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cshimokita
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Be Moved... (a look at the new Sony full frame camera)

The DSC-RX1RM2 from Sony; a full frame, palm sized cyber-shot.  I have been waiting to write a few words about this camera and today I could finally hold it physically in my hands.  It's the new model of the RX1R and has the same Zeiss 35mm F/2 lens.  Other than that, it has a brand new sensor, is slightly bigger (the sales guy said that was because of the new actuating rear screen... it also has a pop-up finder so you don't have to use an external finder or the LCD to compose.  But you can read all  the specifications online... I want to talk about the tactical issues.

But first a disclaimer: as many of you already know, I am not a huge fan of Sony.  In one sense they are not a camera company (as is Apple), that doesn't mean they can't produce a good camera (as Apple does).  My main beef has always been their global marketing strategy...  They sell one product in the local market (!) and where available, a different product globally.  It may only be a firmware step away, but it's a step...

Marketing photo from Sony...

The DSC-RX1RM2, more commonly known as the RX1RII is marketed as a "full frame palm sized" camera and as you can see from the photo, that there is not a lot of real-estate on the body to grab hold of... the photo is a bit deceiving... it's a tight, but the camera fits quite well in the hands.

As mentioned, the lens is the same 35mm F/2 lens that was used on the RX1R... It took me  about an hour to find the MTF Chart (shown below wide open at F/2).

From the 10 lp/mm (the red lines) you can see that the acutance (the transition at an edge) is quite good, maybe 90-95 at the center of the lens and remaining above 80 out to 20mm.  With all line pairs, the separation between the meridional and sagittal lines is minimal.  I think that I am starting to see a pattern with Zeiss lenses... that bump up around 15mm from center (e.g. for 30 lp/mm).   Given the 40+ megapixels full frame sensor, the lens might be a little less than desired... but the test images looked good and the I really hesitate to say anything as I haven't tested for myself...

Having said that, when comparing the MTF Charts of the RX1RII 35mm F/2 and the original version of the Canon EF 35mm F/1.4L USM (wide open) there are similarities on paper... by the time you look at the Canon 35mm version II the theoretical gap is noticeable...  We should also consider the tendency to flare and smear, plus certain types of distortion... fortunately the same Zeiss lens was used with the RX1R so there should be some reviews out there.

A word about menus... the RX1RII has them across and down.  There is a lot of software features with this package.  There are three custom configurations,  although I didn't have time to try them...  and in fact it would have been very difficult  for me as the local version has Japanese menus only.  According to the the salesman, they will have an international version available at some point... albeit at a higher price.

As a general statement, the newer cameras seem to be depending less on optics and more on software, at least with consumer offerings.  I would not see this as a professional product, although it could be and most likely will be used on for-profit projects.  The fixed lens construction is not a huge disadvantage, 35mm is a good choice, and it allows the maker to optimize the output.  It depends on the planned usage...  I did not test the macro functionality.

The price... here you have to consider.  The RX1RII does not come cheap... it's up to the user to make that individual decision. 

Recommendation: This is the type of camera that requires hands on testing prior to purchase.  I would not recommend the DSC-RX1RM2 until you have done your own tests.  Consider my existing equipment, it doesn't add to what I already have...  It could potentially be a replacement for my Fuji X100T, but it's a little more that I would want to spend (based on what it would replace).

I am sure that Sony will  sell a lot of these cameras... check it out.

Thanks for reading,
Casey