Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R review – Introduction
Announced just a few weeks ago, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R seems to be the perfect union between two of the biggest trends in digital camera technology. Based upon the original RX1 released last year, the RX1R is a compact camera with a DSLR-sized sensor, but with no anti-aliasing (AA) filter. As these features are two of the biggest talking points of the past few years, the RX1R looks to be an intriguing camera.
One of the most interesting things about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R is that Sony has said it will cost the same as the standard RX1: £2,599. Most other manufacturers charge a premium for a version of a camera without an anti-aliasing filter, with Pentax being a good example offering the K-5 II DSLR for around £120 less than the filter-free K-5 II S. Nikon’s D800E actually has a second anti-aliasing filter that reverses the effect of the first, producing the same results as if the anti-aliasing filter weren’t there at all, although this costs over £300 more than the standard D800. While it may only be a small point, it is good to see that Sony is setting a precedent, especially given that the RX1 already costs £2,599.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R review – Features
As stated, the new RX1R is almost identical to its older sibling, the RX1. The original camera caused a stir when it was launched in 2012, as it was the first compact camera to feature a full-frame sensor. Both the RX1 and RX1R use a 24.3-million-pixel, full-frame, Exmor CMOS sensor, with a Sony Bionz processor responsible for running the camera and processing the data from the sensor.
The processor allows a sensitivity range of ISO 100-25,600, extendable to ISO 50. When using multi-frame noise reduction, which combines a short burst of images into a single image, the sensitivity can be increased to ISO 102,400.
The second most important feature found on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R is its fixed Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens. In our test of the RX1, we found that the combination of sensor and lens produces superb images, and overall the premium compact camera scored very highly. The RX1R has an identical set of features, but with the anti-aliasing filter removed, which should improve detail resolution, although it may also increase the likelihood of moiré patterning appearing in areas of images featuring densely packed lines.
