WHAT IS THE SONY RX10 III?
The RX10 III is the third iteration of Sony's unusual premium bridge camera. It was announced not too long after the Sony RX10 II, but rather than being a replacement, it’s said that both models will exist at the same time, giving a couple of choices to consumers who are in the market for this type of camera.
It features a 1-inch sensor, just like other RX10 models, but the most interesting development is the addition of a 25x optical zoom, which gives you an equivalent of 24-600mm. When you compare that with the 8.3x zoom (24-200mm equivalent) of the RX10 II then it’s a much more flexible option.
There are a few other interesting features, including 4K video recording, a tilting screen, built-in viewfinder and an electronic shutter.
So what’s the catch? Well, the price. It’s by far and away the most expensive bridge camera on the market, being available for a cool £1,250. It’s a lot of money, make no mistake – but if you want to look at it another way, the equivalent focal length lens for your DSLR would cost a heck of a lot more.
SONY RX10 III – DESIGN AND HANDLING
Although Sony has kept the same look and feel for the new model, there had to be an increase in size thanks to the extra focal length of the lens. Therefore, the camera is the same kind of shape and size as a mid-range DSLR with a lens attached – this is not something you can place in a small bag and forget about.
The equivalent DSLR kit would require a huge backpack (at the least), so it’s still a lot more travel-friendly than something like that. Some will also be attracted by a large chunky design, as it gives the impression of a “proper camera”. The grip itself is very comfortable to hold, and even includes an indent to help your finger sit flush.
The RX10 III is a dream for those who like to customise exactly how they use their cameras. There’s an array of buttons which can have different functions assigned to them, depending on how you want to work. The same can be said for the function menu, which is accessed via its own button on the back of the screen – the menu that pops up here can be switched around and reworked, giving you the option of removing (or adding) whichever functions you like.
The lens will appeal to traditionalist photographers, as it has three rings around it to control different settings. There’s an aperture ring, a focusing ring, and a ring which you can use to zoom the lens in and out, although if you prefer, you can use a switch around the shutter release button to activate the zoom. The aperture ring clicks when you adjust it, again something which will be enjoyed by traditional photographers, but it can also be switched off if you need quiet while video recording.
On the top of the camera there are further buttons and dials, which include a mode dial for choosing the exposure mode, as well as an exposure-compensation dial. There’s also a small LCD screen that displays the settings you’ve chosen without you having to look at the back screen, which is handy for tripod work.
Sony has once again resisted adding a touch-sensitive screen to this model. To set autofocus an point, you need to use buttons – first of all you press the central button, then use the directional keys to move to the point that you want to use. You can also set the size of the AF point by using the scrolling dial.
SONY RX10 III – SCREEN AND VIEWFINDER
The eye viewfinder on the RX10 III is large, bright and clear, and certainly one of the best viewfinders – if not the best – that you’ll find on a bridge camera today. If you like using eye viewfinders, this one should appeal and not just as a back-up when bright sunlight nixes your use of the screen.
The screen is also a good performer. It can be pulled out from the body of the camera and has a tilting arm which allows for composition from some awkward angles, including from above or from below. This isn’t particularly helpful if you’re composing portrait-format images, but it's still more useful than a fixed screen.
SONY RX10 III – PERFORMANCE AND AF
In general, autofocusing is very quick – especially in good light. Speeds drop a little when the light drops, but it is helped by a focus-assist light. When you’re using the far reach of the telephoto end of the zoom there can be a bit more of a struggle to focus – you just need to be aware and take your time to make sure the shot is in focus before pressing the shutter release.
Operational speeds are also good, with impressive shot-to-shot times. Start-up time lags a little thanks to having to extend the zoom before you can use the camera. You could leave the camera switched on between shots to speed that process up, but that will have a detrimental effect on battery life.
SONY RX10 III – IMAGE QUALITY
Sony’s track record with RX cameras is excellent, and the RX10 III continues that tradition. The 1-inch sensor is capable of producing some remarkably detailed and sharp images. At the far reach of the telephoto optics the images are little softer, but not so much as to be particularly noticeable at normal printing or viewing sizes.
Speaking of the zoom, as well as the 25x optical zoom, there’s also “Clear Zoom” – a sort of digital zoom that performs well (for JPEG shooting only) if you really need to get closer to the subject and can’t move physically closer.
You can shoot at shutter speeds of up to 1/32,000 of a second using the electronic shutter. This is useful if you want to shoot at wide apertures (such as f/2.8) in bright sunlight, or you want to freeze action. Sony has decided to remove the built-in ND filter that the RX10 II had, which isn’t too bad if you’re happy to shoot at fast shutter speeds, but you may miss it if you want to take long exposures.
Automatic white balance is excellent, with accurate colours produced even when shooting under artificial lighting, or under other tricky lighting conditions, such as overcast skies.
The camera’s all-purpose metering system produces accurate exposures most of the time, with little need for the exposure-compensation dial to be used. A useful option is to use Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimiser, which brings out lost detail in shadow areas of JPEG images. There are several levels that can be used, with some looking more natural than others, depending on the subject. Alternatively, you can leave it on automatic and have the camera decide on the best level to choose – I find that this works well for the majority of situations.
When it comes to noise, the camera performs well, with noise starting to become slightly noticeable at ISO 800 and a little more so at ISO 1600. It’s not particularly problematic unless you decide to print at very large sizes, or examine images very, very closely. By looking at RAW files, it’s clear that the camera applies a decent amount of noise reduction – but it does a good job of keeping a natural look for JPEG images, with the option to change settings for the RAW files if you so wish.
Sample images below
0 التعليقات :
Post a Comment