Image quality
Image: I was surprised at the quality of images I was able to take with the QX100, although the JPEG compression was a little high
The 20.9-million-pixel, 1in sensor in the QX100 is the same as that found in the RX100 II. Although raw shooting isn’t available, the JPEG resolution is still very high. It is clear that the level of compression has been kept to a fairly moderate level and the QX100 can resolve around 30 on our test chart, which is what we would expect from a 20-million-pixel-plus camera. Noise is also well controlled, with very little colour noise at any sensitivity settings. There is obviously some noise reduction applied as the resolution drops to around 24 at sensitivities above ISO 1600.
With no control available over the ISO sensitivity, it is worth keeping an eye on the shutter speed as it gives an indication of the sensitivity that the camera is using. Obviously, as the shutter speed increases, the QX100 will increase the ISO sensitivity settings – along with the risk of camera shake. If you can use a large aperture without the shallower depth of field becoming detrimental to the image, it is worth doing so to ensure that the lowest sensitivity is used.
Images taken in bright sunshine look great. They are full of detail and I found that I could sharpen the JPEG files to add a little more ‘bite’.
Sadly, there are no different image styles to choose from in the Sony Play Memories mobile app. For instance, I often shoot in black & white, saving a raw file in case I want a colour image. Unfortunately, there is no black & white option. In fact, there are no options to change the image style whatsoever.
I feel this is something of an oversight on Sony’s behalf, although perhaps this omission is due to the processing power that would be required to preview the colour effects live on-screen. Given the number of different devices and screens that the QX100 may be used with, some older or lower specification smart phones may not have the necessary power needed to stream the live view and process the colour of the image.
Generally, images look fairly natural and are not overly saturated. There is a contrast curve applied to images, with shadow areas lifted slightly from how they are presented in the on-screen live image. The result is that the QX100 has an impressive dynamic range. Obviously, we could only test JPEGs, rather than raw files, but our test showed that the QX100 has a dynamic range of around 11.3EV, which is impressive for a camera of this size and type.
Image: The dynamic range of the QX100 could have been a little greater, but with careful exposure it is possible to maintain highlight detail and leave enough detail in shadow areas to reveal when editing
Where the dynamic range is lacking is in the highlight details of skies. I did get some burnt-out white highlights, so I found that underexposing images and pushing the shadow areas when editing is the best tactic, particularly as at lower sensitivities shadows can be lightened without introducing too much noise.
Overall, the images produced by the Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 are as good as those from the Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 II. It is just a shame that there isn’t more user customisation available within the Sony Play Memories Mobile app to define their look. It will be interesting to see how other developers use the QX100, with Camera 360 for Android being the first app due to be compatible with both QX cameras. Camera 360 may end up being better than Sony’s app if it allows more shooting and control functions. What is great, though, is that Sony is allowing other developers to work with its code and develop applications that can control the QX cameras. It will be interesting to see how third parties work with the camera’s various functions.
Image: The f/1.8 maximum aperture creates a shallow depth of field, particularly when focusing closely
