Sony DSC-RX1

This is a tiny full-frame camera. But it could easily blow a hole in your pocket

I am impressed with what Sony has created here. It’s been a pleasure to use this camera. I liked the fact that I could switch between its ‘macro’ and ‘normal’ modes from the lens itself. But what I loved was its full-frame 35 mm (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor.

It is a compact camera with a fixed focal length f/2, 35 mm lens, designed for those who value full-frame shots. These cameras capture everything seen through the viewfinder. Most other sensors leave out parts of the image around the corners and edges. With its macro-switch ring on the lens barrel, you can shoot a subject as little as 20 cm away.

The camera is fun, but I did not like its autofocus in low-light conditions. I have mixed feelings about the manual focus too, which takes a little too long to focus. What it has is an on-screen calibrated scale that tells you the subject’s distance so you do not lose control of your shot.

While a fixed lens seems to be a disadvantage for most users, it can be a big advantage for an expert photographer because it assures razor-sharp alignment between the sensor and other optical components—resulting in very high quality images. The RX1 has a 7.6 cm (3 inch) LCD viewer, plus HDMI, USB and microphone ports. The camera can output both JPEG and 14-bit RAW images and also make low-noise full HD movies. It has all the usual PASM modes (‘program’, ‘aperture priority’, ‘shutter priority’ and ‘manual’), and an HDR imaging mode too.

The battery lasts about 270 exposures—which may be plenty for a film-based camera but not for a heavy-use digital camera at a wedding ceremony or birthday party.

This camera is tiny and light, but its fixed lens means you cannot slip it into your pocket or handbag. But then, given its sticker price, trying that may be inadvisable. It might already have blown a hole in it.

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