First look
This is Sony’s bid for the title of world’s best long-zoom travel compact. Nigel Atherton attended the press launch in Venice
nigel atherton takes a first look at Sony’s rX100 VI
WHILE successive RX100 models have aspired to be the best large-sensor compact on the market Sony has been happy to let Panasonic own the large-sensor, high-zoom travel compact sector, first with the Lumix DMC-TZ100 and now the DC-TZ200. With the RX100 VI, Sony has planted a size-10 boot in TZ territory, by swapping the 24-70mm lens of previous models for a 24-200mm. This is still a lot shorter than the 24-360mm of the slightly larger TZ200, and the Sony is significantly more expensive, but it does finally give photographers looking for a pocketable, high- quality, long-zoom compact an alternative to the Lumix.
With the new model Sony has in effect tripled the reach of the lens without making the camera significantly bigger. It is 1.8mm deeper but the same in length and width. Sony achieved this by making the lens slower – the maximum aperture now runs from f/2.8- 4.5, rather than the f/1.8-2.8 of the previous model. While this may disappoint low-light and shallow depth- of-field fans, others will consider the extra reach worth the sacrifice, especially when the options to use a higher ISO and extend the zoom compensate for these drawbacks to some extent.
The lens is a newly developed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* optic featuring eight aspherical elements, four Advanced Aspherical optics and two ED elements – Sony says this offers uncompromising edge-to- edge optical performance throughout the full focal range.
But the RX100 VI offers a lot more than just a fancy lens – it is essentially a pocket-sized Alpha. The chipset
technology at the heart of the camera is lifted from the flagship Alpha 9, albeit scaled down. The 1in 20.1MP Exmor RS stacked CMOS back-illuminated sensor with Fast Hybrid AF is paired with the Bionz X processor with front- end LSI for around 5x faster performance than conventional sensors, and is the invisible force behind many of the camera’s other selling points. These include what Sony claims is the world’s fastest AF for a 1in sensor camera (0.03sec), burst shooting at 24fps with full AF/AE Tracking and a 233-shot JPEG buffer, Super Slow Motion at 1,000fps, 4K video with full pixel read- out, and an anti- distortion electronic shutter with a blistering top speed of 1/32,000sec.
Focusing was once the Achilles heel of long-zoom compacts but Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF system combines contrast-detection AF with 315 phase- detect AF points on the sensor, covering 65% of the frame. The High- density Tracking AF clusters AF points around the subject for better accuracy with moving subjects, and the impressive Eye AF locks onto the human eye and clings on with tenacity.
New to the RX100 series is a touchscreen LCD panel that adds touch focusing and touchpad focus point control for precise focusing, as well as Touch Shutter mode which fires the shutter. The touchscreen is limited to these functions though; there’s no option to control the rest of the camera or use it for scrolling in playback. The screen itself is hinged to allow it to tilt 100° upwards (for selfies) or 90° downwards (for overhead shots). For those who prefer a viewfinder there’s a pop-up EVF. For movie shooters the RX100 VI has 4K recording, as you would expect (and with full pixel readout), as well as a range of high- end features that you probably wouldn’t, like S- Log3/S- Gamut3 recording and a new Hybrid LogGamma (HLG) picture profile that enables HDR video recording. Super slow motion video can also be selected at 250fps, 500fps or 1,000fps. Other features include 5-axis image stabilisation and Wi- Fi connectivity with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app.
The downside of all these cutting- edge features is remembering where to find them within the vast menu. Luckily the rear Function button gives quick access to key parameters and, once set up, your main interactions will be with the top-plate mode dial, the rear control dial and the input collar around the lens.
This impressive spec sheet comes at a price. The RX100 VI will cost £1,150 and be available from July as an addition to the range, not a replacement.