Sony RX-100 - III or VA?

At first, it would be helpful to have a look into the manufacturer's description of the camera.

As to your questions:
- if the EVF is nice (I like the A37's EVF)
   yes, the EVF is fine, but if you do wear glasses, you should be a bit cautious not to press it in
- if the lens is nice (and would allow me do play with DOF? - I don't think so)
    The lens is very good, you can select aperture
- if the low light capabilites are OK (I can use A37 with 50/1.4 at F2 or Tam17-50 at 2,8; is it comparable?)
     I used the RX100iii up to ISO 6400 (raw). Under normal conditions (museum)no problem with low light.
- if there is MF with focus peaking and magnification (nice on A37)
     never used
- if zoom can be operated with a ring
      No. Have a look at the product description.
- if there is RAW capability
    Yes. Have a look at the product description.

Yep, it is a small compact camera ... with a small EVF. Because: physics.

I wear glasses and the EVF (on the IV, and I think all of them) has a rubber square ring (non-detachable). Mine looks to have retained all the rubber after 18 months use. Daily for 6 months, in-hand in a coastal town.

The VI and VII has a one-move EVF pop-up and out. But that has a slower lens (24-200mm too). The III thru Va have a two-part-action to enable and then retract. In actual use it is fine. One-action would be nice, but most the time I leave mine retracted. You can turn the camera off and leave the EVF in the up and out position.

There is one camera with 1-type sensor that is physically smaller - the Canon G9X II this starts at 28mm f2 and goes to f-slow-something. Has no EVF. Has a fixed LCD. But has touch (nice) and the ring around the lens clicks (nice). It is very very small [I sold mind - too small]. I got it years ago to use especially as just a 28/2, but it was too fiddly and too small. Hence my hesitation at buying the RX100 new.

Build quality of the RX100 (IV) is excellent - almost everything is metal. Have a look on eBay (sold listings too) and you'll see some pretty beaten up versions as an idea of what they can take. They get used by 'phone-type-people' who drop things all the time.

Being that the RX100 brand is so well known and supported there are a bundle of third party add-on and things which I don't think the Canon/Panasonics have. I got mine after a decade of m43 and if I was a menu diver I would have favored the Panasonic but the size of the RX100 got me.

But my views are based on just 18 months of daily then regular use. There is a learning curve and some of the controls are a bit more fiddly than I'd like - it is a small camera ... and physics is a thing. I've adapted to point and press and the on/shoot time is pretty quick.

I have my lens ring set to jump from 24/28/35/50/70 (my choice/preference). But when I switch to MF the ring then only does MF and I need to use the rocker for zoom ... so, zoom/frame first, then switch to MF (controls are fiddly). I think the ring can be set to exp.comp, smooth zoom, jump zoom, and OFF. That said it isn't really designed to be a MF camera it is just a compact and that setting is there just in case. Most of the time it'll focus on what I want. But I use MF to force it to go out of focus to make pretty patterns (perhaps not the normal use case).

Despite Sony's un-challenged position as the world's worst menu designer ... I have the Fn button set to pull up the grid of 12 common things (and then never menu dive as I'd never find anything in there). 12 things are: fps - flash - AF - focus points - exp comp - ISO - ND - meter - WB - DR - face focus - mode. Most of the time I leave my settings in ... single - rear flash - AF - area - -0.3 exp - auto ISO - ND auto - AWB - DR off - face off. I use the rear dial to adjust aperture.

It will take some time to get to grips with the handling - which is why a camera store trial (and purchase) is a good idea. But if you can't then maybe someone local has one (any of the models?).

Buying used (eBay) is again a low risk thing. Plenty of mint models on eBay - use it for a month and if you don't like it you sell it for the same price (or keep it). I promised I'd get myself a new one ... but still haven't.

The newer ZV-1 is based on the RX100 (same lens as the III/IV/V/Va) but has a side flip LCD for the vlog crowd. No EVF though. Buttons are a bit chunky as it has a different market.

jenik.nk wrote: Miranda F wrote: I was going to buy an RX100 until I tried one in a shop and thought it was a delicate over-priced toy with a tiny and barely usable EVF. I don't like this point. I really like the EVF on my A37 and would like to have a nice EVF. Unfortunately I don't think I have a good chance to try it. Thank you for your observation. Miranda F wrote: I know many here don't share that opinion but for my money Canon & Panasonic have always done pocket cameras better than Sony, with some models not much larger having metal cases, better build quality, or better EVF (not necessarily all at once ...). Except for Panasonic TZ100, which cameras do you mean or would you suggest? Thank you.

I will agree. I really liked the a37 as a camera and that EVF in particular. I just didn't like the battery.
You will hate the EVF on the RX100. You might learn to suffer it but if a VF is important to you I doubt you can love it. It really is a screen with an EVF option.
Out of the compacts, I like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 the best. Everything I like about the Sony a6XXX series is here but so is everything I hate about the a6XXX series too.
I should say for full disclosure that the pocket portable solution I settled on is an Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mk II with a Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II for a better EVF experience.
I've tried the smaller EVF's and don't like them. I've tried the screen options like the Olympus Pen, and Tough and don't like them either.


Edited by LAbernethy - 29 December 2021 at 18:12

jenik.nk wrote: I would like to know about the mark3: 1 - if the EVF is nice (I like the A37's EVF) 2 - if the lens is nice (and would allow me do play with DOF? - I don't think so) 3 - if the low light capabilites are OK (I can use A37 with 50/1.4 at F2 or Tam17-50 at 2,8; is it comparable?) 4 - if there is MF with focus peaking and magnification (nice on A37) 5 - if zoom can be operated with a ring 6 - if there is RAW capability

1 - It's as nice as a retractable EVF can be. The main drawback is that there's no eyecup, so I often need to shield it with my hand in bright conditions.
2 - Yes. Very nice. DOF 'playing' is understandably limited, but certainly possible.
3 - They're okay in my book. A 1" sensor at f/1.8-f/2.8 is satisfactory for anything I'm likely to shoot in low light.
4 - Yes.
5 - Yes.
6 - Yes.

... and generally, if it is worth buying in 2022 ...

Only you can answer what's worth buying to you. I bought mine years ago and have had no compelling reason to upgrade it, but that's me.

You should probably read this if you haven't already:

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/7237085229/which-sony-rx100-is-right-for-you

Oops ... double post.

addy landzaat wrote: dCap wrote: Ricoh/Pentax people don't use the internet so it is difficult to find out if the GR III has the same dust problems - it shouldn't since it has IBIS and a sensor shake at on/off. There is a Ricoh GR subforum on Pentax Forums

dCap presses imaginary like button

might be of interest
https://www.dyxum.com/dforum/choosing-an-rx100_topic138237_page1.html
[title = choosing an RX100 ... from June 2020]