Sony RX100 Mark III pocket camera

Shanghai at night, Sony RX 100 Mark III

Since a bit more than a year I am using a Sony RX100 Mark III point and shoot camera for occasional street photography when it is not possible for me to carry along my DSLR. The results are amazingly good.

Especially in challenging light situations such as low light or large contrast this camera does a very good job. The image quality some times is even better then some of the DSL cameras.

The camera has a 20.1 MP CMOS sensor. The sensor has a size of 13.2 mm x 8.8 mm which is quite large for such a small camera.

Paris la Défense, Sony RX 100 Mark III

Further more the camera is equipped with the same BIONZ X engine for in camera noise reduction. The same as the in Sony Alpha series cameras.

Besides the high quality sensor and image processing the Sony implemented a ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70 mm f1.8-2.8 lens into the RX100 Mark III.

This combination of high quality optical glass, a high performance sensor and image processor built in a small form factor makes it a very interesting alternative to DSLR equipment when space is limited.

The camera is also physically robust since everything is built into a solid metal housing. This is in particular important for such a small camera that fits into any pocket.

Other features, such as the built in WiFi interface allows easy access to the photographs via smartphone or tablet for further processing and sharing of the artistic work. This further supports the space limited travellers use case.

And one more feature which sets the camera apart from other point and shoot cameras is the built-in electronic viewfinder which gives a completely different photographers' experience compared to the on display image composition applied using pocket cameras and smart phones.

For detailed technical specifications visit the Sony product page.

In the mean time there is a newer version of the same camera available. The Sony RX100 Mark IV which introduces, among other features, several technical improvements for video capturing in 4K.

Watch the Sony RX100 Mark III review by Ted Forbes, The Art of Photography channel on Youtube:

Visit my Shanghai street photography gallery. All images shot using the Sony RX100 Mark III camera.

Shanghai - Images by Andreas Mueller