or am selling my full frame gear. My 5DIII/24-105L eBay auction ended last week with a $3000 bid. Then the knucklehe...er gentleman contacted me and said he didn't actually have the funds. So, it's back up. So now I have a Canon SL1 with kit 18-55 and 55-250 STM lenses and a recently acquired 70D with a Sigma 17-50 f2.8. I'd sold an earlier copy of this lens and then really missed it. This combo is significantly lighter than the 5D/24-105 and the image quality is really not that much different, in fact, the Sigma 17-50 is sharper than the 24-105L. I'm also keeping my 100mm f2.8 L macro.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm taking delivery of an A7r body (no lens) and an RX10 on Tuesday, as they had finally come into stock in the UK. I'm intending to use the A7r as a technical camera, more a sort of camera back than as a handheld cam, but I'll see how it goes. I have great hopes for the RX10 as it solves a few of my problems and could be ideal for commercial video.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I am interested in the RX10 too, but after my experience with the RX100 (where the sensor is great but the lens does not impress) I am waiting to get some real life feedback.  I have tried a good quality m4/3 superzoom in the past but soon sold it because of poor IQ at the long end.  

 

Also would be nice if it makes the Alamy "suitable" list.

 

Scepticism aside, if it works it could be a nice, if rather heavy, solution....

I have an RX100 and the lens on mine is fine. I think there was a bit of variability among cameras though as some people have issues and others don't.

 

 

+1

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm taking delivery of an A7r body (no lens) and an RX10 on Tuesday, as they had finally come into stock in the UK. I'm intending to use the A7r as a technical camera, more a sort of camera back than as a handheld cam, but I'll see how it goes. I have great hopes for the RX10 as it solves a few of my problems and could be ideal for commercial video.

 

Looking forward to your review/comments on the RX10 David.

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looks like a honey of a travel camera, especial with that 24-200 Zeiss zoom. But I don't see myself going there. It's lighter and smaller than a standard DSLR but . . . from the subject's point of view it looks like a DSLR. I wouldn't look as harmless as I do with my NEX cameras. And then there's the weight. No, it's not heavy, only 28.68 oz., but my NEX-6 with the Sony Zeiss 24 is only 20 oz. (my Nikon D90 with the 24-120 f/4 weighs 48 oz. or 3 lbs.)  I am interested to see what you tech-minded people say.  ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First few shots now done with RX10 and first experiments with many lens on the A7r. Here is my briefest opinion: AF sucks on both, as it does on almost any contrast-detect model, but the EVF is good and the focus peaking works well. RX10 lens quality is simply a cut above almost everything out there until you reach the extreme corners, and even wide open it's pin sharp across the important central 2/3rds of the image (depth of field is more likely to cause you problems than optical quality, this is a very large and well made Zeiss lens). What you can not do is rely on the camera to focus every time perfectly the way the RX100 does, although it's the same size sensor. Get to 200mm equivalent in low light, and it's difficult to lock focus where you want. However, this is just time, not quality - when you get confirmation, you have a very good fix.

 

A7r - the best image quality ever short of medium format. I'd rate it better than the D800E. The ISO 50 and 100 settings are completely free from any visible noise, even the kind of noise you often get at minimum ISO with high res cameras. RX10 - same as RX100MkII. Excellent at 80-200, Alamy friendly at 400 and 800, needs careful processing at 1600 and probably sampling down, 3200 and over are not for stock.

 

Both cameras share the same interface design which is not the best in the world, but both also have ultra solid build quality. There is no other camera around like the RX10 unless you can remember the original Sony DSC-R1. I'm using small Leica thread lenses on the A7r and it feels almost Leica-like; I've tried some full size AF lenses on adaptor, and then it just is a lens with a little camera hanging off the back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Onboard flash is next to useless Jeff, sorry to say it. It's a very small unit with a tiny tube/reflector area and the most delicate part of the camera. It casts a shadow with the hood on all the way from 24mm to 50mm angle, but not when the hood is removed. The shadow at 24mm is a really clear hump like a dome at the bottom of the shot.

 

There's nothing at all to gain from the RX10 for what you describe - the RX100MkII will do the job perfectly, and be invisible. The RX10 will do different things very well - such as wide angle landscapes and architecture where the corner detail really matters at 24mm, or portraits at 200mm at f/2.8 or f/4 with really smooth bokeh. The RX10 is perfect for - portraits, concert and theatre shots, flowers, found objects and still life, architecture, interiors, landscapes, creative video, copying, groups. It's not good for action, candids, kids, animals etc and for these the RX100/RX100MkII both respond faster. Even the zoom action of the RX10 is very slow. To get your change in focal length, you have to wait for the motor to catch up with your twisting the lens ring or operating the lever round the shutter. There is no way to just suddenly get to 200mm from 24mm if you need to grab a shot. Overall with focusing you might be talking 3-5 seconds.

 

IQ is better than Canon optically, slightly below 7D for noise. You can use the 7D at 800 and get a bit cleaner than the RX10. However, it's not exactly comparable. The RX10 has very little chroma noise, you never get colour banding, just a film-grain like effect at 1600 and 3200, then a colour-film like grain at 6400. If you have a 7D, keep using it, but get an RX100MkII, or consider even grabbing a Nikon 1 V1 or V2. Not so many pixels but 100% positive grabshot focusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're right, Christine:  

 

"Battery life is rated at 420 shots according to Sony / CIPA test results, and as the camera uses a Sony Info-Lithium battery you know exactly how much battery life is left as it is shown as a percentage, e.g 57%. Charging is performed with the battery inside the camera using the provided USB cable and USB charger." -- ePhotoZine

 

I'm not sure I like that, but I'm not sure it's a deal breaker either. The big plus in this camera is that Zeiss zoom. Have you seen the samples?  

 

Also . . . I've heard that Sony does not intend to add anymore cameras to its NEX line. If that is the case, many of you who have been waiting to buy an NEX will most likely turn to the RX10 or to one of the new Sony Alpha cameras . . . or perhaps a Fuji. 

 

It took over 10 years for the Nikon F to be replaced by the Nikon F2. These days it takes a couple of months to replace a whole system. My head is spinning. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it could be a deal breaker for me. My photo trips are usually in a VW camper.

Space is a bit restricted for a camera to be tied up to a laptop for long periods at a time, and if I'm not on a campsite - no electricity.

Trust Sony to come up with something promising and then shoot itself in the foot!

 

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it could be a deal breaker for me. My photo trips are usually in a VW camper.

Space is a bit restricted for a camera to be tied up to a laptop for long periods at a time, and if I'm not on a campsite - no electricity.

Trust Sony to come up with something promising and then shoot itself in the foot!

 

Christine

 

From an earlier link in this thread:-

 

Recommended Accessories
  • Extra NP-FW50 battery pack for extended outings
  • BC-VW1 battery charger (if you want to charge one battery while shooting with another)
  • Large capacity SDHC/SDXC memory card. These days, 16GB is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity for a consumer DSLR, but if you plan to capture HD movie clips or shoot in RAW format, look for larger cards with Class 6 or faster ratings.
  • External shoe mount flash (HVL-F20M, HVL-F60M, or HVL-F43M), or other accessory flash
  • ADP-MAA shoe mount adapter (if you want to use an older strobe with Sony / Konica Minolta's proprietary shoe, colloquially known as an iISO shoe)
  • AC-PW20 power supply kit with DC coupler
  • HVL-LEIR1 or HVL-LE1 video light
  • ECM-CG50 mono or ECM-ALST1 / ECM-XYST1M / XLR-KM1 stereo microphone
  • CLM-V55 clip-on LCD monitor
  • RM-VPR1 remote commander
  • PCK-LM15 screen protector
  • Small-to-medium size camera bag

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, to answer further - the zoom Jeff is indeed very high quality but unless you can pause for a vital second, and also take a little time adjusting its focal length, it's not for you. The power zoom action is sort or fly-by-wire and peculiarly damped, designed almost 100% round movie shooting. It is amazingly quiet and smooth, with a soft start and stop 'accelerate/decelerate' curve. It's almost difficult to judge when the zooming will stop, as it continues for a bit after you cease the turn the ring/lever.

 

You asked about street photography. The RX10 is a super high quality bridge camera but it's just not a shoot from hip type of camera at all.

 

Charging - it comes with the same battery as the amateur range DSLRs/DSLTs, all NEX models and the A7 models - not the smaller battery of the RX1/RX100. I have two chargers already. The bonus is that the camera can just be plugged into my Mac or laptop, or into the USB of my car, to charge up at any time. Actually, I like that feature. It's meant I do not need bulky chargers and mains cables etc when travelling (on the RX100).

 

The sound quality is quite superb. I've tested it using its own mics (good), using an HP headset with lanyard mic which enabled monitoring and recording and was surprisingly good, and using a Rode VideoMic Pro (wonderful quality, and the almost totally silent zooming and focusing then don't pick up at all). I plan to try some video/audio on Friday night if Dana & Susan Robinson will let me film part of their gig locally.

 

The RX10 is emphatically not a grabshot camera and if you set the RX100 to f/2.8 (A) and auto ISO the little zoom in that is only 'worse' than the RX10 in terms of distortion, vignetting and some softening to the corners plus a 1.5-stop loss of aperture at the long end (only 100mm equivalent as well). The RX100 lens is so much lighter and smaller that its zoom and focus is faster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.