BATTLE OF THE RES! Sony RX1RII, A7RII, A6300, RX10III
Was having some fun with the Sony cameras I have on hand here and wanted to see which one, between the RX1RII and A7RII would record the most detail, just for fun. As I drank my morning coffee I sat outside and snapped a few images of a pink water bottle. Nothing fancy or special, but it is revealing and shows the RX1RII, as Sony has said, is at the top of their IQ heap. I have been finding the RX1RII to record amazing detail without being analytical or harsh. It somehow balances between sharpness, creaminess and beauty in the way the 35 f/23 Zeiss lens renders ever so gently with this sensor.
I will be using the RX1RII more and more for personal work coming up soon, though I do recommend a 39mm ND filter as at f/2 you max out at 1/2000s. Check out these quick comparisons…
You must click these to see the real versions with 100% crop. But take a look closely on a good display at the crops. You will see the fine details in the RX1RII shot. They are still there, though less pronounced on the A7RII shot and they start to fade in the A6300 shot (same lens used on A7RII and A6300), and are gone by the time the RX10III gets the shot.
The Sony RX1RII is a gorgeous camera and bests the 1st version quite easily with its EVF, newer sensor, faster AF and all while retaining the size which is small, light and rugged. I love my RX1RII, one of the greats and while Leica has the Q which is serious competition for the Sony, I prefer the Sony’s gentle and organic way the sensor renders over the Q, which I also love for ITS color and pop. But at the end of the day, for me, the Sony wins in Dynamic Range, low light, resolution and versatility (swivel LCD, nice video, defeatable low pass filter, and the lens, which is a lens that beat the Leica 35 Summicron M for IQ (That lens is $3500 alone).
I will soon have a follow up report on the Sony RX1RII, showcasing its strengths, weaknesses and why it may or may not be the camera you have been looking for.
Steve
DR, DETAIL, COLOR, BOKEH is all TOP notch on the RX1RII
Hi all,
Looking at the detail from the RX10III, it looks better than the A6300!!! I’m talking generaly. There is a tiny tiny bit more detail in the translucent bit of the label on hte left in the 6300 shot but nothing to write home about. The depth of fields thing is to be expected as it was esentially shooting at about f6 in FF equivalent. It is still a VERY nice file.
The RX1RII is stellar! Pity they are NZ$6200 here in New Zealand!!!!!!!!!
The Zeiss 35/1.4 may have beautiful rendering, but it’s not the sharpest lens in the lineup. I think the Loxia 35/2 is better, and a closer comparison. It’s a pity there isn’t a Batis 35, which would probably have a Distagon configuration. Where’s your review of the 24-70 f/2.8 GM? That “ring” rules them all.
My 35 1.4 is much better than the 35 Loxia in regards to sharpness, bokeh and a draw on color. But I think I have a VERY good 35 1.4 😉
Hi Steve,
How does the RX1Rii comparing with the Sony A7Rii with Sony Zeiss 35mm 1.4 lens? I am considering getting the lens but now it could be a good idea of having a smaller second camera with the RX1Rii, especially after seeing the results you posted.
I did a comparison just two days ago showing this 😉
I did a search and could not find the comparison you mentioned, would you provide me the link? Thanks!
Nice comparison! Did you shoot the RX10III using actual 35mm focal length, or the equivalent of 35mm on the one inch sensor? It looks like the latter, since the DOF is very wide. I would like to see a comprehensive comparison of the A7rII with the 35/1.4 vs the RX1rII, so we can judge the 2 cameras side by side and see which one is capable of rendering better pictures.
I’ve still not seen anywhere in the UK with the RX1rII camera available, in stock, for sale. I’ve not even seen a shop demo model.
Really? thats crazy. I wonder why this is?
No idea – I would hazzard a guess that it didn’t sell that well in the UK originally and so they are not prioritising delivery into this market. I’ve had one on ‘reserve’ since last September (or whenever it was announced) as I was pretty sure I would replace my existing RX1r with it but in the end I’ve gone with the A7rII instead. I’m still expecting a call from my dealer though when they finally (If ever) get them in.
Hm, same here in Germany. No dealer can deliver a RX1rII. I’m wondering why…
I bought mine at Lichtblick in Konstanz Germany. They even replaced it recently because mine, for whatever reason, got dust on the censor… I would call them and ask.
I will only upgrade my rx1r when Sony gets touchscreen and image stabilisation. Don’t care about heaploads of pixels..
I have used the SONY R1 from month 3, since it entered the world…and I still use it, old battery 1 and all. Over 109,000 jpegs. I have also an A7R a year after its birth. Finally, both Leica M 240 with all 21,35,50 and 90 brass versions…and a Q for a 28mm .
You are correct. I think they are all so close, that telling the diff, depends on using either a Dell 33 inch display on a new processor on PC or the latest Apple Imac 28inch. I sue them simultaneously.
My face book or name page on most search engines have images. I am “that” peculiar watch collector.
Interesting test Steve,well done.!
I’ve been on the fence w/ the rx1rii for a while now — looking forward to the extended remix. Recently I got the Teachart m-mount autofocus adapter for my a7rii, though, and that’s pretty killer. Summilux 35 and 50 w/ autofocus is really a cool trick. The a7rii with the 35 summilux is not as small as the rx1rii, but it’s not bad.
Looking forward to getting a Nikon to M adapter to try it out with my Nikkor 50 1.2 and 85 1.4 ais lenses — combining a little old glass with some new tech.
‘Having fun… by comparing the resolution of cameras’ is something you’d only hear a true photo enthusiast say.
I can completely relate though. I’m not sure how many photos I’ve snapped of the aloe-green jelly hand sanatizer bottle on my desk, comparing detail, bokeh, wb, noise, etc. between cameras. 🙂
Looking forward to your RXIRII article (my dream camera would be the RX1RII with the AF of the A6300).
Sorry, should have said ‘AF *and* viewfinder of the A6300’!
Wouldn’t it have made sense to have the field of view the same for the RX10III? The image is smaller than the others, in part perhaps contributing to inferior resolution? By the way you and I have an identical (down to the color) patio table!
Agree. When enlarged a bit the RX10III does a pretty good job by comparison.