So I just got the RX100 MKIII

[rottie102]

...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.

[rottie102]

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.

[rottie102]

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

[rottie102]

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

[rottie102]

Just ordered a G7X. Should've done it in the first place

[rottie102]

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.

[rottie102]

RobDickinson said:

They share the same sensor right?

Sony charge from USB allows them to not bother with a plug in charger and saves them money.

Having bought a wall charger and 2 batteries for the a7r I kind of wish they had just shipped the charger too.

Dont know about the mk3 but the a7r you cannot use it and charge it at the same time (aka no continous power) so have to hack a battery solution instead, stupid!

Apparently.

As for charging - I travel all the time and each less charger makes hell of a difference. I wanna cry every time I'm packing the charger for 1Dx. A lot of it is also spent in the car so being able to charge my computer, phone and camera with one tiny charger and even more - while on the road is amazing.
I'd rather have this option and be able to buy a charger than get a free charger and not be able to charge via USB.

[rottie102]

I was just searching for a spare battery on the net.

This is seriously a pisstake! £60 !!!!!!!

[rottie102]

LongQ said:

Canon (and afaik all OEM) batteries are silly money. Compatibles seem fine and a fraction of the price - assuming they are available. You probably know that of course.

Oh I know that. I paid almost £150 for a battery 1Dx. I wasn't impressed. But £60 for THIS size battery is taking the piss.I think I paid £36 for battery for RX100 ( my Sony action cam uses them)

As for third party ones. They are significantly cheaper but from my experience they also don't last as long as the original ones. I have three spare ones for S120, good brands I think Varta and Duracell but the original one lasts significantly longer.

Edited by rottie102 on Wednesday 14th January 18:15

[rottie102]

Mr Pointy said:

Not sure where the £60 for a battery came from. Official Sony battery for £30 (still not cheap though):

That was about battery for G7X

[rottie102]

dave_s13 said:

So, I was looking for a compact camera, did the usual PH search via google and came to the conclusion that the RX100 was the daddy.

Just won a second hand mk2 off Ebay, yay.

Then read this thread and find out they are bit fiddly to use. My Mrs aint gonna like that.

I assume that for someone (my wife) with no interest, knowledge or inclination to learn about how to use a camera it can just be picked it up, point and shoot and still get a decent image? If you can't then it'll have to go back on the bay.

It will be perfect for her, don't worry It's a great point and shoot camera

[rottie102]

NinjaPower said:

Very interesting.

Cheers for posting.

I love my M3 and try to forget about the cost...

I don't agree with many of their points though, having used both cameras side by side.
I can assure you that touch to focus in video on G7X works much faster and better than manual focus by ring on RX100.
The clicking ring itself is waaay more useful to select aperture or shutter speed than the free spinning one on RX100.
The fact that the display doesn't tilt down? Just turn the camera upside down for that 3 times a year when you will be shooting from above your head.

[rottie102]

mr2man said:

God knows what I can get as a replacement though.

Hmmm, if there only was a good alternative for the RX100...