Sony DSC-RX100 DSCRX100 20.2 MP Exmor CMOS Sensor Digital Camera with 3.6x Zoom + Sony 32GB Class 10 Memory Card + Sony Soft Carry Case + Lens Pen Cleaning Tool + 25 Free Prints + Zeikos Deluxe Screen Protector + Zeikos Professional Wrist Grip Strap for Digital and Film SLR Cameras

Despite being a little more $$ than I wanted to spend, I purchased the rx100 2 months ago. As a novice user, this camera has been amazing. It's auto mode usually gives perfect pictures, the menus are fairly easy to navigate. I much prefer the sonys menu layout compared with canons ive owned in the past. I like how after snapping photos in auto mode, the camera tells you what it set its settings at, iso', etc, it helps see how the different settings can produce different results for those of us that are still learning.

Great camera, no regrets about this purchase.

Overall this was an excellent deal. the camera is of excellent quality and the fact that it came with a 32 GB card, small camera case, screen protector made it even better. Although I didn't need them, the lens pen cleaning tool and wrist grip strap may be beneficial to some people.

 This is a pretty good kit for the price. The camera retails for $650, so you're essentially getting all the accessories for free. The camera was brand new in the factory sealed box. The 32GB memory card is retail packaged and retails for around $30. The camera case sells for around $6 and fits the camera pretty well. The camera fits in the main pocket and there is a small pocket for extra memory cards or a battery. The case has a belt loop, but no shoulder strap. The rest of the included accessories are garbage and I'll probably discard them. Too bad they didn't include more genuine Sony accessories like the genuine screen protector or a spare battery, but I guess you can't expect too much when the accessories are essentially free.

The camera's features and image quality are getting rave reviews from all the professionals, so you don't need me to repeat that here. One thing I will say is that this camera's full capabilities are very easy to use. The physical control dials on the top and back of the camera are so much nicer than the layers and layers of menus that you find on many smaller cameras. You do need to understand what the features are for, of course, but you probably won't be spending $650 on a camera without a good understanding of basic photography principles.

If you're looking for a slightly better value than buying the camera alone for $650, then check out this kit. The kit was "fulfilled by Amazon", so I didn't have to worry about dealing directly with an unknown seller.

Note that there is no included user manual, but the manual on the Sony web site is pretty good if you already understand basic photographic principals (like how to use manual aperture and shutter speed). Search for "Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 User Guide". There are also a couple of 3rd party RX100 ebooks that have more details and may be interesting to beginners.

I am impressed with the product and the value. The "off-brand" Bower batteries are actually rated at 1800 mAh in comparison to the 1240 mAh rating of the Sony branded battery. That is nearly 50% higher capacity. Does the charge last longer? My experience is that the charge lasts significantly longer. The charger itself is certainly not "of lower quality" as another post here suggests. I'm not sure what charger it is being compared to as so far, no one has seen a Sony charger for this battery. It charges from "empty" to full charge in about 1-1/2 hours. It also comes with an adapter for your car's power outlets and a European-style receptacle adapter. I have not tried either, but will see how well the charger works in a car. Being able to charge a spare battery in a car is a huge plus for people on the move. This same charger can be purchased for as little as $4.75 elsewhere by itself, and the batteries at $8.80. That compares favorably with the price of the kit here. The Sony brand batteries are list priced at $49.95 although you can get them for as little as around $32 on line. But that is still nearly four times as much for a battery that has less capacity. Yes, they are Chinese manufactured just as the DSC-RX100 is, and just as the OEM battery is.

If is certainly possible that the OEM battery has a longer useful life, but the Bower battery has a 5-year guaranty. If the battery lasts 1/5 that long in daily use I will be happy--after all, they are a consumable. The camera itself has a 1-year guaranty and it is not "consumable."

In summary, no one should avoid these products because they do not carry the Sony brand. They are well built and represent a solid value. I will not be buying a Sony battery at four times the price when I can obtain a product that is certainly worth more than 1/4 the price of OEM batteries.

I resolved not to be caught again with a dead camera and no spare battery. So when I got the RX100 I looked for reasonably priced backup batteries and a convenient recharger. This recharger and batteries seem to satisfy those requirements. The charger is small enough to easily carry on trips and the inclusion of a European plug adapter (as well as the US plug) and AC adapter increase it's utility. And the batteries do what batteries are supposed to do. They charge and power the camera.

One word about the 4 star rating. To date I've been satisfied with the recharger and batteries, but I've only had then for a few days. If they continue to perform as they have so far I'd give it the extra star.

The battery worked fine for a day of massive shooting and filming but I don't think it is as good as the original.The indicator on the camera showed little sign of wear after a day but when I was filming a bear it suddenly cut out saying the battery was exhausted. In other words it seems like it's all or nothing so if the indicator shows any wear don't trust that there's a lot of power left and get it to the charger. The fact that you get two battery's and a charger that can be used in the house or car still, in my opinion, makes it a good buy.

I loved the feel of quality and it looked amazing, another thing I liked was a screw that goes through the bottom of the case into the cameras tripod receptacle, this ensured the camera was completely solid and would not fall out of the case, the screw also has a tripod receptacle at the bottom so you could still mount it on top of a tripod.

The top part of the case is held together by some poppers which is easily taken off if you wish to remove it, though you can keep it on and just flip it over so it's out of the way.

As for the strap, once again amazing quality.

The only reason why it had received four stars rather than five was purely based on the current price, Sony have it available at an eye-watering price and whilst I will be purchasing this case for my RX100 due to the fact it provides a perfect fit and is of great quality, I will be grinding my teeth whilst doing so.

Though as mentioned before, it is very high quality, so if you want one that is perfect for the RX100, then you will need to fork out that extra cash to get your hands on this premium case. 

I have both this case and the MegaGear - Ever Ready Protective Black Leather Camera Case , Bag for Sony DSC-RX100 RX100. Even with the price difference, I prefer the Sony case. There are important differences (at least in my book) between the two:
- The fit is much better on the Sony case. The MegaGear top cover feels like it was created for a camera that was about a half inch taller than the RX100. The Sony case feels just right.
- The material quality is better on the Sony. The MegaGear uses some plasticky leather imitation, The strap in particular feels much nicer to the touch on the Sony. It is a lot more comfortable if you are wearing this case on your neck, in particular because the Sony has a velvet-like lining and the MegaGear has a harsher plastic/leather imitation material.
- But the deal breaker for me is that the bottom part of the MegaGear case blocks the usb port, so you have to unscrew the case every time you want to charge or transfer your photos via USB. The Sony you can charge the battery without removing the case.

 I debated between the cheaper third party case and this one also, but chose this case because it fits closer to the camera, is less bulky, does not block the USB port, and yes, because it has the Sony logo. All my cameras are made by Sony and it's nice to have the OEM accessories. It is too expensive (though the Amazon price is not as bad), it's not leather (it would probably be bulkier and stiffer if it were), but the styling is beautiful, I've gotten a lot of compliments on how retro and cool it looks. The case is slim enough to slip into the front pocket of a normal (Stone Mountain) purse, so I can have it ready to take photos quickly. You can undo just one of the snaps if you're in a hurry, and then easily close it back up. The Sony DSC-RX100 20.2 MP Exmor CMOS Sensor Digital Camera with 3.6x Zoom itself does not have good grips on it, it's very smooth and a little slippery and has a huge LCD screen taking up most of the back of the camera, so I feel much safer when this is attached. My only complaint about the case is lack of access for the battery and memory card compartment, but otherwise it's excellent. It is easy to get on and off, and attaches very securely to the camera through the tripod mounting hole while leaving you another mounting hole on the bottom of the case (thank you Sony). The case came with a neck strap, but I wanted to use a wrist strap so I got Rainbowimaging Black Leather Wrist Strap for Leica Panasonic Fujifilm Olympus Nikon Canon Pentax Epson Samsung cameras (Rangerfinder, Mirrorless Camera and DC), which is braided black leather with a thick fabric rope loop to attach it and it seems to be very strong. I did not want a flimsy traditional string loop strap strap with a camera this heavy and expensive, or a bulky neoprene wrist strap. I wanted the camera to fit in my purse pocket in the case and still look nice. This fits perfect through the metal case loops, looks proportional to the camera, easily slips into my purse with no added bulk, feels very safe and looks very sharp with the case.
The hard copy of the manual that comes with the RX100 is abridged to say the least. OK only if you want to run the camera on 'auto pilot.' Since Sony does not even provide a manual on a CD, the Sony alternative is to try to plow thru their long, on-line version which is not reader friendly. It is also difficult, if not impossible to print (over 100 pages, great for HP's business) and even then, can take you into the weeds. This book is the only reasonably priced hard copy alternative that can unlock the hidden talents and technology that make the RX100 camera so attractive to both experienced photographers and those that want to learn how to improve their photographic techniques. 
This is now my third purchase of a camera manual written by Alexander S. White. His approach to such manuals is VERY useful. He doesn't just tell you all the possible settings, but fills in which ones are actually useful, and when, how, and why each might best be used. For instance, as he first describes the intelligent auto mode, he immediately makes his recommendations on how each of its default settings might best be set initially. He also offers useful hints on which of several ways to accomplish the same task is likely best, and why. He finishes by covering available accessories, warts and all. Overall, everything I'd hoped for from such a book, and a huge leg up on making best use of a wonderfully capable, but unavoidably complex camera.

This volume proved as rigurous and accurate as his earlier books on the Panasonic LX-5 and Canon S100. I am well pleased with it as I have been with both of them, particularly since the only other book I've found offered for this $680 camera has an asking price of $95 as I write this, rather than the $10 I paid to download the PDF version of this one from the publisher's site to my iPad. (I'm not objecting to the price for the printed version; just didn't want to wait even 2 more days to get it.)

I'm VERY glad to have and to have read this book. Definitely recommended!

This book is excellent and a must have for RX100 owners!! The user's manual that Sony includes with the camera is totally worthless and the more extensive manual from Sony's web site is in HTML only!!

The book walks you through the camera in about the same sequence that you need to learn it. (from setup to basic and on to advanced)

I know the author produces many books and I was worried this would be a somewhat generic manual. It is not!! It really is very specific to the RX100. The author explains the features/functions in a manner that non professionals can understand. He even provides recommendations on what's useful and what's not.

I bought the download version of the book for $9.95.

It's incredibly well written, well illustrated, comprehensive and affordable. No RX100 owner should be without it!!

Sony DSC-RX100

• 20.2 MP Exmor"CMOS sensor - extreme low-light shots
• Bright F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with 3.6x zoom
• Full HD 1080/60p video with manual control and dual record, 101.6 mm x 58.1 mm x 35.9 mm, 213g (3.8oz.)
• 3-Inch Xtra Fine LCD display with bright whites & true blacks
• Ultra-slim, sophisticated aluminum body

           

• Brand Name: Sony
• Model: DSCRX100/B
• Optical Sensor Resolution: 20.2 MP
• Optical zoom: 3.6
• Display Size: 3 inches

 Exquisite image quality and creative freedom in a truly compact package. For razor-sharp images and pro-quality defocused backgrounds, the RX100 features a large, 1-Inch sensor and an ultra-bright Carl Zeiss/1.8 lens. It also features a handy control ring for easy access to aperture settings and more for total creative freedom. 

I have a NEX-7 and E-M5, so this list is mostly compared to the NEX-7, because the NEX-7 have the hardware and software implemented so beautiful I really pi-ss.Instead, this RX100 is an excellent camera almost good in hardware and software.Pros:A. Sony S100 with a sensor size of 1 ', auto-focus is super fast and very accurate, much better than the NEX-7, better than E-M5.2. Battery charged by USB, I can plug into my car charger or battery remote for my phone.3. It's not like the xz-1 Olympus, Fujifilm x10, lx5/lx7 Panasonic, Canon g1x, it has a build-in lens cover, which makes it smaller and MUCH more comfortable than in real life.4. ISO can be as low as 80, some margin to compensate 1/2000s shutter speed (200 E-M5 base iso is a terrible decision from Olympus)5. The operating system is built from Sony Alphe DSLR, not as bad UI NEX tool of digital cameras PS. It has 3 custom profiles, with different arrangements of their own iso. different image quality settings, etc.6. Face detection can be set on for ALL the light metering and focus modes. This is a major evolution of the NEX (which can only be used with matrix metering and multi-focal).7. 20M pixels is very good with pixel peeping or cropping, thanks to the large sensor and lens quality, many details of the base iso.8. It still had the Sony camera features:Sony color profiles. I really like this kind of realistic color rendering. Better than the wash-out dirty pictures Panasonic and Olympus plain bluish-white, graduation is more than Nikon too much contrast, and less pink Way of the Canon.Portrait mode has a lot of encouragement dynamic range. (A good trick from NEX)AF-illuminating light is useless. (Turn it off immediately when you receive your camera, a good trick from NEX)Multi-frame Alpha DSLR was a very good noise reduction for ISO 3200 and upManual focus with focus and zoom-in mountingLot filter effects can be applied to video and photos, HDR, Pano, Hand held twilight mode, they still exist.Exposure compensation and white balance you see on screen is identical to the actual shot.9. leaves almost silent shutter. lower latency than the NEX-7, super fast, which can sync flash with 1/2000s10. Rana 10fps stream with live view, this is a big plus of the NEX, and flush buffers very fast compared to the NEX-7 with ush-i sandisk 45MB SD11. almost no lag between the screen shot to shot (after you turn off the quick review, another trick of the NEX / Alpha)12. multiple call control is very good, comparable with the NEX-7 and E-M5 (NEX-7 is a tri-dial is a total scam, most of the time, two of the call is redundant with the same function.)13. great lens, F1.8 may be used but there may be some daytime halos, ranging from f2.8 is razor sharp. Amazing macro shot (see photo I uploaded to the gallery of products)14. test images can be zoomed-in and then roll-over each image to compare magnified sections. (NEX-7 tri-dial was useless here, they all have the same function of the roll-over to the next photo)15. a lot of customization with buttons.better of NEX-5n and comparable with the NEX-717. Video functions better than the NEX-7, it has more control, and the concave dedicated movie button, which when compared to, NEX-7 has a protruding buttons, can be easily pressed by accident, and the film records unnecessary. (Malu! Sony, 8 months w / o firmware to fix this!)18. Active video stabilization is effective, panning and zooming is butter smooth.19. dedicate a capital call, with memory and movie mode. memory recall can be set to 3 memories to distinguish other settings, such as the one for portrait (low iso range basis, med shutter speed, color rending portrait, face detection), 2 for landscape (80 iso, vivid color rending, small aperture), 3 to-door in flash portraits. You can alway record video in any mode press the film, but the dedicated movie mode, you can set to automatic or manual, or Av, Sv and filters to fine tune your style of film.20. flash can be set to rise with your finger, resulting in a fun-door image. (A good trick of the NEX-7)21. RGBW display of white magic is good, more vivid and brighter than the NEX-7 in the outdoors.22. batteries are generally good in this category, I shot 700 photos for half a day, so prepare two spare batteries for the night and a photocall.Cons:Call 1.front smooth, soft keys are very good for manual focus, but I prefer to call the box to adjust the value.Call 2.modal is tighten a little turn.4.no dedicated on / off button for the flash. it can only be triggered by a menu of options for using the flash.5.Lens zoom out / in speed is not too fast, if you drop the camera, can not survive ...6. aperture decay rapidly compared to the focal length, hopefully can give 28-35mm f2.8 with7. there is no grip, even small ones, but you should have a wrist strap.8. there is an external battery charger for battery backup.9. no sd card write buffer indicator or indication signs on the screen.10. there are smart terminal of NEX, can not connect an external EVF or flash, it's a bad dicision for the camera with no screen articulate.11. photos and movies in a separate test menu, the old problem of Sony though ...12. users can only be downloaded from the Sony support website. (There is no CD or manual for the enthusiast camera raw converter?)I ordered from B & H this morning announced. After that during the day about 500 photographs, I'm glad I bought it. After some very late nights mold, I am happy. Bottom line: great image quality.Pro.SmallFast to focus and quickly between shotsVery good lens with a decent zoom rangeBoth JPEG and RAW files are very goodGood control and front adjustment ring helpsWell builtExcellent control guideThe first pocket camera with good manual focusConsSony is a bit confusing menusSomewhat limited battery life, though par for the categoryThere are no userSlow aperture at full zoomNo external batter chargerMake no mistake, this is as good as current technology allows for a pocket camera. It's about the same size as my Canon S95. It has a similar design, but IMO looks classy. Sony has made good use of 20 megapixels. Low ISO files very well and good as the last generation DSLR. Larger sensors do not make a difference.Is it worth the extra $ 200 for S100 or LX7? It depends. If you print your images larger than 11x14, the answer is an unqualified yes. The photo shows more detail and sharpness better. If you are mostly posting your photos online, then the gain is reduced, especially if you shoot JPEG. What are the advantages of having 20 MP if your photo is displayed on a 2 MP? Yes, Canon and Panasonic cameras will display the RAW file, but in practice, there is little benefit from doing so. You get a bit of dynamic range and if there are three cameras do a good job with white balance in most cases.If you shoot RAW, RX-100 is the first compact cameras that provide real benefits to the RAW. There are real differences in dynamic range. Use RAW and there is more highlight headroom and you can pull more details out of the shadows. The bad news here is that the RAW converter program Sony is a bear to use. When Adobe came out with the support for this camera in the next month or so.Sony has copied the front control Canon's ring, which is a big thing. It does not have that Canon did not stop click. Has an electronic click, which do nothing for me. They can be turned off. Using the ring for exposure compensation, lack of perceived click is negative. Using the ring for manual focus, plus it. Call it a draw. This is a manual focus feature that has me excited. Simply put, the focus manually on the other compact point and shoots are marginal at best. With the heightened focus that Sony has been included along with the front control ring, manual focus is precise and accurate.Sony shooting some additional mode is very useful. It carries a hand-held twilight, in-camera HDR and panoramic sweep feature that I'm learning as I NEX-5n. There are many other options, a person who would like to. They are the ones I like. Photos at ISO 100-200 superb, and well up to 800. On top of that, the image quality drops off quickly. Compared with my Canon S95, there is not much difference in quality with JPEG. Shooting RAW files and then work a little in Photoshop, I would say there is a good stop to stop and gain half the RX-100 Did I mention that this lens is very good?Is the camera worth $ 650? That's a tough question. Sony sells cameras are better able to Nex $ 50 more and less. As light and compact as the NEX cameras are, they do not fit in a pocket. This camera will even fit in your pocket, if you do not mind loose your shirt. That's great for a pants pocket or jacket. While the camera has a good manual controls will not provide the same flexibility as the NEX or Micro 4/3 cameras, especially DSLR, which you can get the same price range. If you want to get serious about photography, I would recommend getting one of them instead of the RX-100. Panasonic has announced the LX7 which has insanely fast lens, which should make it easier low-light photos. Once again, if I mostly posted photos online, I would consider a cheaper alternative but still very good with the Sony.If you want the best small camera today, especially as a second camera and RX-100 is as good as it gets.The main thing I like about this camera has a mode which is great for people who do not have much knowledge about the camera and just want to point and shoot while getting great results, and there is a mode for those who know more about the camera and want to go more in depth with setting.Mode which I personally think are great for those with limited knowledge of the camera, I recommend using the mode button located on top of the camera to choose one of the following:1) Auto Excellence; "This wonderful device automatically shoots while reducing blur and noise".My opinion: I've always had great results with this mode, on the occasion of the most needed images I want, although sometimes you may want to select a scene mode in the settings to get a little extra.---2) Intelligent Auto; "Automatically identifies the scene and shoot characteristics of a".My opinion: Pretty much the same scenario with a superior car, it takes fantastic shots most of the time, although I do not really see the difference between the two, this may be because I have not had a chance to test them at various locations.---3) Scene Selection: Here you can select a variety of pre-setting mode to get the most out of a particular scenario:- Images: ". Emphasizing the subject with a blurred background much reproduces skin tones soft".- Anti Motion Blur: "Reducing blur room with bad lighting or for shooting telephoto to get a clear picture."- Sports Action; "quick motion shoots at higher shutter speeds".- Pet; "Branch of pets and other subjects in the movement to reduce blur".- Gourmet: "Shoot the food looks delicious."- Macro: "This mode is best suited for shooting close-ups of small subjects such as flowers and food in a clear and sharp focus."- Landscape; "shoot the entire range of views in sharp focus with vivid colors."- Sunset, "clearly revealing and dramatically capture the reddish dusk and dawn".- Night Scene; "Shoots night scenes clearly Recommend using a tripod.".- Hand-held Twilight; "Suitable for shooting a night scene without using a tripod".- Night Portrait; "flash fires automatically to illuminate the foreground subject and move slow shutter to capture the night scene background".- Fireworks: "Shoot the beautiful fireworks without a flash".- High sensitivity: "Reducing blur even without using a flash".You can select a different scene mode by rotating the mode dial back and forth, turning the control ring (my favorite and the easiest way), or go to the photo tab 5 is located in the menu.My opinion: You have a good number of different options to choose from. Not only describes the situation best camera to use a scene like that, but it also showed the picture to give you a better idea of ​​what the scene they should be used in.I've had some great pictures with hand-held twilight setting, while I do not get the perfect all the time, has produced better results than my previous all cyber-shot cameras combined!I also really like the portrait mode.There is an option not on the list of previous models and it is the "Image Effects" mode, has been moved to the menu or can be selected via the function keys (if elected), I would like to be on the scene selection, but it's probably because I used to be there.---4) Sweep the shooting: "Creating a panoramic picture when you move the camera left / right or up and down at a steady pace".You can adjust the settings by going to the menu on the photo tab 1.My opinion: This is one of my favorite features in the panorama camera that produces truly amazing.---5) Film: Choose from the following movie modes:- Auto Program; "Auto shooting the film in which the aperture and shutter speed automatically, and other features can be set as desired".- Aperture Priority; "Set the aperture to change the range of focus and defocus the background".- Shutter Priority; "to manually adjust the speed to control how the captured subject moves".- Exposure to the manual: "Set the aperture and shutter speed manually".You have the ability to record a duel (to take pictures while recording) but it is important to note that it is turned off while recording in the AVCHD format '60p 28m (PS) ', so if you want to take full advantage of this feature, make sure you are in '60i 24m ( FX) ', '60i 17M (FH)' or record through the MP4 format. When taking pictures while recording, you will NOT hear the shutter sound, instead of you working on a message on the screen that says "captured", it is to make sure the shutter sound is not recorded.Also remember that you do not have to be in the movie mode to start recording, you can start recording in most modes / settings by clicking the record button as you would do normally.My opinion: While recording the best output quality is phenomenal, this video is so smooth and focus on things very well. Frankly if it were not for the fact that I have a zoom camcorder so much more than this camera, I would use this camera instead of my camcorder and voice memos!---For those who understand more about the camera settings, you will be glad to have some of the modes available for your use:1) Automatic Program; '. It automatically set the aperture and shutter speed can be set other settings as you wish ".2) Aperture Priority; "Set the aperture to change the focus range and amount of background blur obscures the small front and rear, a large value even make the background in focus.".3) Shutter Priority; "Set the shutter speed manually to different effects of the subjects are moving faster speed up a slow speed to stop motion capture traces ..".4) Exposure Guidelines; "Set the aperture and shutter speed manually".5) memory recall; This setting allows you to go deep with nearly every setting, you can store up to three profiles where you can quickly choose to use later. This will be a favorite for many people so they do not have to manually set all over again.My opinion: I would not classify myself as someone who knows a lot about the depth of camera settings, but thanks to the camera manual that you can pop-up by clicking the "?" button, it gives me a few simple tips, detailed very well to get me started. I still think it would be a while before I fully understand these settings, but I'm sure I'll be there at some point, it just takes perseverance.---The menu system is much different from previous cyber-shot camera I've owned previously when you click the "Menu", you quickly get the system menu on the left side where you can play with a quick setting or choose to go to the proper setting, but with This camera directly into a menu where you can browse everything. This for me is something I have to get used to being different, but they have been portrayed tab that makes it easy to navigate.Another new feature for me is the function key labeled "Fn", this button lets you navigate through seven different options that can modified to your liking through the menu system.