New to the RX1R III is a 61-megapixel full-frame sensor, which Sony first introduced in 2019 alongside the A7R IV. It might be a legacy feature, but it seemed like cheating to have that resolution in a camera you can take with you everywhere.
What hasn’t changed is the glass on the RX1R III. The camera still has the same fixed 35mm f/2.0 Zeiss lens that was introduced on the original RX1R in 2012. Autofocus was often an issue with previous models, but it turns out the Zeiss lens wasn’t to blame. These were the focus algorithms of old cameras.
Like the A7R V, the RX1R III features Sony’s flagship Bionz XR image processor and a dedicated chip for AI-based scene recognition. I was initially skeptical of the RX1R III’s autofocus capabilities, as the camera does not have a joystick to easily set a focus point. It turns out that this is not necessary. The RX1R III’s autofocus is magical thanks to its subject tracking. The seven different tracking modes that the RX1R III offers cover most of the things I like to photograph, including people, pets and birds, and it was easy to focus the camera on a subject. All I had to do was press and hold the new “AF-ON” button. The camera can be set to prioritize certain subjects, but I didn’t find it necessary; You can delegate focus entirely to the camera.
All of this brings me back to the Zeiss glass in the RX1R III. I know some people will be disappointed that Sony didn’t add a new lens, but I partially support this decision. For me, the character of this lens has always been part of the series’ appeal and is my favorite aspect of the new model.
Cat
Using Sony’s 61-megapixel sensor, the Zeiss lens can capture images with plenty of detail without making them look clinical or overly sharp, as is the case with many of the company’s G-Master lenses. I can best describe it as a Leica with beautiful creamy bokeh. In the right light, the RX1R III can produce almost picturesque images, and when I look at the images I’ve taken with it, they’re some of the best I’ve taken in my 10 years of photography.
At the same time, I think Sony deserves credit for significantly improving the color science of their JPEGs. The company has long offered excellent RAW support, but the older I get, the more I appreciate a camera that can produce great images with minimal editing. Sony has provided this with the RX1R III. The camera offers a total of 12 JPEG profiles with six custom slots. Two of the default profiles, Film 2 and Film 3, come from the FX3 and offer soft, muted tones that contrast nicely with the more vibrant colors that Sony is often known for.
There is not much to say about the video. The RX1R III can record 4K footage at 60 frames per second and 1080p clips at 120 frames per second. But as I’ll explain shortly, Sony’s new model lacks some of the features that would have made it a competent camcorder. As it stands now, I think it’s only suitable for recording home videos that you don’t want to share with the world.
Plan and manage
When I first looked through the RX1R III’s viewfinder, I thought Sony had sent me a defective camera. The redesigned EVF is now integrated into the top left corner of the camera, but it seems the company has removed the aftermarket screen as it only offers 2.36 million dots of resolution. By comparison, the A7R V has a 9.44 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder, while the older A7R IV has a 5.76 million dot screen. The new LCD screen and viewfinder on the back are fantastic. It also looks cheap. A $5,100 camera should have a top-notch electronic viewfinder.
The viewfinder isn’t the only part of the RX1R III that left me confused as to what Sony was thinking. It’s the rear window that I just talked about, which is both better and worse than the previous one. On the one hand, it offers almost double the resolution thanks to its 2.36 million dot panel. The downside is that it no longer articulates, which seems like a big step backwards as it makes open shots from the hip very difficult. And forget vlogging or taking selfies.
In any case, Sony hasn’t made the III weatherproof. This is also a feature I would like to see on such an expensive camera. Fortunately, battery life improves as the RX1R III supports Sony’s larger NP-FW50 batteries. With the latest model, you can easily spend a whole day shooting if you turn the camera off when not in use.
I could ignore all the complaints I mentioned if Sony had simply added built-in image stabilization (IBIS). When I tested the Fujifilm X100VI last year, I found this feature alone to be revolutionary. This not only improved image quality, but also made the X100VI a camera that could shoot in almost any light. I understand that Sony probably wanted to keep the III small and light, but again, $5,100 is a lot to pay because it doesn’t have a feature that many high-end cameras offer.
Summary
I’ve mentioned some of the RX1R III’s competitors in passing, but now I think it’s worth considering where Sony’s new camera fits in the market. Most people looking for a high-end compact camera will probably start their search with the X100VI. If you can find one in stock, it’s significantly cheaper than the RX1R III, at $1,800. Naturally, a full-frame sensor is omitted and a smaller APS-C sensor is used. But for most people I think it’s a reasonable compromise, especially when the X100VI also offers IBIS, an articulated screen, an optical viewfinder and Fujifilm’s excellent color simulations.
If you want the biggest sensor possible, I’d say Fujifilm’s GFX100RF, with a 100MP medium format sensor, makes the most sense, despite all its flaws and a price hike at the end of the month. You might also consider the Leica Q3 and Q3 43. At $6,735 and $7,380 respectively, both are more expensive than the RX1R III, but have nicer displays, IBIS, and Leica glass.
As I said at the beginning, I wish the RX1R III was easier to recommend, but it’s in a weird position where it’s not necessarily better or different enough from its competition. Inflation and Trump’s tariffs likely tied Sony’s hands somewhat, but the company could still have made the new model more attractive by avoiding some of its questionable design decisions.
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