The Sony RX1R III review; why it works and what's missing (surprisingly little)

After my post about the first impressions of the Sony RX1R III (hereafter to be named III), I feel I have spent enough time with it to discuss its use case more in-depth. Contrary to many keyboard warriors on the internet, I think Sony got this camera right. The III is a product of focus. And focus always comes with trade-offs. The people complaining about it not having weather sealing or a tilting screen are clearly not the target audience for this camera. This camera is about a balance two things; size and optimal image quality.

Sony's bar for image quality is the same 61 megapixel sensor and the supporting software that can be found in the company's fifth iteration of the R(esolution) version of the A7camera. With that as the starting point, the task was to keep the camera as small as its predecessor, the RX1R ii. To achieve that, compromises had to be made. The result is a camera that is remarkably small given the high end sensor it packs. Even when compared next to the compact version of Sony's A7 cameras, the A7C, it manages to look and feel significantly smaller. It is in a league of its own.

Even the Leica Q series of cameras, of which I owned several, is way larger and much more comparable to a Sony A7C with a small prime. The RX1R III is like no other camera. The singular focus on size makes this an everyday camera that does not compromise on image quality. I found the Q series of cameras even a bit large when carrying it all day. The III is a different story. You barely notice you have it with you, and that was exactly the idea in creating this camera. I have seen some people add grips to the camera for a better hold but in my opinion that just defeats the purpose of this camera.

Having the III has allowed me to take photos I would otherwise not have taken, or would have resorted to use my phone which I hate doing. The III is a wonderful camera to handle. I also own a couple of Sony A7C's but the build quality and materials of the III are miles better. It feels robust and chunky, in a good way, without compromising that sense of smallness. The feel can be compared to a titanium watch, there is density despite the lightness of the materials used.

The placement of the buttons is all as you'd expect on a Sony. With time, I have come to appreciate Sony's philosophy here, especially how they have made backbutton focusing a central element in the design. With Sony's tracking AF being so good, it makes sense to lock backbutton focus on your subject and then compose however you like. You can program all the buttons to do whatever you want which means I have ISO settings, metering and focus modes instantly available when I need them.

And then there is that lens. Once again, I have to applaud Sony for sticking with the wonderful Zeiss 35mm F2 that featured the very first RX1R. I see no issues whatsoever with the 60 megapixel sensor and the lens design has always brought that warm sharpness to the RX1R models. To my surprise, the older lens design can keep up relatively well with the newest AF software. Of course it is slower than the latest lens designs, but it focuses more than fast enough for my needs.

While writing this post, I realize I actually have little to further add to the first impressions post, so I will let the photos do more of the talking here. If you are looking for a true everyday camera that brings you ultimate image quality with files that have everything you need, and a lens that has character as well, look no further. The Sony RX1R III is that camera and Sony has stayed true to the concept for which they deserve praise.