Sony Cybershot DSC-RX10 III
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According to our compact camera expert
The Sony Cybershot DSC-RX10 III is a professional compact camera for photographers who travel a lot. The Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* lens has an effective focal length of 24-600mm. Inside the lens, there are 18 elements divided over 13 groups, of which 6 are aspherical lens elements that provide a higher optical quality. Easily zoom in without loss of image quality. The button next to the lens sets the autofocus, allowing you to easily change a composition without having to focus on a different part. If you're taking pictures with a wide image angle, you can already focus on a subject from a distance of 3cm. While looking through the electronic viewfinder, you can capture athletes and moving animals at 14 frames per second.
Image quality | Good | |
|---|---|---|
Camera usage situation | At home for family and friends, Professional photography, Sports photography, Vlogging | |
Type of image sensor | 1" | |
Suitable for photographer type | Expert | |
Type of image definition support | Full HD (1080p), Ultra HD (4K) | |
Optical zoom | 25 | |
Effective number of megapixels | 20,1 MP | |
Image stabilization |
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get used to the multifunctional possibilities of the device once you know the device, you can combine and try out versatile options
Patrick Hunaerts
19 May 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
I have had this camera for over 9 months now, so time for a brief impression.
The camera is solidly built, neatly finished, with beautiful materials and fits perfectly in the hand. I think the camera is beautifully designed, in any case a lot nicer than the ugly models of the A-series. All buttons are easy to operate and the information display on top of the camera is a welcome addition. The camera is a bit on the heavy side, but otherwise still good to handle. However, the supplied carrying strap could have been a bit more luxurious and comfortable. It is quite fiddly to get the SD card out of the camera because the somewhat fragile door cannot open wide enough. Fortunately, there are also other options for transferring photos from the camera to your computer.
The settings menu is unfortunately not really well-organized. You sometimes search blankly for certain settings. Besides, there are a lot of them. In addition, many related settings are divided over different tabs. It's not really well thought out. Here's some homework for Sony to do. Canon does that much better.
The autofocus generally works quickly and correctly. However, as soon as you get above 300 mm, the autofocus regularly has problems with focusing. Then it takes a few seconds before the subject is in focus. This is especially annoying if you want to photograph moving subjects. I have already missed some nice photos that way.
I use the electronic OLED viewfinder (EVF) regularly and it generally works well. It is sharp and rich in contrast, but very cool (blueish) in colour. You can adjust that slightly, but the difference between the color reproduction of the actual image and the viewfinder image is remarkably large. You hardly have that problem with an optical viewfinder. A big advantage of an electronic viewfinder is that you also have a clear viewfinder image in low light.
Another disadvantage of the Sony viewfinder is that its image is linked to the LCD display. What you see on the LCD display, you also see in the viewfinder at the same time. If you have set a shot to be shown on the LCD display for 2 or more seconds, you will see it in the viewfinder for the same amount of time. This is very annoying when you want to take a few photos in quick succession. Then you first have to wait until the display time has elapsed. If you don't do that and at that moment use the zoom lever to zoom in with the lens, you will zoom in on the image of the photo just taken instead of with the lens. You must first turn off the display mode again to be able to continue shooting. I have therefore set the time for showing a photo just taken to 0. And it's a shame that the LCD display is not a touchscreen, nor is it fully tiltable, as is the case with the Canon EOS 80D, for example.
Nothing but praise for the lens, on the other hand. Rarely seen a lens with such a sharp image over such a long range. Personally, I would have preferred a range of 16 to 400 mm, so a bit more wide-angle and a bit less telephoto, but this is also fine to work with, although I do notice that most of my photos are taken between 24 mm and 400 mm . In that regard, I could have actually bought the previous model. It is also very nice that Sony supplies a lens hood.
I still have to get used to the color reproduction of the RX10. I have always used Canon cameras and they are loved for their beautiful color reproduction. The color reproduction of the Sony is generally a lot cooler (and more neutral (?)) than that of Canon. The RAW images also look better in terms of color than the somewhat cool JPEGs, which are also excessively sharpened in the camera. If you want to edit the RAW images of the RX10 III (.ARW) in Adobe Lightroom, you need at least version 6.7. This upgrade can be found on the Adobe website.
The exposure is almost without exception good to very good. I haven't encountered any major misses yet.
The built-in flash is strong enough to illuminate small spaces. If I need a little more light, I'll grab the beautiful Sony HVL-F43M.
I haven't used the video functions much yet, so I can't comment on that yet. Personally, I don't think 4K is that important. Full HD is more than sufficient for the average videographer. It just makes for even bigger files.
Well, and then the battery. If I have to mention one major flaw of the RX10, it's the included battery. This one is really empty in no time. It almost seems as if it also runs empty when you're not using the camera. To save power, I have already turned off the Pre-AF function, otherwise the camera will focus continuously, even if you don't want to take a picture. You can barely get by with a full battery for one day, so it is recommended to have at least 2 charged spare batteries with you. Unfortunately, the original Sony batteries are quite pricey, so that's an extra cost that comes with it. I also bought a separate charger, because otherwise you can only charge the batteries in the camera. Sony does not provide a separate charger, unfortunately.
Despite the described drawbacks, I heartily recommend this camera to photo enthusiasts who appreciate high-quality and very sharp images and are looking for a camera that has a very large zoom range. The price alone might put many off, but I think it's worth it in the end for the quality you get for it.
M. Hoeve
19 June 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
The device is easy to take with you if you like nature photography and also like to walk. You don't have to change lenses all the time and you already have a large zoom range up to 600mm and you also have sharp quality photos. Beautiful macro photos also work well with this device.
Martine Lambrechts
28 April 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
Product number | 730663 |
|---|---|
Manufacturer code | DSCRX10M3.CE3 |
Brand | Sony |
Warranty | 2 years |
Processing of your defect | Carry-in warranty |
Camera type | Compact camera | |
|---|---|---|
Suitable for photographer type | Expert | |
Camera usage situation | At home for family and friends, Professional photography, Sports photography, Vlogging | |
Menu language | Dutch, Multilingual | |
Bridge camera | ||
Maximum number of photos per second | 14 fps | |
Best tested | ||
Awards NL/BE | Consumentenbond, EISA Belgium, EISA The Netherlands | |
Size camera | Large | |
Image quality | Good |
Optical zoom | 25 | |
|---|---|---|
Digital zoom | 100 | |
Wide-angle | ||
Aperture | 2,4 - 4 | |
Autofocus |
Type of image sensor | 1" | |
|---|---|---|
Crop factor | 2,71 | |
Effective number of megapixels | 20,1 MP | |
ISO sensitivity | 100 - 12800 | |
Image stabilization |
Photo file format | JPEG, RAW | |
|---|---|---|
Video file format | MPEG-4 AVCHD (H.264) | |
Audio file format | aac | |
Exact image display | 100 % | |
Type of image definition support | Full HD (1080p), Ultra HD (4K) | |
Full HD (1080p), frames per second | 120p, 24p, 30p, 60i, 60p | |
Ultra HD, frames per second | 4K, 24p, 4K, 30p | |
Photo resolution width | 5472 pixels | |
Photo resolution height | 3648 pixels |
Memory card | SD | |
|---|---|---|
SD memory card version | SD, SDHC, SDXC | |
Expandable storage capacity up to | 128 GB | |
Minimum requirements storage system | Class 4 |
Internal flash | ||
|---|---|---|
Exposure compensation | -3 - 3 | |
Guide number | 10,8 | |
Wireless flash control |
Screen size | 3 inches | |
|---|---|---|
Tiltable | ||
Touchscreen |
Viewfinder | ||
|---|---|---|
Viewfinder type | Electronic |
USB port | ||
|---|---|---|
USB version | USB 2.0 | |
HDMI connector | ||
Type of HDMI connector | Mini HDMI Type C | |
Microphone connector | ||
Type of microphone connection | 3.5mm jack | |
Hot shoe | ||
Hot shoe type | Hot shoe |
Built-in WiFi | ||
|---|---|---|
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
GPS sensor |
Power supply type | Rechargeable battery | |
|---|---|---|
Battery technology | Lithium-ion | |
Replaceable battery | ||
Battery type | Sony NP-FW50 | |
Battery/battery capacity | 1020 mAh |
Weight | 1095 g | |
|---|---|---|
Height | 9,4 cm | |
Depth | 12,7 cm | |
Width | 13,2 cm | |
Material | Plastic | |
Color | Black |
Water resistance | Splash proof | |
|---|---|---|
Water-resistant | ||
Shockproof | ||
Dustproof | ||
Dust removal system |
