Sony RX10-mkII first impressions and image samples

Hi guys, I've published my first impression with that new Sony RX10-II camera, take a look if it is in your area of interests.

https://www.photigy.com/sony-rx10-ii-first-impressions-review/

Honestly, I was looking for more in terms of IQ from this camera..

here are few samples with 100% crops, more (and the video) is on the review page.







100% crop:









So - let me know what do you think. I really hope this Sony will be the best at 4K video and slow motion.. Will be working on a video part of the test today and tomorrow.



--
Prove it!
Alex Koloskov
www.photigy.com

Checked out your link and I think I agree with your assessment.

To me, poor dynamic range is spoiling an excellent lens.

I've seen a few 4K sample videos and so far I've not been too impressed.

But maybe when the video buffs get their hands on this, some better ones will turn up.

From your review:

"...this camera is way below the quality of what Sony a7 with 35mm F2.8 Lens delivers"

What exactly were you expecting comparing an 8.3x zoom lens on a 1" sensor with a prime lens on a full frame sensor?

Hi Alex,

thanks for your review, will be interesting to see what I will experiment with the RX10MII - tomorrow should be here.

I do understand you are not happy with the IQ of the Sony point and shot when you are comparing it with the A7's IQ. But I consider that normal. The camera IMHO is not made to compete with DSLRs.

Long time ago I had the Sony 828 and that was 8 mp but the IQ was under the Nikon D70's (6 mp) Why? The size of the sensor was very much the factor.

To make great pics sometimes you don't need the top of the line 36-42 or bigger mp camera and $$$$ lens.

I love to see the NASA POTD images. Just couple of day ago was this image:


The IQ is not great, could be taken with a small and cheap camera, but the lens was the right one. I know the place, just been there a few months ago. With a 35 mm lens on camera you would get hard time taking the whole image. And this moments last just minutes. By the time you are changing from your trekker the lens, the moment might be history.

Just think: I read from somebody a complaint: the zoom is slow. Well, I'm not sure yet the how long it takes zooming let's say from 24 m to 200on the SonyMII, but definitely shorter than changing a 24-70/2,8 to a 70-200/2,8 on a DSLR!!! And you just might loose the action.

I still have some Nikon bodies, and all the great 1,4 and 2,8 lenses. To carry those on a trail (I did Banff National Park and Yellowstone and other nice places with about 15 kg of photo equipment) is a bit too much for now. I'm just getting old to carry that weight. And for years I did not sell photos, for me is just a hobby.

And perhaps the intended customers are like me for Sony.

Yes there are compromises in the life, and if we can accept those is fine. Otherwise we have to carry the extra weight...

And BTW: my biggest success in popularity I got with a picture taken with the Sony 828. The Zeiss zoom lens was a 28-200/2,8. And I could crop in seconds what I saw , what could make the photo. (just a note: When I took that photograph I had 35 minutes access in Notre Dame basilica in Montreal before closing. If you checking the architecture gallery in my site, you will see more from that fantastic building). Here is The image: https://joecan.smugmug.com/Architecture/Architecture/

I do appreciate your review, and will be interesting for me to see in near future what others are saying with their experience.

I hope you will share your views in the future, I will try the same

Joe

It looks like some of the photos in the review were soft as a result of the focus being off, not lens issues. I haven't noticed any such softness with mine, on the other hand I've been using it mainly for video.

Try turning off the DRO/Auto HDR function. It says this compensates automatically for brightness and contrast. This may and I am still testing mess with the dynamic range.

I think soft skin affect should be OFF too, among some other settings.

I should not even refer to it as a review.

2eyesee said:

From your review:

"...this camera is way below the quality of what Sony a7 with 35mm F2.8 Lens delivers"

What exactly were you expecting comparing an 8.3x zoom lens on a 1" sensor with a prime lens on a full frame sensor?

Click to expand...

Many of you know that I used to own a D800e. I sold that camera and my lenses to buy the Rx10.

Many years ago, I had an Olympus C8080. It was just absolutely amazing. Probably my all time favorite camera of my life. I would probably still use it except that it had one enormous fault that I just couldn't deal with, and that was a very long shutter-delay. I'm sure you've all been there. You press the button and nothing happens, your subject bounds away, and then the camera fires.

So, I sold that camera and moved onto DSLR equipment. And for 10 years, I watched and waited as all sorts of new cameras were made. None of them were what I wanted. If I wasn't so adamant about needing 200mm zoom-range, I would have been delighted with the R1.

Anyway, 10 years passed and finally the Rx10 was revealed. I purchased it as soon as I sold my old gear. And I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever own a DSLR ever again!

Anyway, here's something to think about. Remember I said that I moved to DSLR cameras 10 years ago? Well, those 10 year old *DSLR* cameras are not as good in Image Quality as my Rx10 has shown. The Rx10 has an enormously useful ISO range that those cameras can't even touch, even though their sensors were far larger.

And in the future, an expensive Sony A7 will look dated too. The point here is that even if I were to compare the Rx10 to a DSLR, I can do so if I just compare it to older cameras. The Rx10 is an amazing piece of machinery. I expect the Rx10-ii to be a little more amazing, but amazing *in it's own right*.

Here's another thing. I don't think I have one single D800e print anywhere in the world. I just wasn't printing. That camera is designed to make huge prints. But I did process many of my images and then I would share them on facebook or put them in a slideshow. So basically, I was taking my mammoth 36MP images and reducing them to 2MP.

The whole idea about comparing the 1" sensor to anything else, larger or smaller, is just ridiculous. It's like saying a two-seater doesn't have as much cargo space as an SUV.

--
There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

Well, I was expecting more - from $1300 camera

May be -I am going to check this camera in studio with strobe lighting, to avoid any shaking/etc.. will see - posting results soon

Got a short video with 960 Fps , 480 fps, 240... and iPhone 6

nt (well, I guess I will say that the ringing ears tone you chose in your video was #@*ing horrible!).

Interesting thread - I've a wedding coming up which I want to video (rubbish at it!) and wondered whether to splash out on the RX10 ii as a way of future proofing the footage. Any other suggestions, its a big purchase for me and I'd have to sell my x vario.

Alex Koloskov said:

Well, I was expecting more - from $1300 camera

Click to expand...

So why don't you compare it to an A7 paired with the FE 24-240mm lens (which covers a similar range) rather than a prime lens?

Such a kit would be larger, heavier and and $1000 more expensive than an RX10M2. And you don't even get the 4K, which is the selling point of the RX10M2. And if you don't need the 4K you could save another $400 by picking up the original RX10.

Agreed, that is a much more fair comparison.

Given the difference between the two photos of the girl it looks like the focus is out on the 1st one given the 2nd one looks reasonably sharp (within the constraints of a P&S)

joecan said:

Just think: I read from somebody a complaint: the zoom is slow. Well, I'm not sure yet the how long it takes zooming let's say from 24 m to 200on the SonyMII, but definitely shorter than changing a 24-70/2,8 to a 70-200/2,8 on a DSLR!!! And you just might loose the action.

Click to expand...

On my rx100 IV (not the same camera, but same sensor/generation), the default zoom setting was normal and slow (avoid [sound] noise)...

could change the zoom setting to fast (more [sound] noise)

I like your setup! And the video!

lol at this review...

To the thread starter, do yourself a favor print out an 8X10 photo from any camera of your choice regardless of price, and then print one from the RX10 or thr RX10 II..don't look at them but juggle them around so you don't know which one is which and I guarantee your eyes cannot tell the difference from the 2.

And btw, I own a production studio with over $3 million dollars invested in top gear including photo and video over the years and I have tried this test. Just something to think about.