It was nearly 10 years (Jan 2016 to be exact) since I reviewed the Sony RX1R II full-frame compact camera. Now, Sony has finally announced its successor with the RX1R III.
The RX1R III boasts a 61-megapixel (up from 42.4MP of RX1R II) full-frame image sensor and a new Bionz XR image processor with an AI processing unit. The image sensor’s surface is said to feature anti-reflection coating and omits the optical low-pass filter (used previously to prevent moire effects) to achieve superior image quality. However, the new camera retains the Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 integrated fixed lens.
The third-generation RX1R might look like its predecessor, but there are some differences. The rear 3-inch display is now fixed instead of tiltable (seems like a downgrade). In addition, the pop-up electronic viewfinder (EVF) of its predecessor is gone. Instead, the 2.36-million-dot OLED EVF is now integrated and fixed to the top left-hand corner of the camera with a slightly smaller magnification of 0.7x (down from 0.74x).
Also, the RX1R III has no dedicated video recording button and lacks an in-built image stabilisation system. But it does get two more film modes for a total of 12 built-in Creative Looks as well as a larger battery for longer battery life.
The Sony RX1R III will be available in Singapore from August 2025. Local pricing is yet to be confirmed. But given that there is a 54% increase in US pricing over its predecessor, I estimate that the RX1R III will probably cost around S$7,500 since its predecessor was sold at S$4,999 during launch.