Friday, August 30, 2013

Sony RX1 / RX1R , the beginning of the Game Change

SONY RX1 @f2, iso1600, 1.3 sec , Sony 60m flash Zoomed to 105mm at low power.
wish the Sony flash could Zoom to 200mm. :)

Sony RX1 / RX1R , the beginning of the Game Change

I have been shooting with the RX1  for months now.
Also have been posting images and basically professing my LOVE for this camera all over the net lol.
At this point nothing I can say has not been said many times over about this camera.  It's Great !  Period. :)
Perfect ? No     ...  but, to have a FULL FRAME camera (3rd BEST Sensor of All Time on the DXO sensor list .. note D800 and D800e is really just #1, D600 #2 and both are SONY Sensors too)  with a Zeiss f2 35mm prime (10/18/13 Lens is #5 on the DXO Top Rated Lens list if you eliminate duplicate listings for the same lens (in D800 & D600) , Tuned for each other ... and have it fit in your belt bag so you can carry it with you every day , all day.  Something you will not be able to do even with the new A7r/A7, because with the RX1 you can detach the EVF.
fyi: everyday shooting (particularly at night)  I do not use the EVF.  But, during the Day in Bright Sun it's a must.
Well, that goes a long way to making you forgive some of it's weaknesses.  (p.s.  AF is not bad, it needs to be the new PDAF/CDAF  AF on sensor , but it's really OK)

RX1  f4 , 1/100, iso100

The above shot "Gatsby Event" was ONLY shot with the RX1 and two(2) Sony 60m flashes, one was Off camera. on the LINK: http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Event-Photo-Galleries/2013/An-Evening-of-Gatsby-Glamour-52513/

Follow my SONY Journey on Instagram: @RDHphoto

Have a Test hidden gallery for the RX1 with some Exif : http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/28812065_ggbNN6#!i=2535508763&k=G28CfZh


What I wanted to do here is have a place to point people to, for my Favorite RX1  Reviews or Links.
Posted this up quickly (there is a SONY event this SAT) and will probably have to make corrections to it latter. Sorry.



Here is some informational LINK's  on the RX1  (one on the RX100)

Luminous Landscape on the   RX1R

Here is something I  found on a DPR post ... interesting reading for RX1 shooters.
Well written blog (with a lot of followers) on RX1 vs DSLR with top 35mm lens ...  (also look at the LINK to "Serious Threat to Nikon and Canon)
http://diglloyd.com/blog/2012/20121216_1-NikonD600-vs-SonyRX1.html
Serious Threat to N and C  ..
imho,   it's not IF but when?  rang true for me (even as a Nikon NPS, and I LOVE my D800 , great CAF, f2.8 Holy Trinity Lens,  and CLS flash system!) :
http://diglloyd.com/blog/2012/20120914_4-Sony-vs-Nikon-Canon.html


Why?  I think EVF (more so when EVF goes to 4m) and SONY will change what PROs use in the Future. Gary Fong explains it very well in the 2013 WPPI Utube (on LINK). 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxipoTK29w&feature=em-uploademail

fyi The RX1 does not loose a 1/3 stop of light to the sensor as the a99 does (but future SONY PDAF/CDAF on sensor will solve for 2014 the a99 light loss issues). You can see that on the DxO tests of the RX1. But what you don't get is the a99 Fast AF and CAF.  I think a A-mount On Sensor PDAF (OSPD) that has dual Processors, Sony sports Alpha could do the job on AF/CAF. Imho at some point, it will be Nikon Fast. On-Sensor AF is already MORE Accurate. And eliminates the need for LENS adjustments in Camera.  (D800/e users with f1.4 lens, know about that)
(EVF is adding in some very useful features) Think what Aptina tech (Sony and Aptina has Patent Sharing agreement) and maybe 2 fast processors will do in the Future? Guess who has the best EVF tech? AND then there is "PDAF and CDAF" On Sensors that will be Huge in mirrorless , dropping the need for the a99 translucent mirror. Great PDAF/CDAF on Sensor is the crossing point. Talking CAF Speed.
In as little as 3 years PRO DSLRs could be closer to the a99 (A7r) vs what is being used now. And it will be easier for more shooters to "expose/focus" like a PRO. Because you can SEE the Exposure , White Balance, Focus with Peaking (your best friend when you use f1.4 lens on FF), SIZE of Viewfinder (EVF will be larger vs OVF for the same pricepoint), More Dynamic (changeable) Overlays in the EVF/LCD, Night vision (you can see it Brighter than your chosen Exposure "if you want to", Good at Night or shooting Studio with Strobes), you can ZOOM in to Manual Focus with Deadly Accuracy, and See the Depth of Field ... and now ZEBRA. Which is NOT possible thru OVF (DSLR).  That's a long list of EVF "Positives".

10/18/13 Update: And now, with the A7r/A7  you have ZEBRA Highlight warning (like Video) similar to Hightlight Blinkys, But you can see it in EVF/LCD  "Live"  and dynamically change how much you blow out the Highlights.  Seeing that you have blown out highlights in the Histogram is USELESS.  Having ZEBRA in Live View lets you SEE  "Where"  and  choose "How Much" of the Highlights will be blown. To a  RAW 14-bit shooter or a Sports shooter in JPG, How much and Where counts more.  Because with experience you will know how much you can "easily" pull back in Lightroom off the Highlight Recovery slider (on a Pre-Set).  And also sometimes "Where" it's blown does not matter. (say back lights , street lights,  Spots lights on a stage etc)

 Is that all you need?, NO ... but it gets you there faster and easier. :) ... Just think how much more "Creative" you can be , if the technical part of a camera was easier? imho, there is no brand loyalty when you just want the best tool to get the job done.


Is SONY Hungary and Ready for a fight in the Digital Imaging market with N&C ?   imho,  Yes !

Here is a SONY discussion on The Verge   ... move to min 3:38

RX1 is the BEST compact camera ever made, First Ever FF compact , and has NO competition. And has the best if not one of the BEST 35mm (f2) lens ever made.
Probably the BEST “Travel” camera you can buy at "any" price. That includes LEICA.
And it matches or betters IQ (Image Quality) of "any" 35mm DSLR at "any" Price. As a Nikon D800 shooter “this” is what is so impressive about the RX1 at it’s small size.
It truly is a compact camera a working PRO can LOVE and use with no IQ compromises. (it’s IQ and body Quality is so good, many of it’s weaknesses are overlooked)

No review will be as complete as DPR ...
Make sure to  run the LENS widget that allows you to compare with other Top Quality lens, the results will surprise.
Quote from Conclusion: "At the start of this review we asked if the RX1 was a good enough camera to play in the same league as Leica. The answer is yes. The lens is excellent, as is the sensor (something that's not been true of digital Leicas so far), meaning it'll more than hold its own against the M-series cameras in image quality terms, even if it's not quite as engaging as a true rangefinder. Or, put another way, it's arguably the camera the Leica X-series aspires to be."

RX1 won the prestigious TIPA Best Premium Camera 2013    http://www.tipa.com/english/award-details.php?iId=3575&sAward=Best%20Premium+Camera

Sony's RX1 fixed 35mm full frame compact has received the prestigious Camera Grand Prix 2013 title, while Sigma's 35mm F1.4 DG HSM was named lens of the year. The awards, organized by the Japanese Camera Journal Press Club have a history of recognizing what prove to be historically significant cameras.

Kern wrote: "I hesitate to write about gear. Tools are tools and the bitter truth is that a great craftsman rises above his tools to create a masterpiece whereas most of us try to improve our abominations by buying better or faster hammers to hit the same nails at the same awkward angles.   ...  To save yourself a few thousand words: I love the thing.  ...  Image quality is king here and all other things take a back seat. This means the following: image quality is as good or better than your DSLR"

DXO Sensor Rating,  3rd BEST "Ever" (includes MF)  if you count D800 and D800e as one, D600 is 2nd , RX1 is 3rd , ALL three cameras have a SONY Sensor:

DXO LENS Review  ...  the Custom fitted Zeiss lens specifically "for" the RX1  might be one of the Best 35mm  lens ever made.

“Its optical performance is outstanding, and particularly noteworthy for its consistent sharpness and homogenous imaging across the frame. With excellent image quality at maximum aperture becoming outstanding at f/2.8 and on, the Zeiss Sonnar T* 2/35 is likely to become a classic, against which all others are judged. Of course the lens can only be obtained with the purchase of the RX1, a camera that is not entirely without its own quirks and shortcomings. In spite of this, if you have the money to invest, then close to perfect imagery is assured.”

 “With a high overall DxOMark score of 33, the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* is a superb performer optically. That score puts it comfortably ahead of the $1,850 manual focus Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 1.4/35 (35mm f/1.4) on a Nikon D3X, which achieved a DxOMark score of 30.””


Michael Reichmann weighed in early, a photographer who has used a great many high-end digital cameras.
Luminous Landscape  Michael Reichmann Review Conclusion ...   "I hate sounding like a fanboy, but I must say that the Sony RX1 presses all the right buttons for me – no pun intended. Build quality is exemplary, haptics are mostly excellent, as are control placement and customizability. The Zeiss lens is truly excellent, and having a full-frame 24MP camera that can fit in a coat pocket and go almost anywhere without being an encumbrance makes this camera greatly appealing. One can always find quibbles in any piece of equipment, but the RX1 is more operationally all-of-a-piece and desirable than just about any recent camera in my experience.  ....  unlike most cameras that cross my desk, the Sony RX1 has captured my attention and admiration. Indeed I bought one as soon as I could because it's just the ticket for the kind of travel and documentary shooting that I so much enjoy doing."

Imaging Resource Review.  Here is a Statement from Dave Etchels of Imaging  Resource / SLRgear  (SLRgear also tests lens from LENS Rentals a huge Rental company , so they have access to many copys of lens)  "Then there's the lens. (Ah, the lens!) Because our SLRgear lens testing involves cross-calibration between bodies by shooting with a "calibration lens", we can't directly calibrate results for the RX1's lens against those tested on other cameras. Even without close calibration, though, it's clear that the Sony RX1's lens is the sharpest, most uniform full-frame 35mm optic we've ever seen. Period, full stop.":

Tim Ashley Review:
"My own take on these results is that as a system (lens + sensor) the RX1 beats all of the cameras in the test" (includes 5DmkII and D800)

"A final note on colour: some people think Sony sensors have the best colour. Others think they have oddly strong yellows and greens. I think that a lot of this depends on which Camera Calibration profile you use but I will say that if you have green-yellows (such as grass) in shade areas of the frame, and you decide to lift them in post by adding some positive Shadow correction, those shades will often go a sickly yellow. I find that in Lightroom, dialling in a little negative Yellow saturation AND luminance, but slightly boosting the Green saturation, helps."


Steve Huff Review ...
In fact, I will put out a spoiler here right now..and it is a bold statement. Remember, I get to use every camera that is made if I desire. I have had all of the big guns in this house..Nikon D4, D800, Leica M9, Leica Monochrom, etc. You name it I have tried it. Even if you do not see reviews for some cameras on this site that does not mean I have not tried them. So what I am about to say is bold but here it goes… I have never had a 35mm format camera in my hands that delivered such beautiful out of camera results. In other words, in my opinion…The Sony RX1 is the best JPEG camera I have ever shot with. Period.  from Part 1 of review


Image qualityThis one is simple.

A) The Sony RX1 is a compact

B) It outscores both the Nikon D4 and Phase One IQ180 Digital Back on DXOMark.

Next consider -

The Phase One IQ180 is $44,000. It is medium format. Not only is the RX1 pocketable – it is $44,000 medium format pocketable.


The image quality... It's unbelievable the image quality this camera can produce. In any shooting condition, any lighting condition, any aperture selected the Sony RX1 is, today, the best one can wish. Obviously, if you love the 35mm focal lenght. Wide open the Zeiss Sonnar T F2 is razor sharp, the bokeh is amazing and with few rivals. Honestly...not "few rivals", it has just one and it also comes from Germany.

The RX1 has an incredibly nice Zeiss f2.0 lens mated to one of the best full frame 24mp sensors in existence
the Zeiss lens on the RX1 is another level of special, in terms of the subtle way it renders, its narrower DOF wide open, the quality of the bokeh that narrow DOF leads to. Its just a very special lens.

RX1 Hands-On Test (with Cats) TheCameraStoreTV

Leica M (240 type) review with the inevitable compare to the RX1  ...  toward the end of review ... min 7:40 ...  Guess What? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX7i7MyjUmc&feature=youtu.be

365 Days with the RX1 Project ... take a look at this guys work !
and imagine trying to bust your brain trying to think of something to shoot every day. lol
The current doll thing might not be your cup of tea. :)

RX1  Tumblr  Pics

RX1 Facebook Group

MY  RX1  Test shots (will post more as I go on my journey)

SONY RX100  Links:

DPR review:

SONY RX100 review, (look at Ming's images) ...  "RX100 gets it right – it is undoubtedly the best compact camera available today, especially from the point of view of image quality."
He is also a D800e shooter that I "think" has been shooting with a RX1.  (will try to get a confirm)

SONY is Serious about Digital Imaging :

Aptina V1 , V1 features a 10 fps speed in autofocus and an advanced hybrid autofocus, combining contrast and focal plane phase detection. : http://www.chipworks.com/blog/recentteardowns/2011/11/04/teardown-of-the-nikon-v1-camera-aptina-found/

Aptina / SONY  Patent Cross License

SONY holds 11.5% stake in Olympus

NY Times ,   The RX1 captures perfectly balanced, nicely illuminated shots in dimly lighted restaurants, candlelight, street corners at night, making them all look much brighter than they actually are. Full-frame cameras like a Canon 5D can do that, too — but to bring one of those along, you’d need a carrying case, not a pocket.

On the LINK a Time Laps, Vid, and images with the RX1 in Iceland. Well, we know now it can take the COLD. And agree the 35mm is NOT Limiting - it pushes you to be MORE Creative. Also the RX1 is not for those on a budget, it will require 2 extra batteries (which I have) , and filters that I did not have as in 49mm. http://fstoplounge.com/2013/04/photog-uses-sony-rx1-to-capture-beautiful-iceland-timelapse/

Duncan Davidson Review “Put another way, there has not a single time that I’ve been out and about with only my RX1 and regretted not having my big SLR with me. That’s pretty much a first for me. Even though the X100 came close, it never quite met that standard. I can tell you that my RX1 going to spend a lot of time in my bag or on a strap while I continue to travel around the world in 2013.”

Magnum Photographer John Vink (Click here) is using the RX1 too. His only comment for now is: “The AF definitely needs to be much more snappier.” LOL

:)
   But you can see some great pics from John on his webesite here (monochrome) and here (color).

Peter Adam (Click here) posted a very detailed review and says about the RX1: “The lens surprised me–I thought it would be more of a limiting factor than it was, but came to appreciate its versatility. Would I love it if this camera had removable/changeable lenses? Of course, I would. However, I have to admit, the 35mm f/2 worked great for 90% of the photos I wanted to take.”

Fashion shoot done with the RX1

"Focus shift, the phenomenon whereby the point of actual focus shifts backwards as a lens is stopped down, can really badly affect the performance of even the best optics. The classic example was the last-generation Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux, which, when put on a digital camera, had such notable focus shift as to make it IMHO unsuitable for critical use. But there are many current designs that suffer this too and it always important to test for and be aware of the performance of all your lenses in this regard. It must be said that the effect is most serious on those cameras that focus 'wide open' and then stop the lens down to take the shot. That's why it's not a problem, even with badly affected lenses, when using Live View. So the cases where it might be an issue on the RX1's Zeiss lens are rare"
"Take your RX1, and look into the lens. You will notice that in every mode, it focusses at the metered or set aperture for apertures of F8 and wider, and for tighter apertures than F8, it opens briefly to F8 for focus and then stops down to the shooting aperture for the capture. In DMF mode, tweaking the focus ring after focus is automatically acquired lets you focus manually with the lens at the shooting aperture, and in MF mode, the lens is always focussed at the shooting aperture. The above seems true in both 0.3-infinity range and in Macro range."

"A final note on colour: some people think Sony sensors have the best colour. Others think they have oddly strong yellows and greens. I think that a lot of this depends on which Camera Calibration profile you use but I will say that if you have green-yellows (such as grass) in shade areas of the frame, and you decide to lift them in post by adding some positive Shadow correction, those shades will often go a sickly yellow. I find that in Lightroom, dialling in a little negative Yellow saturation AND luminance, but slightly boosting the Green saturation, helps."


PCmag  RX1 is The Editors Choice ... "The RX1 isn't a camera for everyone—casual shooters wouldn't even consider spending this much on a digital camera, and wildlife and sports photographers can't live without a 100-400mm zoom lens. Some may be offput by the size of the lens in relation to the body—without taking the lens into account, the RX1 is impressively compact. Sony could have chosen to reduce the size of the camera with a different lens design—a 40mm f/2.8 is a traditional pancake design for SLRs and rangefinders alike—but opted for a faster lens that, amazingly, is sharp from edge to edge. If you cut your teeth on a 35mm lens and couldn't imagine needing another focal length for your photographic work, the RX1 is likely a dream camera, as it delivers image quality you'd expect from a top-end D-SLR into comparatively compact form factor. It's for that reason that, in spite of its high asking price, that we award our Editors' Choice award to the RX1"
Posted by Ross Hamamura at 4:45 PM 0 comments
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