Sony Need help deciding..RX100 or new release??

After getting rid of my Canon 40D and L lenses a few yrs ago I downgraded to Micro four thirds with various lenses biggest being 100-300mm lens, got fed up lugging a bag full of lenses etc around and decided I still wanted smaller. Fortunately the RX100 was getting released at the time, after reading many reviews etc etc I took the plunge and bought one. I liked it so much that I sold all the M4/3 camera gear and tripod which was really overkill for such a small package. It is now my main camera, goes everywhere with me and I've never looked back the best part ...no bags of lenses etc to carry. It's hard to take a crappy under or over exposed photo with it.

Having said all that if you do wedding photography etc for a living then you will probably want to stick to SLR and the various types of lenses needed.

Hi Chilliman and Arup, thanks for the comments. I think I'm on the same wavelength as both of you. After moving to digital I used to have a DSLR with lots of lenses and in the end I got fed up of carrying them around. I then moved to a NEX but found even that a bit constricting in size. Not the camera, which was perfectly sized, but the 18-55 lens was still comparatively large. My main camera should be something I can carry in a pouch on my belt, can be used one handed if need be and takes photos that stand up to being viewed on a 20 inch display. I think you guys have convinced me. I'll probably keep the X10 - just looked at the images I took on Monday at the British Museum and they are really sharp and detailed. When I retire I will probably get an SLR again, but that's a few years off. I think the TZ40 is going to get replaced by an RX100...
 
I agree. It's a surprisingly responsive camera that produces surprisingly, no, absolutely, good photos and still fits in my shirt pocket so it can be carried and used when the FX DSLR and even my m4/3 cameras have to stay behind. And as Arup says, it does not intimidate.

I haven't found anything that "hacks me off" yet. In bright sunlight you (I) have to turn the screen brightness up to the bright sunlight menu setting but that solves the problem of seeing to compose on the LCD and doesn't seem to hurt battery life much.

I love the Fn key "quick menu." For me, it is a better implementation of that idea than either Oly or Panasonic have managed.
 
In fact most of the times I am shooting with superior auto mode and am extremely satisfied with results that I have compared using RAW format. Only in critical scenes do I occasionally revert to RAW but thats mostly due to ego rather than doubt on the camera's JPEG engine capabilities.
 
I stopped by my sole remaining LCS and was surprised that they had a couple in stock today. I played with the Mk2 for a few minutes and I have to say that the tilting screen alone tempts me to take the $150 loss on resale of the Mk1 and spend the additional $100 on the Mk2. :( :) The rest I could take or leave...
 
I appreciate reading everyone's points and views (kind of like points and shoots?:tongue:). I'm seriously thinking of ordering the new release via our affiliate B&H https://www.photographerslounge.org/f17/serious-compacts-affiliate-links-6735/ I won't know what I think until I actually hold the camera in my hands and see how much larger it really is with its very useful to me tilt screen.

Sorry, should have given you my $0.02 on that, because that was my biggest concern.

I was worried that even just 1/10" or 2.4mm might tip the Mk2 out of true pocketability. I know that sounds crazy but I have learned the hard way that sometimes small margins make big differences.

The results...IMNO/YMMV (depends on YOUR pockets)...I think the Mk2 is still inside the envelope. (y)
 
The rx100m2 fits in the same lowepro Portland 20 I used for the rx100
The difference of few mm is only on the front ring the back is the same
The other difference is the hot shoe on the top that is 4mm approximately
Essentially no difference
I use the rx100 for underwater those are my first impression mostly relevant to video shooters
Sony RX100M2– First Impressions
 
I've been catching up on everyone's posts and it has been interesting. Time will tell once we've all made our choices :)
As for me I'm still happy that I made the right choice for me in buying the 100. I seriously doubted I would use either tilt screen of wifi and the jury is still out on the other specs.
I haven't made sufficient time to get to know it but its already become a companion.
And that says enough to me about my choice...seeing how it handles the rigours of travel is next!
Chao
Irene



Irene,
Have camera will travel & shoot!
 
Here's my current stream of consciousness thoughts.

Pocketability: for a man's dress or casual shirt, I don't find the Mk2 any more difficult to pocket than the original. The extra 1/10" of depth doesn't affect that at all, and the slight bump for the accessory shoe is even less consequential. If I were putting the camera in a tight jeans pocket, I might feel differently. I find that I do notice the extra ounce of weight, which surprises me, but it's not enough to afffect how I feel about shirt pocket carry. One other note: my recollection is that the Mk1 would fit into my shirt pocket with the Sony (n)ever-ready case on it (I might be mis-remembering, and I can't check now because it's sold). The Mk2 will definitely not fit into my shirt pocket with that case.

Image quality: I did some pretty extensive but informal comparisons while I had two Mk2 cameras and my Mk1 last weekend. I checked at ISOs from base ISO to 800 and at apertures from widest available to f/5.6 and at a variety of focal lengths from extreme wide to extreme tele. Based on that group of three cameras, with the raw files processed in LR5 with no processing other than applying the Adobe Standard profile, I see no observable difference in low-ISO sharpness. I did not check OOC jpgs at all, and I didn't attempt to process any of the raw files for best presentation.

I did not check high-ISO performance. I'm happy if the consistent view that the Mk2 offers between 1/2 and one stop better grim light performance. Frankly, the Mk1 was good enough that for me (and YMMV) the BSI sensor was not a big motivation for upgrading, although if (as Sony claims) low light AF is improved, that's very nice - almost more important than an extra stop of sensitivity and reasonable noise control.

Exposure: I found no observable, consistent difference between the Mk2 and the Mk1. In other words, the Mk2 raw files were not less exposed.

WB: I also did not observe any differences between the Mk2 and the Mk1. The subject was a wall of bookshelves in our living room with mixed halogen and daylight lighting.

Bells & whistles:

Accessory shoe: a month ago I thought this might be useful, but I don't shoot video and would never use anything other than the integrated flash (and then only in bounce mode, which you should try if you haven't, as long as the ceiling isn't too high)...an EVF would really destroy what is for me the most important attribute of the camera - pocketability - so the accessory shoe doesn't do anything for me, but also doesn't detract from the camera.

Tilt screen: I originally thought the tilt screen would not be very useful, but the ability to get high-angle shots, and to get low-angle shots without being on my knees or on my knees and elbows, is very attractive. I rate this a major plus and in my opinion possibly the single most persuasive (maybe the only) reason to chose the Mk2 over the Mk1.

WiFi/NFC: I don't have any NFC devices but if I did I am perfectly happy to manually connect on WiFi...I tried Sony's PlayMemories phone app for remote control and thought it was light on features and a little slow/unresponsive, so I don't see myself using that much but maybe some occasion will come up where that's useful...I didn't test file transfer speed over WiFi because the raw files from a 20.2mp sensor don't seem likely to transfer at an acceptably speedy rate (and I don't shoot jpgs). I will say that I found connecting the Mk2 to both my phone and my router were quite easy, even without reading the instructions, but other people seem to have different experiences.

New Menu Settings

I do like the ability to disable the movie button unless the mode dial is set to video a minor plus - no more accidental videos. :redface:

The step zoom doesn't seem particularly useful to me, other than for trying to do comparative shots as I was doing last weekend, but YMMV on that. :)

That just about exhausts my steam, I mean stream, of consciousness.
 
Thanks jnewell for taking the time to do this write-up - very interesting. I have to admit to being vaguely tempted by the Mk2, but I like the Mk1 so much that I can't be bothered to upgrade (is this a new cure for GAS? Simple apathy?:eek:)

I do like the ability to disable the movie button unless the mode dial is set to video a minor plus - no more accidental videos. :redface:

The disable video button option is a very good thing... I wish they'd implement this in a firmware update for the Mk1...:(
 
I like your style, jnewell. Many thanks!

My trigger finger is awfully itchy.;)

Here's what I know. I wanted a replacement for my LX-5. I thought and read and researched and decided on The One Compact to Rule Them All.

XZ-2! Total fail - focus was slow and sometimes failed.

LX7! Great camera in every way. Every way but one. Did I mention that when I sold my LX5 it had <400 clicks? That told me something.

While I owned the LX7, I took a big gamble on the RX100 just before the July 4th weekend...purchased from a local dealer that I knew I would never try to return the camera to. Took the RX100 with me and over five days I took over 400 photos. And many were GREAT! And even the ones that weren't great were photos I never would have taken otherwise.

THAT set of facts told me a lot. So...

...whatever you do...if you believe, as I do, that having a camera, any camera, is better than no camera at all, but you still want really good photos (or at least don't want to be limited by your equipment), buy either one of the RX100 variants. I think the tilt screen is probably worth $100, but if you don't, the Mk1 is a superb photo tool that you can have with you almost all the time.
 
Thanks jnewell for taking the time to do this write-up - very interesting. I have to admit to being vaguely tempted by the Mk2, but I like the Mk1 so much that I can't be bothered to upgrade (is this a new cure for GAS? Simple apathy?:eek:)



The disable video button option is a very good thing... I wish they'd implement this in a firmware update for the Mk1...:(

For what it's worth, I keep missing my Mk1! I am actually not sure why - there is no objective reason!
 
Like jnewell, my dilemma was what to do with my existing vast array of Minolta lenses including few great G lenses and Macro as well as a pro flash. The choice was I buy a A77 which is what I went to the shop for. Curiosity got better of me when I saw the RX100 which I had read enough about. When I held it and took some snaps, my mind changed instantly as I knew this was a cam I could carry around and even though that would mean permanent retirement for my existing lenses, so be it.
 
Here's my current stream of consciousness thoughts.
Tilt screen: I originally thought the tilt screen would not be very useful, but the ability to get high-angle shots, and to get low-angle shots without being on my knees or on my knees and elbows, is very attractive. I rate this a major plus and in my opinion possibly the single most persuasive (maybe the only) reason to chose the Mk2 over the Mk1.
That just about exhausts my steam, I mean stream, of consciousness.

Thanks for taking the time. I am even more sure that I will not miss anything... With perhaps the exception if the tilt screen :) but for me the price difference was a lot more than $100 so not worth it.



Irene,
Have camera will travel & shoot!
 
Thanks for taking the time. I am even more sure that I will not miss anything... With perhaps the exception if the tilt screen :) but for me the price difference was a lot more than $100 so not worth it.



Irene,
Have camera will travel & shoot!

For me, after a lot of thought, it came down to the tilt screen and nothing else.

I decided I was OK on the cost of the change (which was about $200; $100 "loss" on the sale of the RX100 and $100 extra MSRP for the RX100 Mk2). I rationalized that as either the cost of the 400 or so pics I'd taken if I had been shooting film or, alternatively, as the cost of the pics that I will always be glad I've gotten (sort of a "rental" concept...).

If the buyer of my Mk1 had said he wanted to return it, I have to tell you I would not have been heartbroken. :)
 
For me, after a lot of thought, it came down to the tilt screen and nothing else.
If the buyer of my Mk1 had said he wanted to return it, I have to tell you I would not have been heartbroken. :)

Hehe it's like missing an old friend but you get over it. Not that I've sold cameras yet but I had a similar feeling when I had to let go of my old car that I'd had for years.
I think you made the right choice for you and once you bond with the new one all good.
As I was coming into it buying new camera, the difference it was spend $500 or $700 and that extra was bit too much all up at the time. :)



Irene,
Have camera will travel & shoot!
 
Hi folks, well I have sold my TZ40 and X10 and ordered an RX100. I had a discount code for the M2 but even with that it was still about £160 more than the old model, and I couldn't justify the expense for a tilting screen (can't see I would use the wifi and the IQ looks fine to me on the old one anyway). It should arrive tomorrow so I'll start posting some photos when I get it figured out :)
 
After many months of consideration and waiting for the price to drop, I've finally pulled the trigger on an original RX100. Sony are currently offering a free case with the RX100 (their two-part leather type case), so that's £405 for camera + case from Amazon, which I couldn't resist. I've also ordered a couple of 16GB memory cards and a second battery, so hopefully that's everything I need to get going.

-R
 
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