So I just got the RX100 MKIII
Discussion
...and I don't really like it that much 
I've been playing with it all day, taking photos, shooting videos, comparing it with my other small cameras.
The IQ is better than from S120 but not by that much, so is video - that's what I mainly bought it for. But it's just so fiddly to use while being big at the same time! Menus don't make sense, everything is difficult to change. I like the tilting screen and usb charging.
When I got my EOS-M I was in love immediately, I love the touchscreen operation on it, it's so easy to find stuff in the menus and with 22mm on it is pretty much the same size as the RX100.
I think I'm gonna send it back and stick to EOS-M for photos and S120 for video when I don't want to carry the SLR... Still undecided.
I've been playing with it all day, taking photos, shooting videos, comparing it with my other small cameras.
The IQ is better than from S120 but not by that much, so is video - that's what I mainly bought it for. But it's just so fiddly to use while being big at the same time! Menus don't make sense, everything is difficult to change. I like the tilting screen and usb charging.
When I got my EOS-M I was in love immediately, I love the touchscreen operation on it, it's so easy to find stuff in the menus and with 22mm on it is pretty much the same size as the RX100.
I think I'm gonna send it back and stick to EOS-M for photos and S120 for video when I don't want to carry the SLR... Still undecided.
I've had a mk1 and now a mk3.
I was the same as you. I had shot Nikon DSLR for a good 7 years or so before deciding to get the Sony, and I really disliked it at first.
Compared to my Nikon everything seemed fiddly, small, slow, difficult and the menus seemed a bit confusing, but I stuck with it and now I really like my mk3.
Don't get me wrong, it's never going to be a top end DSLR for operation speed, buttons and menus, but once you get used to it it's fine for a compact camera, and indeed functions like the 3 memory banks for settings are in my opinion, brilliant, and really add versatility to what you can quickly be ready to shoot.
I would just give it time to get used to the Sony menus and buttons.
I was the same as you. I had shot Nikon DSLR for a good 7 years or so before deciding to get the Sony, and I really disliked it at first.
Compared to my Nikon everything seemed fiddly, small, slow, difficult and the menus seemed a bit confusing, but I stuck with it and now I really like my mk3.
Don't get me wrong, it's never going to be a top end DSLR for operation speed, buttons and menus, but once you get used to it it's fine for a compact camera, and indeed functions like the 3 memory banks for settings are in my opinion, brilliant, and really add versatility to what you can quickly be ready to shoot.
I would just give it time to get used to the Sony menus and buttons.
rottie102 said:
...and I don't really like it that much
I've been playing with it all day, taking photos, shooting videos, comparing it with my other small cameras.
The IQ is better than from S120 but not by that much, so is video - that's what I mainly bought it for. But it's just so fiddly to use while being big at the same time! Menus don't make sense, everything is difficult to change. I like the tilting screen and usb charging.
When I got my EOS-M I was in love immediately, I love the touchscreen operation on it, it's so easy to find stuff in the menus and with 22mm on it is pretty much the same size as the RX100.
I think I'm gonna send it back and stick to EOS-M for photos and S120 for video when I don't want to carry the SLR... Still undecided.
I appreciate what you are saying, I previously owned a Canon S100 before it failed due to the well known lens error fault and Canon mucked me around ages until John Lewis credited me with the purchase price. Having read a great deal about the Sony RX100 I bit the bullet and opted for the MK1 due to the fact that it was priced at a similar level to the S100 but on paper offered considerably more. I didn't think the MK2 offered enough improvements for the increased price, and the MK3 was out of my budget.I've been playing with it all day, taking photos, shooting videos, comparing it with my other small cameras.
The IQ is better than from S120 but not by that much, so is video - that's what I mainly bought it for. But it's just so fiddly to use while being big at the same time! Menus don't make sense, everything is difficult to change. I like the tilting screen and usb charging.
When I got my EOS-M I was in love immediately, I love the touchscreen operation on it, it's so easy to find stuff in the menus and with 22mm on it is pretty much the same size as the RX100.
I think I'm gonna send it back and stick to EOS-M for photos and S120 for video when I don't want to carry the SLR... Still undecided.
The build quality of the RX100 is a lot better than the S100, and yes it does feel a far more polished product and a lot less plasticky, but as you say, the menu system can initially seem rather clumsy. Sony also don't seem interested in updating the firmware which is a great shame because there are several minor niggles that could be removed very easily with an update - shame on Sony for this. I can only assume they foolishly believe consumers will buy the newer models as they are released with the improved software.
I've been using the RX100 MK1 for several months now and am slowly learning its quirks, I tend to use 'shutter priority' rather than 'Auto' when photographing the kids because they tend to run round at high speed and the default shutter speed on Auto is 1/30 which is way too slow. Outside it doesn't seem to be an issue probably because it's brighter so the shutter speed can be higher. Am actually experimenting with the other options available apart from the default 'Auto' option.
One thing I will comment on is that the shadows seem more pronounced on photographs taken using the RX100 compared to the S100, I'm not sure whether the settings need tweaking or is just normal for this camera. Have also noticed that sometimes it takes an age for the lens to retract after taking several photographs. I actually thought at one point that the camera software had crashed! I may yet be returning the camera to JW to investigate this issue.
Incidentally I was actually comparing the RX100 MK1 to the MK3 yesterday in PCWorld and noticed that the MK3 is nearly double the price of the MK1 which surprised me. Yes it's a better spec camera, but is it really worth double the price?
If I was you I would be inclined to use the camera for a few more months so that you become more used to the different menu system. I've found over the past few months that I've found the menu system far easier to navigate and not so clumsy. Must say that it's nowhere near as intuitive as the Canon menu system.
Bottom line is that the image quality and the build quality of the RX100 is far better than the S120. Just a shame that Sony don't seem willing or able to invest a decent amount of money to improve the menu and actually listen to what customers are saying to improve their product.
Is called customer feedback!!!
rich888 said:
Bottom line is that the image quality and the build quality of the RX100 is far better than the S120.
I disagree with you here. Image quality is better (not FAR) but I would say build quality is actually better on the S120. Little things like the zoom switch, how it feels to half press the shutter button. Also I often carry the S120 in jeans back pocket and sit down with it in it, I wouldn't feel so sure about doing it with the RX, not because of its bigger size but it just feels more fragile. This is the thing - The difference in IQ is nowhere near as big between S120 and RX100 as it is between S120/RX100 and the EOS M. Sensor size really matters. I thought RX100 will be more in the middle between small sensor in S120 and APS-C in the M.
Some things are really silly - when zooming in to review the photo it goes from zero to 100% and you then have to go back all the way to zoom out. Why can't you take photos in Movie mode? I have to change the mode, take the photo, then go back to movie mode and choose the submode in movie mode every time! On Canon you just press the shutter button... I set it to NTSC to get 120fps video and now every time I turn the camera on it welcomes me with a black screen saying "running on NTSC" which doesn't disappear until I press something. The camera switches off when you close the viewfinder! You have to power it up again every time you decide to use it and go back to screen afterwards. Shame that no reviews mention things like that.
Canon might not be innovating things at the speed of Sony but IMO their products are much more "polished" when released.
Your post highlights the reason I try to suggest other high end compacts to people asking which to buy rather than just banging out about how amazing the RX100 is because it has a slightly bigger sensor.
There's far more to owning and using a camera than outright image quality. The range of high end compacts from Panasonic, Olympus, Fuji, Canon & Nikon are all much nicer cameras to use and live with.
There's far more to owning and using a camera than outright image quality. The range of high end compacts from Panasonic, Olympus, Fuji, Canon & Nikon are all much nicer cameras to use and live with.
Edited by MysteryLemon on Tuesday 6th January 09:46
The RX100 Mk3 is great as an only camera but I also found it disappointing compared to my Canons. Okay I had the Mk2 not the 3 but after taking it on a few holidays I missed the colours and clarity of my $250 EOS-M! Mind you I like fixed focal length stuff and I suppose the RX100';s trump card is zoom and a good (but not brilliant) sensor. I ditched the RX100 and it's basically iPhone + EOS-M nowadays. I would ditch them both for an RX1 (that much for 1 camera though!). Each to their own.
Edited by fido on Tuesday 6th January 12:26
Horses for courses of course.
RX100 paid for itself in sales after only 6 months. Already sold nearly £150 worth of prints from the Mk 3. Could never have done that with my Canon as 24" prints just didn't cut the mustard.
I too hate the menu on the Sony. The Canon is miles more intuitive. Sony need to man up! Still I need end quality, which is why, having looked at the new crop of larger sensor compacts, I stuck with Sony. I'm used to it now and don't even think about how annoying it was to learn.
RX100 paid for itself in sales after only 6 months. Already sold nearly £150 worth of prints from the Mk 3. Could never have done that with my Canon as 24" prints just didn't cut the mustard.
I too hate the menu on the Sony. The Canon is miles more intuitive. Sony need to man up! Still I need end quality, which is why, having looked at the new crop of larger sensor compacts, I stuck with Sony. I'm used to it now and don't even think about how annoying it was to learn.
GetCarter said:
Horses for courses of course.
RX100 paid for itself in sales after only 6 months. Already sold nearly £150 worth of prints from the Mk 3. Could never have done that with my Canon as 24" prints just didn't cut the mustard.
I too hate the menu on the Sony. The Canon is miles more intuitive. Sony need to man up! Still I need end quality, which is why, having looked at the new crop of larger sensor compacts, I stuck with Sony. I'm used to it now and don't even think about how annoying it was to learn.
Well, there's always the EOS M with a 10-22mm which would be even better for printing RX100 paid for itself in sales after only 6 months. Already sold nearly £150 worth of prints from the Mk 3. Could never have done that with my Canon as 24" prints just didn't cut the mustard.
I too hate the menu on the Sony. The Canon is miles more intuitive. Sony need to man up! Still I need end quality, which is why, having looked at the new crop of larger sensor compacts, I stuck with Sony. I'm used to it now and don't even think about how annoying it was to learn.
I think the problem is that you have too many cameras - the RX100 and the EOS-M very much tread on each others toes. If you had to pick one out of the S120, RX100 and EOS-M then I suspect that the RX100 would be the happy medium but there just isn't enough gap between the other two to justify owning them as well.
Mr Will said:
I think the problem is that you have too many cameras - the RX100 and the EOS-M very much tread on each others toes. If you had to pick one out of the S120, RX100 and EOS-M then I suspect that the RX100 would be the happy medium but there just isn't enough gap between the other two to justify owning them as well.
Could be... and that's just as an addition to my DSLRs 
For some reason I'm just not a SONY guy, I did the same thing with the NEX 6, that costed me even more since I also bought lenses then
I've just bought a RX100 (Mk1) as we're planning a trip to Cape Town and I didn't think it was a good place to stroll about swinging an SLR!
The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
Ari said:
I've just bought a RX100 (Mk1) as we're planning a trip to Cape Town and I didn't think it was a good place to stroll about swinging an SLR!
The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
It's on-line... check out the sony websiteThe thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 9th January 14:16
Ari said:
I've just bought a RX100 (Mk1) as we're planning a trip to Cape Town and I didn't think it was a good place to stroll about swinging an SLR!
The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
If you have a Kindle, or a Kindle app, then take a look at:The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
The Complete Guide to Sony's Cybershot RX-100 [Kindle Edition]
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BEO4IJK
or
Photographer's Guide to the Sony DSC-RX100 [Kindle Edition]
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009YMBS74
I have a feeling that they are also available in book format but are far more expensive.
You don't need a Kindle or Kindle app for the Gary Friedman ebooks
http://friedmanarchives.com/RX100/index.htm
I've got several of his books and I find them very good.
From his website you have a two week risk free trial ....
http://friedmanarchives.com/RX100/index.htm
I've got several of his books and I find them very good.
From his website you have a two week risk free trial ....
rottie102 said:
I disagree with you here. Image quality is better (not FAR) but I would say build quality is actually better on the S120. Little things like the zoom switch, how it feels to half press the shutter button. Also I often carry the S120 in jeans back pocket and sit down with it in it, I wouldn't feel so sure about doing it with the RX, not because of its bigger size but it just feels more fragile.
This is the thing - The difference in IQ is nowhere near as big between S120 and RX100 as it is between S120/RX100 and the EOS M. Sensor size really matters. I thought RX100 will be more in the middle between small sensor in S120 and APS-C in the M.
Some things are really silly - when zooming in to review the photo it goes from zero to 100% and you then have to go back all the way to zoom out. Why can't you take photos in Movie mode? I have to change the mode, take the photo, then go back to movie mode and choose the submode in movie mode every time! On Canon you just press the shutter button... I set it to NTSC to get 120fps video and now every time I turn the camera on it welcomes me with a black screen saying "running on NTSC" which doesn't disappear until I press something. The camera switches off when you close the viewfinder! You have to power it up again every time you decide to use it and go back to screen afterwards. Shame that no reviews mention things like that.
Canon might not be innovating things at the speed of Sony but IMO their products are much more "polished" when released.
I think you must have a poor quality example. I'm an ex S100 owner and have owned an Rx100 Mk 1, 2 and now 3. For context I also have an EOS M (recently bought for £200 with 22mm, 11-22mm etc..brilliant for the money), Sony A7R and Canon 5D Mk3. Having been a big Canon fan I'm now firmly a Sony fan boy! From my experience the RX100 M3 images are easily a match for the EOS-M with the kit lense. It will lose out if using the 22mm but not by much. My old S100 images are nowhere near the Sony. Interested to hear how you get on with the G7X though - but it looks like an Rx100 without a viewfinder to me This is the thing - The difference in IQ is nowhere near as big between S120 and RX100 as it is between S120/RX100 and the EOS M. Sensor size really matters. I thought RX100 will be more in the middle between small sensor in S120 and APS-C in the M.
Some things are really silly - when zooming in to review the photo it goes from zero to 100% and you then have to go back all the way to zoom out. Why can't you take photos in Movie mode? I have to change the mode, take the photo, then go back to movie mode and choose the submode in movie mode every time! On Canon you just press the shutter button... I set it to NTSC to get 120fps video and now every time I turn the camera on it welcomes me with a black screen saying "running on NTSC" which doesn't disappear until I press something. The camera switches off when you close the viewfinder! You have to power it up again every time you decide to use it and go back to screen afterwards. Shame that no reviews mention things like that.
Canon might not be innovating things at the speed of Sony but IMO their products are much more "polished" when released.
Ari said:
I've just bought a RX100 (Mk1) as we're planning a trip to Cape Town and I didn't think it was a good place to stroll about swinging an SLR!
The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
Take the SLR! I had a place in Hout Bay for 5 years and CT is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I've personally never had any problems over there when carrying a camera and you really want the best kit you have with you imo.The thing I've found odd is the instruction manual only describes things like how to put the battery in. The actual operation of the camera seems to be completely trial and error!
Luckily it is reasonably intuitive, but I'm so used to getting an instruction manual like a book.
Ok, so I've spent a day with G7X and RX100 MK3 and I'm keeping the Canon.
My pros for both:
Canon
- it starts in an instant, I mean it, it's DSLR fast from pressing ON to being able to shoot
- touchscreen is a breeze to use, comparing to Sony's fiddly buttons. And is sooooooo much better to use as a "touch to focus" in video recording than SONY's "157 turns of the wheel to focus manually"
- Menus/operation is so much more user friendly
- Image Stabilisation in video is in a different league to SONY
- Tiny thing but the thumb grip makes it so much better to hold.
- Extra reach of the lens is really useful when it's the only camera
- quick ability to change between video and photo
- clicky wheel - people say that SONY's is better since it is quiet but if you are using it quickly it's extremely annoying since there's delay between turn and action so you end up going too far or not far enough. WIth Canon one click is one move, much better in actual use!
- £130 cheaper
Sony
- USB charging. I LOVE IT! Every electronic product should be charged by USB.
- viewfinder MIGHT BE useful but the fact that putting it back in switches the camera off and there's no way to change it, so you have to wait for it to power up again would most likely put me off from using it
- 120fps video
- better battery life, but then on the other hand £130 price difference buys quite a few batteries
As for image quality - they look pretty identical to me. SONY's auto focus seems quicker, but Canon is absolutely amazing at face tracking.
My pros for both:
Canon
- it starts in an instant, I mean it, it's DSLR fast from pressing ON to being able to shoot
- touchscreen is a breeze to use, comparing to Sony's fiddly buttons. And is sooooooo much better to use as a "touch to focus" in video recording than SONY's "157 turns of the wheel to focus manually"
- Menus/operation is so much more user friendly
- Image Stabilisation in video is in a different league to SONY
- Tiny thing but the thumb grip makes it so much better to hold.
- Extra reach of the lens is really useful when it's the only camera
- quick ability to change between video and photo
- clicky wheel - people say that SONY's is better since it is quiet but if you are using it quickly it's extremely annoying since there's delay between turn and action so you end up going too far or not far enough. WIth Canon one click is one move, much better in actual use!
- £130 cheaper
Sony
- USB charging. I LOVE IT! Every electronic product should be charged by USB.
- viewfinder MIGHT BE useful but the fact that putting it back in switches the camera off and there's no way to change it, so you have to wait for it to power up again would most likely put me off from using it
- 120fps video
- better battery life, but then on the other hand £130 price difference buys quite a few batteries
As for image quality - they look pretty identical to me. SONY's auto focus seems quicker, but Canon is absolutely amazing at face tracking.
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