Sony RX1 Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 is a fixed lens compact camera that was revealed to the public in September 2012 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

Is the Sony RX1 a good camera? The RX1 has a Camera Elo of 1804. This rating puts the RX1 below average of all prime lens compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the RX1 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony RX1 is more than 11 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2012.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Sony RX1 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony RX1 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony RX1	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
2.		Leica X Vario	133 mm	73 mm	95 mm	680 g	450	n	Jun 2013	2,850	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
4.		Sony RX1R II	113 mm	65 mm	72 mm	507 g	220	n	Oct 2015	3,299	amazon.com
5.		Sony A7	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	474 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Sony A7R	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	465 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	2,299	ebay.com
7.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX1R	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Jun 2013	2,799	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 II	102 mm	58 mm	38 mm	281 g	350	n	Jun 2013	749	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	240 g	330	n	Jun 2012	649	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	1,349	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony RX1 was launched in the US market at a price of $2,799. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check RX1 offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Sony RX1 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony RX1 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony RX1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.1	14.3	2534	93
2.		Leica X Vario	APS-C	16.1	4928	3272	1080/30p	23.4	12.7	1320	78
3.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
4.		Sony RX1R II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	1080/60p	25.8	13.9	3204	97
5.		Sony A7	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	14.2	2248	90
6.		Sony A7R	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.6	14.1	2746	95
7.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
8.		Sony RX1R	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	13.6	2537	91
9.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
10.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
11.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The RX1 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the RX1 can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Sony RX1 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony RX1	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Leica X Vario	optional	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/2000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Sony RX1R II	2360	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
5.		Sony A7	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
6.		Sony A7R	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
7.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
8.		Sony RX1R	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Sony RX100 II	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony RX100	none	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the RX1 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony RX1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Leica X Vario	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Sony RX1R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony A7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Sony A7R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Sony RX1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Sony RX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony RX100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the RX1 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The RX1 has a prime lens built in (35mm f/2.0). The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic of similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the RX1 can be found in the free online Sony RX1 Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the RX1 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony RX1	5/5	..	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
2.		Leica X Vario	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jun 2013	2,850	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
4.		Sony RX1R II	5/5	..	..	82/100	..	4.5/5	Oct 2015	3,299	amazon.com
5.		Sony A7	5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Sony A7R	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	2,299	ebay.com
7.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX1R	5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	2,799	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 II	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	749	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4/5	5/5	Jun 2012	649	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	1,349	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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