Sony announce sequel to my favourite small camera of all time - the RX1 II is here with variable OLPF and 42MP sensor but no 4K!

[Andrew Reid]

Granted this is more a stills related camera than video but the Sony RX line is a favourite of mine - it has always packed absolute cutting edge technology and innovation into tiny cameras. And who doesn't like tiny cameras? (My review of the RX100 IV is coming tomorrow, by the way).

The original RX1 in 2013 was almost like a full frame Leica when it came to street photos but jacket pocket sized with full frame video a camera slightly larger than a pack of cards. I loved it and used it often for photos, unfortunately video quality was lacking. With the 4K capable sensor from the A7R II in the new RX1R II model, does it deliver an improvement?

Pre-order the Sony RX1R II now

Read the full article

[schnorgie]

I have a copy of the original RX 1, which I have used as a travel camera, with excellent results. The draw is, of course, the full frame sensor. The shallow-depth-of-field thing is the one thing that I have never satisfactorily been able to achieve with a smaller sensor camera (such as the RX100), especially for portraits. The limitation of the fixed 35mm lens, great as it is, is, well, limiting, no matter what Cartier-Bresson fantasies I might have entertained. My 5D3 (with zooms) still beats it (the RX1) pretty handily for photos, but traveling.......not so easy to drag all the lenses around (with the 5D3). 

My original idea was to carry a very small, but capable 2 or 3 camera "rig" for traveling.....something so small and light that I could carry the whole kit on the plane (less lights, sound, and accoutrements), without having to worry about checking it with the baggage. But now, many airlines, like Lufthansa and United, are beginning to enforce the weight allowances of what one is allowed to bring onboard. My "carry on" bag is limited to 8kg.....tough to conform to including laptop, ipad and"kit" consisting of the RX1, and one (or two) RX100s as "b" cameras.

So I am now thinking more about possible ways of "armoring" my luggage, as to take a more "normal" kit. That said, I have actually seen the flight crew physically drop "carry on" bags to the ground from the plane (while sitting on the tarmac) that they felt were too bulky to take onboard and needed to be checked in with the baggage. Gulp!

Video-wise, I could always sneak by with inserts shot on the RX100's; but I found the RX1, truthfully, never was a really great video camera.....stills, sure, but to use it as a video camera was pushing the envelope of acceptability a little bit.

So, now the RX1 mk2. I like the articulated screen, pop up EVF. The increased resolution is also welcome, and especially, the improved auto focus (which is often a bit of a problem on the RX1). Will I buy one? Probably not, or at least not right away. It's just too expensive, bottom line. But looks to be a great camera.

Thanks for the site, Andrew. I do enjoy it.

 

[ntblowz]

For traveling I just take RX10 II, leave my A7S and GH4 at home lol. After some crazy shooting with primes back in the days I am now a zoom man again.

 

For that price I rather take A7R II ($2699 brand new on ebay) and 35mm f2.8 or 28mm f2.0 lens, consider none of them are small enough to fit the pocket anyway.

 

And if I am really keen to have FF P&S with money I rather spend another extra grand and get the real Leica Q instead. At least they wont release new model every year, plus that 3.6million dot EVF is world ahead of others.

[maxotics]

As you mentioned, lack of competition put that camera firmly in the rich-person dilettante market.  Difficult for even a working photographer to spend $3,000 for a one-trick pony.  But oh what a trick!  Also, the Ricoh GR has amazing stills quality, APS-C sized sensor (pitiful video) and the only retractable prime lens I know about.  I take that camera almost everywhere.  If fits in almost every pocket and is near silent.  

The RX1, though it's certainly tiny compared to a D800!, is  not much smaller than an A7 with a prime.  Unless you need that absolutely smallest camera, then you're better off in the A7 line IMHO.

Again, if one lusts after full frame IQ, you can get pretty close with the Ricoh GR.  

Here's a shot that shows one of the great benefits of the GR.  I was able to set it to TAv.  I knew I needed a fast enough shutter speed to catch her, and wanted f4 of DOF.  The camera set the ISO from that.  The image is a bit noisy, but a whole lot less than my cell phone or MFT camera would have been.

 

[Guy Calaf]

Cool camera indeed, Andrew. But price wise it is just 1k bellow new full frame Leica. I'm not going to spend $ 3000 on this one and $ 4200 on the leica version, but if I were to commit to it, I would add the money and go leica. It's like if the Amira was  $ 16000 would you still buy an FS7?

On a separate note, rumors are coming up of a Canon 1DXII with 4k, i guess high bit rate and 240fps at 1080. Seems really dreamy but at $5000 for it Canon may come back in the picture for this kind of gear. 

Cheers

[Jimmy]

What is strange is why they held back this OLPF tech for this specific camera. Surely it should have gone into their flagship model too?

[IronFilm]

I am guessing Jimmy that it was too newly developed to go in the A7r mk2, and they didn't want to hold back the release of that product.

I bet the A7r mk3 next year will have it...    ;-)

[BrorSvensson]

Cool camera indeed, Andrew. But price wise it is just 1k bellow new full frame Leica. I'm not going to spend $ 3000 on this one and $ 4200 on the leica version, but if I were to commit to it, I would add the money and go leica. It's like if the Amira was  $ 16000 would you still buy an FS7?

On a separate note, rumors are coming up of a Canon 1DXII with 4k, i guess high bit rate and 240fps at 1080. Seems really dreamy but at $5000 for it Canon may come back in the picture for this kind of gear. 

Cheers

the leica wont have a lens with it.

[TheRenaissanceMan]

the leica wont have a lens with it.

The Leica Q absolutely has a lens.