Sony RX1R III Full-Frame Compact Camera 61MP ZEISS 35mm F2 Lens

Love it. Small, compact, built like a tank, great images (not used for video so far) - as an amateur who is tired of carrying around a heavier, bulkier camera and a few lenses, this has been a breath of fresh air. Yeah, it does not have a folding view screen and ibis - but the advantages of fast focusing and large cropable raw images (of which I do frequently) far outweigh these limits. Yes, the a7CR is nice and with a 40mm G is relatively compact but still bulkier and always bought with the idea of another lens. The RX100VIII is good but really small and I find hard to handle and relatively complex. The RX1RM3 reminds me a bit of my very early days with a Kodak Retina IIC (I think) hand-me-down from my dad - still have some 35mm positives from long ago.

So much hate for such incredible piece of gear.

As a mk2 owner of this camera and the a7cr mk2 I still ordered the new mk3. For many people $5100 will be too much and is good that great options like the a7crmk2 exist. Would I wanted the price to be lower? sure but beside price my priorities are IQ and size/weight and this camera check thise boxes.

Purchased this on pre-order from Sony and where do I start? So first off, don't let all the reviews from social media influencers dissuade you to buy if you are looking to purchase. This camera isn't an everyday throw in your pocket point and shoot. It's a highly engineered compact camera with some of the best and latest camera technology currently on the market. 61 MP full frame Exemor BSI CMOS sensor with a fixed Zeiss Sonnar T 35mm f/2 lens. This lens has been around for awhile and for good reason, it's a Zeiss! What more do ya have to say? Exceptional optical contraxt which gives your photos a classic zeiss look. With 61mp you can step crop from 35mm to 50mm to 70mm without sacrificing clarity and quality, and it has a macro focus mode setting as a ring adjustment on lens that gets to about 6-8" from subject. So it's really a 3 in one multi-function prime lens @ 61mp. This is one of my favorite features. Yes the A7RV and others have this technology as well. Latest AI Bionz XR processor, 693-point auto focus with subject recognition and tracking. It shoots beautiful 4k 30 or full HD at 120 fps. It's definitely not for long video use nor is that what you would buy this for, while it's adequate, this is definitely a photographer's camera. Sony made this for a few niche users, IMO. Either the professional that wants to take a single camera on a family outing without lugging their camera bag or the nonprofessional that wants an everyday carry that takes amazing photos set to auto. The EVF is totally adequate, yes, they coulda put better but im guessing it was a size saving decision. If you do street photography it's amazing. If you are looking at buying this then money isn't an issue. If money is an issue and you need one camera then get the A7CR or A7RV, otherwise tune out the noise and go for it! It will be a classic for years to come IMO.

It is really small, even smaller and lighter than my ZVE1+35ZA. Metal build, feels good in hand, really live it. I would say if you can find good price second hand, it is a good value.

For those who know the RX1R from years of experience shooting with it, no explanation or rationalization is needed for why this is an ideal compact camera.

If you want the smallest full frame camera with fixed lens, this is the one. Period. That being said, at this price point, the A7CR makes much more sense. It is only slightly larger, but unlike this RX1r III, it comes with stabilization, weather sealing, a flip screen, the option to change lenses, and a $2000 discount good for a MUCH better lens.