is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.
Sony’s new RX1R III camera looks awesome. Hardcore photo enthusiasts have wanted an updated version of its full-frame compact camera, the RX1, for nearly a decade. I’m not surprised it costs a whopping $5,100 (cameras and lenses have been trending more expensive), but what I do find surprising, and quite egregious, is that the RX1R III lost the tiltable screen of its predecessor. Its rear LCD is fixed in place, which is a real blow to the street photographers and shooters who like the added convenience of easier from-the-hip or overhead angles.
The designers at Sony obviously went to great lengths to maintain similar dimensions to the last-gen RX1, and they did it while adding a lot: the high-resolution full-frame sensor from the A7R V, Sony’s latest autofocus tracking system, a longer-lasting battery, and a proper electronic viewfinder (no more pop-up nonsense). They even went the extra mile of integrating the top dials and hot shoe into the body for a sleeker look. To do all this, the company made the camera 2.5mm taller and 15.5mm deeper — though that’s mostly the Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens protruding a little further.
But if it made the body just a few millimeters thicker or wider to accommodate a flippy-tilty-screen I don’t think anyone would have minded. The camera’s small stature also seems to make it a non-starter for any lens or sensor-based image stabilization, which it also lacks. (Though, to be fair, the RX1 cameras never had it before either.)
Bigger battery? Hell yeah! Image: Sony No tilt screen? Booooo! Image: Sony
Unrelenting dedication to smallness has been a long-standing issue of mine with Sony cameras. The Alpha line of mirrorless cameras have been technological marvels for years, and its innovations like eye-detect tracking autofocus helped lead the migration from DSLRs. At first, the move to mirrorless was all about smaller cameras, but Sony showed that better autofocus, electronic viewfinders, faster burst shooting, and higher video quality were all a bigger part of the equation. It’s why I personally own and use Sony Alpha cameras, even for paid gigs. But if I was choosing based on handling and comfort (which are important, especially when you’re sometimes shooting for 10-hour days), I would have stuck with Nikon or Canon.
I’ll commend Sony for making some inroads in the ergonomics department with its A9 III and A1 II cameras. They have deeper grips that are definitely better, and it’s partly why I upgraded my A9 II to a III. But even with that better grip, I can still get that dreaded “Sony knuckle” pain in my finger after a long day’s shoot.
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