SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review

SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review

Table of Contents:

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

In my photography priorities portability is critical. I want to maximise the opportunities I have to take photos with a camera I’m not tempted to leave at home. With the latest technology, SONY’s RX100 series makes an excellent balance between portability and photo quality.

After photographing with compact digital and mobile cameras for years, I became interested in more artistic photography, in particular controlling depth of field. Thus, I started looking for a new camera that could take photos significantly better than mobile cameras. I mostly do travel photography, photos of people, places and food. However, I’m interested in trying as many different types of photography as possible including portraits, street, HDR, long exposure, macro, etc. For this reason I’m looking for a camera with all-round capabilities and manual controls. It doesn’t have to be the best in any type of photography, but if I can try as many types of photography as possible it will be a great learning tool.
These were my requirements looking for a camera:

• Portable enough to take with me everyday
• Better picture quality than any compact or mobile camera
• Full Manual control
• Lens fast enough to get background blur (bokeh)
• Price as economical as possible

What’s your budget?

The price might come last in most marketing, but as one of the most critical deciding factors, I’ll address it here early in my review. Please consult sites like Amazon or Kakaku.com in Japan for accurate prices, these are some ball-park figures to give you an idea. There are currently 4 different RX100 camera models all priced differently with varying features. The cheapest is the original RX100 Model1 available new for about USD $400. The most expensive is the latest RX100 M4 which costs about $1000. The M2 is about $500 and the M3 featured in this review, is about $800. Basically the SONY RX100 M3 is a high end compact digital camera, suitable for people who want manual controls and near DSLR quality digital photos while keeping a portable, pocketable body. I’ll go further into the features of this camera and comparisons to other cameras including DSLRs and mobile cameras in this review.

One inch punch

One of the most advertised specifications for digital cameras is megapixels, but more megapixels do not mean better image quality. The size of the camera’s sensor is much more important for picture quality. It’s important to know the size of the sensor on a camera before you make a buying decision. Generally larger sensors take better quality photos and are more expensive.

The RX100 is famous because of its one inch sensor (13.2 × 8.8 mm). The sensor is the same size in all RX100 models. From a professional standard, this is still a small sensor, but it is significantly larger than most compact cameras and almost all mobile phone cameras. As a result, the RX100 will produce brighter and better quality images than almost all mobile phone and compact digital cameras. The one inch sensor is smaller than most dslrs and mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. Here is a comparison of camera sensor sizes on popular digital cameras:

Sensor Format	Dimensions	Camera Examples
Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	SONY A7 Canon EOS 5D Nikon D810
APS-C	23.6-23.7 x 15.6 mm (22.2 x 14.8 mm for Canon)	SONY A6300 Canon 7D Nikon D7200
Micro Four Thirds	17.3 x 13 mm	Panasonic GX8 Olympus E-M5
One Inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	SONY RX100 Canon G9X Panasonic LX100
1/2 Inch	6.4 x 4.8 mm	LG G5
1/2.3 Inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	Huawei Nexus 6P
1/3 Inch	4.8 x 3.6 mm	iPhone 6s

Personally I don’t see the point in buying a compact digital camera with a sensor smaller than one inch because the photo quality is too close to mobile cameras. I can understand buying a camera with a larger sensor, but only if you’re serious about photography, particularly taking artistic photos that are not possible on a mobile camera. If you’re not, I say stick with your mobile phone camera because chances are it takes some amazing photos without any fuss and it’s portability is unbeatable since it’s always with you.

Is a Mobile Phone Camera enough?

I was happy taking photos with my phone until I started learning about manual controls on cameras, in particular isolating the subject with aperture control, or creating a pleasant blur in the background, also referred to as “bokeh”. If you want to get achieve a similar effect and use camera techniques beyond the ability of a mobile phone camera, the RX100 may be a choice for you.
I often compare my RX100 M3 with the leading mobile phone cameras. Mobile phone cameras are always improving and can take some amazing photos, but they fall short of the RX100 because of a number of reasons. Most notably mobile cameras have smaller sensors so they can not capture as much light information. They also have no optical zoom and no aperture control giving the RX100 a distinct advantage with artistic photos that simply aren’t possible to achieve optically on a mobile phone (some effects may be simulated digitally).

Fixed lens – an economical decision

Getting a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera (MILC) like the Sony A6000 would mean I’d be tempted to buy more lenses increasing the financial burden. The RX100 has a fixed lens, so changing the lens is not an option. I’m very happy with the lens on the RX100M3, it allows me to take a wide variety of photos and videos such as landscapes, portraits, macro, and street photography. I’m sure a combination of different lenses on different cameras could take a better variety of photos, but all at a cost of money and bulk. My plan is to use my RX100M3 to its maximum potential. I want to get to a stage where I consciously know I’m pushing the camera to its max and I can’t possibly get a better shot unless I had different equipment. I’m a long way from there yet, but if I ever get there I’ll consider upgrading my gear.

Portability – The Deciding Factor

I was looking for a camera with manual controls and a decent sensor. However, one factor I thought was very important was portability. The camera would have to be compact enough for me to take everywhere without a thought. If it’s too big, I won’t take it with me and I won’t take pictures.  This defeats the point of paying for a high quality camera.

I had the opportunity to try a SONY A6000 mirrorless APS-C and although I was impressed with the picture quality, the camera, even a small mirrorless, was still too big for my needs.  Sure, the body is just about small enough to pocket, but with anything but a pancake lens on the front the rest needs a bag. I also like to protect my electronics with cases and a suitable hard case would add more bulk to the camera. I can always hang it around my neck, but then I look like “Mr. Photographer”, or “Mr. Camera man”. When I go to social events I want to have the option to take great, artistic shots I can share with people afterwards while at the same time not looking like “Mr. Camera man”. The RX100 series is pocketable. I can keep it in a jacket pocket, pull it out with one hand, shoot, and put it back in the pocket in an instant. Doing this it’s hard to notice the “camera man” because he only exists for a few moments.

The differences in quality between the SONY RX100M3 and SONY A6000 MILC are summarized well in this dpreview forum post.

With the standard kit lens I tried on an A6000, my photos were very close in comparison to my RX100M3. Even with a larger sensor, the bokeh wasn’t noticeably better to be shooting at the far end of the zoom, perhaps because of the slow minimum F5.6 aperture at 50mm. If I were to get an A6000, I would most certainly get one with a fast, prime lens to draw as much bokeh as possible out of that APS-C sensor. On top of that, the minimum focal distance of the kit lens on the A6000 (25cm at 16mm) is greater than that of the RX100M3 (5cm at 24mm), so the RX100M3 is better for macro photography including gourmet photos, flowers, etc. Not only can it get closer for more dramatic photos, but getting closer also allows the RX100M3 to blur the background further. Basically the kit lens on the A6000 reduces the advantage of it’s larger APS-C sensor making it inferior to the RX100M3’s fixed lens. I would definitely need to buy another lens, most probably a fast prime lens in order to make the A6000 more worthwhile than the RX100M3. However, another lens reduces portability and functionality. I don’t need to carry extra lenses for the RX100M3, I don’t need to fit them either, it just works. On top of that, the RX100M3 has an automatic lens cover. I’ve really grown to like this. Lens caps that need to be removed cost time. I need to be ready and prepared to take a photo with the lens cap off. With the RX100M3 I can have it in my pocket completely capped and protected, pull it out and take a shot as soon as it opens. No lens cap fiddling involved. Then I can put it away by pressing the power off button. No searching for the lens cap and fitting it back on.

Articulated LCD Screen and Selfie Power

The RX100M3 also has a significant physical advantage over the other SONY alternatives including the earlier RX100 models, the A6000 and A7. It has a flippable, articulated LCD screen for taking selfies and vlogs on the move. This a very useful feature that compliments the camera’s pocketable, compact size. The lack of a selfie cam was a dealbreaker for me on the A6000 and A7.

In addition to selfie-mode, the articulated LCD is also very useful for framing shots from an “On the ground” low perspective and an “Above the crowd” high perspective. I use both high and low perspectives often. A low perspective is great for photos of pets and a technique to get some foreground into shots. A high perspective allows you to shoot over crowds or get everyone’s face in on a large group shot. Your hands won’t be as either of these LCD techniques compared to a standard elbows-in viewfinder shot, so I recommend activating image stability.

Charging the battery via USB

One thing that is different about this camera since I used to have a Canon compact camera, is that it doesn’t come with a AC Battery Charger. Instead, you charge the battery while it’s in the phone via the USB port. This has a distinct advantage and disadvantage. The advantage is that you can charge the camera just like you would an Android mobile phone. If there’s a standard USB cable and a power source, you’re in luck. I often charge my camera on vacation with the same mobile battery that charges my phone and tablet. The disadvantage is that you can’t charge another battery ready and then switch it in. If you feel you need more than one battery, it may be worth investing in a separate AC battery charger so you can charge a battery while the other one is in the camera. If you don’t mind using the RX100 as a charger for both the batteries, you can save yourself an investment in that AC battery charger. I’ve found the battery life to be very good with this camera. I would only run out in a day if I did a lot of shooting outside (over 200 photos) and some long  videos.
One notable thing about wear and tear is the plastic USB port cover. After only a month of using this camera, the plastic USB port cover broke and wouldn’t close. I didn’t think it was worth sending back to SONY for repair, so I just lived with it as you can see in the photos. On forums I have heard that this plastic port cover broke for other customers within 3 days of buying the camera. It is very flimsy in contrast to the great overall build of the camera. I think if it was a rubbery material it wouldn’t break so easily.

Electronic View Finder (EVF)

An excellent new addition to the RX100 M3 was a pop-up Electronic View Finder (EVF). This was a key point in my buying decision. I never owned a DSLR and I was used to taking photos with an LCD screen on compact digital cameras and mobile phones, so I wasn’t sure about the need for a viewfinder. However, after using the EVF on the RX100 M3, I realise how important it can be and I’m glad I chose a camera with a viewfinder.

Advantages of a viewfinder over an LCD screen:

1. Shooting in bright places
   The main reason I use the viewfinder is simple. On sunny days it’s too bright to see the LCD screen. I also like to turn the LCD brightness down to preserve battery, making it more difficult to see in the sun. But, with the EVF on the RX100M3 I can accurately frame my shots even against bright sunlight.
2. Shooting in dark places
   In dark places like a theatre or concert, the LCD screen can be exceptionally bright and distracting to others. It can also be too bright to look at when your eyes have adjusted to the darkness. There is an option to turn the LCD off completely and only use the EVF. I recommend this option for shooting in dark environments.
3. Shooting in social situations
   If you’re taking photographs of people at an event like a wedding, holding the LCD out in front of you is an invitation for others that you’re taking a photograph and to look at the screen, or the camera. Using the viewfinder is more discreet allowing you to capture more unnoticed, natural candid shots.
4. Stability
   When you use an LCD screen, you need to hold the camera far enough in front of you so you can see the screen. Using a viewfinder allows you to hold the camera right up to your face with your elbows in giving you better stability. When I want to get the best shot possible in low light situations I’ll shoot through the EVF.
5. Framing and accuracy
   The EVF is exceptionally good for framing shots. Not only does it give me an accurate look what the sensor will capture in the current camera mode, but with one eye open I can scan things outside the frame and move quickly to capture fast moving subjects.
6. It looks professional
   Finally, taking photos holding a camera out in front of you is one step behind looking like an amateur mobile photographer and two steps behind looking like an iPad photographer. It’s hard for people to take you seriously if that’s important for you.

If you found this review useful, please consider shopping on Amazon through this affiliate link.

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

I think the SONY RX100M3 is an excellent choice of camera for street photography.

Advantages:

It’s extremely compact and inconspicuous and it has an almost silent shutter, which allows more opportunities for candid shots. It doesn’t require a lens cap, so you don’t need to have the camera open and ready, you can keep it in your pocket, pull it out and take photos soon after you press the on button.

Disadvantages:

The auto-focus on the RX100 series is not as fast or accurate as other camera models. This is because it utilises Contrast Detect (CD) auto-focus. Most DSLRs use Phase Detect (PD) auto-focus which is generally a faster method. Cameras like the SONY A6000 use a hybrid auto-focus using CD and PD.

Some countermeasures to avoid getting shots out of focus are as follows:

Use a higher (darker) aperture value to increase the depth of field. This will allow a larger depth of the area you have in focus. I normally choose F5.6 in the day, but if it is very bright outside I can go higher. As a result, my shots will not have much if any bokeh, but on the street I usually focus on capturing a particular scene in the fastest instant possible rather than looking for artistic camera views and lens effects.

I normally choose Continuous Focus (CF) mode if I’m going to “shoot from the hip”, effectively just pointing my camera in the direction of the scene I want to capture and hitting the shutter without looking at the viewfinder or LCD screen. This can result in shots such as these:
Another method is to use a Zone Focus technique by putting the camera into Manual Focus mode. Some cameras have physical controls that help for Zone focusing, but the RX100 isn’t one of them. I find focusing with the digital control wheel quite frustrating because there are no clicks and the only feedback is a digital focus bar on the display. This focus bar is the frustrating partly because the area of focus control is infinitely small. A better method is to use focus peaking. This adds a colour to the areas of the display that show contrast, therefore estimating what is in focus. I find it’s hard to confirm when looking at the display for a split second and it is also quite distracting. With practice I could get better at using the focus peaking display. I use focus peaking for manual focus on video also.

If you found this review useful, please consider shopping on Amazon through this affiliate link.

 

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

Use the zoom

I thought a zoom lens was good for getting closer to things in the distance, but that’s not the only way you can use a zoom lens. Zooming in changes the focal length and the field of view. At the wide end (no zoom), the RX100 M3 has an effective focal length of 24mm which provides a wide angle of view allowing you to get a lot into the picture. If you take a portrait close up at 24mm, there will be lens distortion because the lens is slightly fish-eyed to get a wide view. Full zoom on the RX100 M3 is 70mm equivalent, a focal length with a smaller field of view and less distortion resulting in a flatter, truthful and flattering portrait. However, at full zoom you’ll need to back up to fit the subject in the frame.

Nipponbashi Man

The longer focal length also utilises lens compression to give you more subject isolation and background blur (bokeh). While the maximum focal length on the RX100M3 is equivalent to 70mm on a full-frame camera,the RX100M1 and M2 had longer zooms with a maximum of 100mm. However, that resulted in a slower and darker aperture of F5.6. The RX100M3 maintains an aperture of F2.8 even at maximum 70mm effective focal length. This allows more light through the lens so you can take better exposed photos with lower ISO sensitivity.

Use Eye AF to focus

I recommend using the Eye AF auto focus function on the RX100M3 for portrait photography. Unfortunately it’s not easy to find even after a good search of the manual.

According to the manual, in order to enable Eye AF, you’ll need to press MENU → (Custom Settings) → [Custom Key Settings] → and assign the[Eye AF] function to the desired key. I’ve set it to the small “c” key in the bottom right corner. Next, frame your subject, press and hold the custom key you’ve set for Eye AF. While holding that custom key you can press the shutter. Provided you’re not on continuous or manual focus mode, the camera will automatically detect your subject’s eye and lock focus. If it can’t detect your subject’s eyes, it will default to their face.

How’s the bokeh? For macro yes, for portraits, no.

I was very impressed with the lens on the RX100M3 and I think it was a good improvement from the RX100M2 even with a bit less reach (from 100mm to 70mm equivalent). I thought it would be the ultimate lens to get some decent bokeh, and the bokeh is pleasing for close up shots of small objects like food and flowers.
Unfortunately the 1inch sensor (13.2 × 8.8 mm) is a bit too small to provide substantial subject isolation and bokeh in portraits compared to cameras with larger sensors. I use a full zoom of 70mm to get portrait shots with an acceptable amount of bokeh, but it can’t compete with cameras that have larger sensors and fast, prime lenses.
If you’re looking for portraits with beautiful bokeh, you may want a camera with a larger sensor, and a fast, prime lens. I also use a SONY A5100 which has an APS-C sensor and I find that the kit lens has a similar bokeh effect to the RX100M3, yet it’s darker at the longer end of the zoom. I’m not a big fan of the kit lens on that series. In a contest between the RX100M3 and a SONY A5100 with it’s kit lens, I choose the RX100M3 as the victor. With a prime lens, the A6000 would be the victor, but you need to factor that into your budget and portability requirements.

Artificial bokeh in post processing

I have tried a way to compensate for bokeh by adding it artificially during post processing through GIMP or Photoshop.
With a bit of time I can isolate the subject with a selection tool, then apply a gaussian blur filter to the background giving the effect of a smaller depth of field. If I edit well, even people with trained eyes need to zoom in to actually see the difference. For amateur photos like mine, and in particular for sharing photos to mobile platforms I think it’s a good effect. Please refer to the samples below and let me know what you think.

Mizuki from Hooters Osaka

Post editing is one workaround, to achieve bokeh if you have the time. It’s arguable whether post editing is satisfactory enough to avoid investing in a camera with a larger sensor and a fast lens.

If you found this review useful, please consider shopping on Amazon through this affiliate link.

 

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

When I set up for long exposure photography I use two accessories. A tripod and a remote shutter. I’m not professional, so I bought a low end, very cheap tripod and remote shutter. I’ll be updating with a review on both of these soon. While I normally shoot by hand with image stabilisation (IS) on, I turn IS off when shooting on a tripod. This is to avoid a feedback loop where the IS system detects its own vibrations even though the camera is still. This can give you blurred photos. Another reason for blurred or “soft” photos is when the action of pressing the shutter button actually nudges the camera. You can minimise this by selecting a 2 second delay with the timer function, or you can use a remote shutter. Both of these tips lead to much sharper photos.

 

 

Master low light photos

The same preparations for long exposure photography allow you to get well exposed low light photos. The

In-built Neutral Density (ND) Filter

One thing in particular that some users aren’t even aware of is the handy built in Neutral Density (ND) filter. In long exposure photography, if I want to get starry effects in street lamps, I’ll up the F number all the way to F11. Similarly, if I want to get a creamy effect photographing moving water, I can choose a high F-number. To take the camera to it’s maximum potential, I activate the ND filter which gives me 3 more exposure stops.

If you found this review useful, please consider shopping on Amazon through this affiliate link.

 

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

Although it won’t get you professional grade landscape photos, the RX100 is very capable of capturing beautiful landscapes. With its excellent portability, I’d recommend this camera to travel photographers who want to travel light and not be weighed down by a DSLR and multiple lenses. Too much camera equipment can ruin your vacation and prevent you from walking further and exploring new places. If your objective is to share your photos on social media, chances are people won’t be able to tell the difference if you took the shots on a RX100 or a DSLR. Mobile phones can take some great landscape photos too, and if you’re not sure how to get a better photo with manual settings, you might not even need a RX100.

The RX100M3 comes equipped with a selfie screen (the LCD screen flips up so you can see yourself when you take a photo). This is an excellent feature if you want to take a photo of yourself in front of a beautiful landscape. In this situation you may get a better quality photo than a mobile camera because the front facing cameras on mobile phones are usually lower quality. The RX100 also has a wide lens equivalent to 24mm on a full frame camera. This is typically wider than mobile phone cameras allowing you to get more of the background in. A selfie stick is a good option for a mobile photo, but you probably won’t get the same detail in a landscape shot as the RX100, especially if you use the front facing camera. Like mobile phones, you also have the ability to take panorama shots. You can take high quality photos to stitch together into panoramas in other software too. However, some mobile phones may actually have better panorama software such as photospheres that you can take immediately.

I think the SONY RX100M3 is also great introductory camera for High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography. There are several modes that can produce HDR photos. The Jpeg mode will take several exposures quickly and merge them in the camera so you can see the result instantly. Jpeg HDR photos will show brightness in the shadows compared to taking one exposure, but I usually find them a bit underwhelming. The manual method to take HDR photos is to set the camera in bracketing mode. Bracketing modes include taking 3 or 5 exposures. You can set the difference in exposure values between the photos too. This can be done taking Jpeg, RAW, or both. With bracketed photos though, you’ll need software to process them into a HDR image. Two free software alternatives I’ve used are HDRMerge and Google Photos. HDRMerge is a program and will require a computer with Windows or Linux. It will merge bracketed photos if you convert them into DNG files first. You will then need a program to process the merged image such as Rawtherapee. Google Photos doesn’t needa program to work on the web or mobile and will automatically convert your bracketed photos into HDR images. However, you have no control over the operation and the jpeg is lower in quality to your original images. It’s interesting to use and exceptionally easy, so I recommend trying it if you haven’t done HDR photography before.

If you found this review useful, please consider shopping on Amazon through this affiliate link.

 

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video

Smaller sensor = less data, more video options

Normally most things are better with a larger sensor including subject isolation, more bokeh, etc. But, there are some advantages to a smaller sensor. One appears to be video. The RX100M3 outdoes the A6000 and the A7 in video stabilisation and frame rate. This may be because of less data to transfer constantly from the sensor to the SD card. The RX100M3’s Intelligent Active Mode for video utilizes frame analysis technology and 5-axis compensation to dramatically reduce the effects of camera shake while shooting movies. Although it narrows the field of view by cropping the picture, I’ve grown a liking to Intelligent Active Mode because it really looks smooth when I take videos while walking. With some good handycam control you can make it look like you’re filming on a truck or dolly.

High Frame Rate – For Slow motion Video

The RX100M3 also has some high frame rate options for video. The highest is 120fps with the XAVC-S codec at 720p allowing you to slow down the action x4 yet still keep it absolutely smooth. x4 is a similar speed to professional sports replays. The next model, the RX100M4 actually has more video and frame rate options including 4K (although only for 5 minutes with overheating issues) and frame rates of up to 1000fps. If you’re looking for the best video options I would recommend looking at the latest generation RX100, the RX100M4.

Here is a video taken with the SONY RX100 M3 in the XAVC-S codec mode at 120fps, slowed down 4 times to 30fps.

Discreet size, amazing quality

The size of the camera is a great advantage again. People are usually quick to notice video cameras or even mobile phones in public spaces, but with the RX100M3 I’ve found people don’t notice as much. Perhaps they think I’m just lining up a photo in the viewfinder, not taking video footage. It’s surprising the high quality footage that results too.

Here is a video taken at a busy noodle shop in Osaka. Nobody notices the camera, they probably though I was just framing a photo.

If you found this review useful, please consider shopping on Amazon through this affiliate link.

 

1) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – Buying Decision

2) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Street Photography

3) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Portrait Photography

4) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Long Exposure Photography

5) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Landscape and HDR Photography

6) SONY RX100 M3 Digital Camera Review – for Video