OK, just for argument's sake, I'll say this...... you don't need to use the new version in 42MP mode all the time. Set it to capture at a lower resolution when you don't NEED the extra megapickles, but when you really want to go whole hog (for your ultra amazing landscape shot at Yellowstone..... or you want to count the fine hairs on the highest rez cat photo ever) you set it to 42MP. Also, it's another way of getting a few more usable focal lengths out of a fixed lens camera. As it is, one could already crop the original from 24MP to 6MP and still have PLENTY of "IQ". I have no idea what effective focal length that means your new crop is, but imagine that latitude it gives you when dealing a 42MP image.
Here's a simple average shot at 24MP from the "old" RX1 and a crop at 6MP.
DSC01895 by
Luke, on Flickr
DSC01895 by
Luke, on Flickr
Now despite that a few of those bratwurst are a little burnt
, I would HAVE zero issues with that 6 MP image. So why not have the ABILITY to shoot 42MP when you want, and when you don't want (or need
) the 42, you don't need to use it. Don't get me wrong.....I'm firmly in the "12MP is more than enough" camp, but I won't hold the 42MP against the new model. Frankly, I'd be more leery of what may be a questionable built-in viewfinder. The old clip-on one was frankly amazing..... and while not an elegant design, I found the flip ability useful and left it attached most of the time. If it were my design choice, I'd have made the camera larger and built-in the viewfinder......not a pop-up one. Although to be fair, it remains to be seen how well the new one works.
But still, after saying all that and defending the new model, I'll likely be buying up a used original version for around $1000 when they hit that mark rather than the newest one for closer to $3K. But for anyone who wants the latest and greatest (and can afford it), I think the new one will be a "no-brainer".