Sony RX1R III vs. the World – How Does It Stack Up?

Sony has recently launched the fourth iteration of their RX1 compact full-frame camera. The “III” is there since it’s the third RX1R camera, but this article is too short to dive into the company’s naming scheme and model history. The latest iteration emerges into the market almost a decade after its predecessor. While there are numerous updates over the RX1R II, the two cameras share a lot. There is one major difference – the market to which they have been released.

The segment of high-end compact cameras has gained significant traction over the last decade. It’s not a new segment by any means – high-end compacts date back to the film era. Such cameras have also been around since the dawn of digital cameras, but something happened in the last decade or so. They went from a rather weird niche to an influential and commercially successful segment, with some consistently backordered for most of their model lifespan. Sony left a niche segment and returned to a boiling, trending, overhyped segment. Is the RX1R III prepared? Let’s take a deeper look.

Evolution? Revolution? What is the RX1R III exactly?

The new Sony RX1R III is a high-end compact stills camera. Like its predecessors and main competitors, the camera is built around a large, high-resolution sensor and a moderately wide prime lens. RX1R III is mostly evolutionary, though it incorporates two stems of evolution into a single camera: The first is Sony’s technical evolution over the past decade. Incredible autofocus, great image quality, 4K 4:2:2 10-bit video capture with both S-Log and S-Cinetone profiles, etc. The second is the RX1 series physical evolution: TL;DR – not much has changed over the years, and it’s not necessarily bad. The RX1R III is extraordinarily compact. It seems that Sony was poised to maintain the form factor even at the cost of other physical features.

These decisions, in my opinion, mar the camera’s overall usability. The most obvious shortcoming revolves around visual indicators – LCD and EVF. The RX1R III departs from the creative-but-problematic pop-up EVF for a fixed unit. However, size (or cost) constraints dictate a small, 2.36 million dot finder unit. This may also be responsible for the fixed LCD panel, a significant disadvantage compared to the camera’s rivals.

3.5 main competitors

Several cameras may provide a decent RX1R III alternative. You can read all about these here. However, there are 3.5 major competitors against which the new Sony must stand: The most obvious are the Leica Q3 and Q43 with a similar sensor, the FUJIFILM GFX100RF with 70% more sensor real estate, and the extremely popular FUJIFILM X100VI with a smaller, lower resolution sensor but various advantages. Let’s take a short look at some key takeaways:

• All competitors feature significantly better visual indicators. The GFX100RF and Leica Q3 offer a 5.76 million-dot OLED EVF, and the FUJIFILM X100VI offers a hybrid unit with a 3.69 million-dot EVF. All feature tilting LCD screens. 
• The Leica Q3 cameras are pricier, with a $6735 price tag for the Q3 and $7380 for the Q3 43. They are also bigger in every dimension.
• The FUJIFILM GFX100RF, with its medium format might, is more affordable at $4900. The APS-C X100VI will set you back a mere $1600 if you can find one in stock.
• The Leicas and the FUJIFILM X100VI feature an image stabilizer.
• The Sony RX1R III includes Sony’s Multi-Interface Shoe, capable of mounting various audio accessories, a soft point for its competitors.
• Both the Leica Q3 duo and the FUJIFILM X100VI can capture 4K 60P.
• 8K capture is available for the Leica Q3 and Q3 43, and the X100VI offers a cropped 6K option.
• While every camera features an aperture ring, the Sony RX1R III is the only camera with a PASM dial. All others work with a shutter speed dial.
• The Sony RX1R III is the smallest in terms of width and height, but the X100VI is thinner, with a less protruding lens.
• FUJIFILM’s GFX100RF and X100VI incorporate an internal ND filter.
• The RX1R III has the lowest battery life (CIPA standard). Slightly higher than the FUJIFILM X100VI, but the FUJIFILM comes with a flash, which changes the count.

How does it stack up?

Summing up the details, I believe Sony took a rather conservative path with the RX1R III. The company tries to maintain the pros of its predecessors without risking too much. The camera keeps the miniature size, noticeably smaller than its direct rivals (excluding the X100VI). The sensor is at the top of its class, video performance is somewhat crippled compared to the respective a7R, but still respectable for a stills-first camera. The EVF is, well, there, and the lens is exactly the same.

The decade-old compact lens design struggles to provide for the resolution-hungry sensor and falls apart at the edges. This is actually an adequate metaphor for the entire camera, in my eyes: A decade has passed, and what made the RX1R II so unique may not be enough anymore. Trying to fit an impressive spec-list into a tiny body may succeed in creating the smallest large-sensor compact, but at some significant costs:

High-end is more than specs

The RX1R stands its ground regarding specs, and wins in compactness, but falls short in user experience, design, and visual indicators. I believe a slight stray outside the rigid square (pun intended) would allow Sony to incorporate a much better EVF, a tilting screen, perhaps even the virtually immortal NP-FZ–100 battery, with more than twice the capacity of the current NP-FW 50, and one that can be found in every Sony shooter’s bag. Yes, it would make the camera noticeably bulkier. It would also position the camera in a broader competitive stance. However, not all attempts at a “user-first” camera succeed. Aiming at the workflow and experience over specs, prices, and other “boring” stuff may also culminate in a sour failure.

So yes, a tried-and-true formula is sometimes the more rational way, at least if you’re after a functioning camera rather than an idea. If you simply want the smallest full-frame possible, the Sony RX1R III will give you exactly this, as well as some interesting video options.

Will you opt for the Sony RX1R III? What niche will it fill for you? Let us know in the comments.