Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/02/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Monday 11 February 2013, at 18:06 PST, Paul Roark wrote: > I had the opportunity to test a Sony RX1 briefly. I sent it back due > to defects, but it is an interesting camera and has a few attributes > that are an exciting glimpse of the future. > > ... snip ... > > So, interesting, but not ready for prime time for me. When the Sony DSC-RX1 was first mentioned on the LUG, several people expressed doubts as to whether it would actually be bought to take pictures. My reaction was, "It might be", so I went across to Bournemouth to take a close look at one. The RX1 is basically a solidly built camera body with a 24.3 megapixel sensor and a good 35mm f/2 lens. What Sony seems to be trying to do is to offer picture quality as good as an M-240 + Summicron, with build quality as good as an M-240 + Summicron ... without the flexibility of a system camera ... but at less than half the weight and less than half the price. And if Sony can achieve that, why not? After all, Rolleiflex sold about two million miniature Rollei 35 film cameras, and still makes an occasional batch. As a build-quality neurotic, but not a camera engineer, I felt that the RX1 was as solidly built as the Nikon F3/T I had with me; ... but ... the RX1 has no integral viewfinder. There is an EVF you can put in the hot shoe, but then you cannot fit a separate flash unit there. There is a compact-camera-style pop-up flash, but of course that won't bounce. There apppears to be no way to use an EVF and a separate flash unit at the same time, without setting up a slave flash to be triggered by the pop-up unit. Which is complication too far for my ideal of a walkabout camera. So, while I would agree with Paul that it is "an exciting glimpse of the future", I would also agree that it is "not ready for prime time for me." Later, Dr Owl ---------------------------- John Owlett, Southampton, UK