Now this is an unusual bit of rumor news: Sony is apparently on the verge of unveiling a new pocked-sized digital camera, except that unlike the others out there this one has a full frame sensor. If this is true (which it probably is), though it may not have immediate acceptance due to price inhibition, it shows that we are quickly on our way to full frame sensors becoming more common.
Here is a little info on the RX1:
- Full-frame 35mm CMOS sensor (same as A-99)
- Fixed 35mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar lens
- Street price $2799
- 14-bit RAW
- ISO range of 100-25,600
- 5fps continuous shooting
- HD video recording
- Magnesium body
- 3-inch LCD screen
- The option of optical and electronic external viewfinders.
I'm personally a little perplexed on this one. If it was an interchangeable lens, I might get more excited. But reports are saying that it's likely fixed, and if that is the case this camera falls into a very strange segment of the market, especially for $2800.
[Via Sony Alpha Rumors]
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I kind of like the idea of a fixed lens because it means that you will be able to bring it to events that do not allow cameras with interchangeable lenses.
Although with a price tag of nearly $3k... yikes
It has always cracked me up that "full frame" is such a buzzword ... as if it's the pinnacle of
photography. Canon had a neat full frame compact years ago - 40mm f/1.7 with a leaf shutter to boot! It called the QL-17.... of course it shot film in the 60's.
Full frame is the maxed-out compromise tho - the volume of effort (R&D, production volume, etc) on the part of the manufactures with the highest sensor surface area.
For 2800 I expect it to have no green-auto-mode and no scene modes on the dial. Still the price is too high for a fixed-lens camera.
I also think that the difference between full-frame and 1,6 crop sensor @ 35mm focal length is as big as it would be at 50mm or longer. But maybe this only applies to my personal taste for portraits. So I don't really see a justification for the full-frame, since the system is not flexible enough.
For $2800 you could get a Canon 5DmkII and a lens which offers infinitely more power and possibilities than the RX1. How pocketable is the RX1 with what appears to be a not-so-small lens? The upcoming Canon EOS M has a pancake lens available which makes it much more pocketable. However, the EOS M is an ILC. Hopefully SONY will give this camera a more reasonable price upon announcement. However, the smaller something is with a higher level of tech usually means a higher price tag. We'll see...
it's about damned time!
Someone please buy this for me.
Kinda funny, but if you can't take the lens off and SEE the FX sized sensor, then how do you KNOW it's full frame?? :-) They can write whatever focal length they want on the lens so that the FOV makes sense.....
that being said, if i had the $$$$, i'd buy one :-)
Not to mention the real joy of using an FX DSLR is the _massive_ viewfinder in comparison to a DX/ASP-C. Throw in pentaprism vs pentamirror and it's even more obvious. That all goes away with EVF's
Went to purchase one today in Dubai - Unfortunately Sony Middle East through Jumbo Electronics see fit to price gouge their customers here by an additional USD 750 over the recommended retail price of USD 2799 so I didn't buy one. When sony Middle East start being realistic with their pricing perhaps they will attract and retain some photographers who use their equipment in the region. They are ignorant to think that the potential customers for this camera will not know what it is and know the RRP before walking in the store?