In a move that everybody was praying for, but few people quite expected, Sony just announced the Sony RX1R III – the long overdue latest version of its full-frame compact camera line.
The Sony RX1R III boasts the same 61MP, full-frame, back-side illuminated sensor as the Sony A7R V and Sony A7CR. Sony has squeezed this, along with the latest Bionz XR processor, into the same compact form factor as the previous Sony RX1R II – while retaining that camera's fixed 35mm f/2 Zeiss lens.
The built-in lens design offers more than the compact form factor, however. Sony says that the camera's lens and sensor are aligned at the "micron level" for the best optical performance.
As has become the trend with fixed-lens compact cameras like the Leica Q3 (which also features a 61MP full frame sensor), the Sony RX1R III boasts digital focal lengths achieved via cropping: 50mm (with a resolution of 29MP) and 70mm (15MP). Sony notes that those digital focal lengths can also be adjusted later when shooting in RAW.
The built-in lens also has a macro mode activated from a dial around the lens that allows the camera to shoot closeups at a .26x magnification.
Also following current trends, B&H reports that the camera possesses Creative Looks "that mimic the vintage aesthetic of color negative, color slide, and instant film. Creators can apply adjustments to hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and sharpness on both photos and videos in camera, Sony says.
Powered by Sony's AI autofocus processor and 693-point phase detect AF system, the Sony RX1R III can detect and track "people, insects, trains, and much more." This feels like a great response to the sluggish autofocus that was a complaint of the RX1R II – DCW contributor Dan Mold said that the AF was "so slow that I actually thought it was contrast-detect!"
Maximizing the low-light potential of its full-frame sensor, the camera has an ISO 100-32000 sensitivity range and can capture a claimed 15 stops of dynamic range.
However, while it seems primarily pitched as a stills camera, the RX1R III has respectable video specs as well. It boasts 10-bit 4K 30p, 8-bit FullHD 120fps, Slow & Quick, S-Cinetone, and User LUTs. Crucially, it also boasts a microphone jack along with Sony's Multi-Function Shoe to connect other video accessories.
While the RX1R III is almost identical in dimension to the RX1R II, it does away with its predecessor's pop-up EVF in favor of a fixed blackout-free viewfinder – and the top of the camera is now completely flat. The top of the camera also houses Sony's Multi-Interface Shoe.
The camera's battery is rated for 300 shots, and USB-C charging is available.
The Sony RX1R III is available to pre-order beginning July 16 at 3 PM ET at a price of $5,098 / £4,200 in the US and UK, while the camera will go on sale in August in Australia at a price of AU$7,999. The compact camera also launches with three optional add-on accessories, including a thumb grip, a body case and a bayonet lens hood.
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The Sony RX1R III joins other high-end compact cameras with large sensors, like the full-frame Leica Q3 and the medium-format Fujifilm GFX100RF.
