Like the best-selling RX100 before it, the Sony RX100 II delivers the same magic potion of large sensor performance in a compact format. When I wrote about the RX100 back in 2012 I said some people will 'complain it lacks a hotshoe, or an accessory port for a viewfinder, or that its screen isn't articulated'. These shortcomings didn't prevent the camera from selling like hotcakes, but it's uncanny those are exactly the things Sony decided to fix, along with also providing built-in Wifi with NFC and a cabled remote option. There's even the chance to mount filters via an optional accessory, although this also works on the older RX100.
Changing the sensor for a back-illuminated version of the same resolution is also a very canny move. I don't recall many folk complaining about the image quality on the RX100, but now it's genuinely better at higher sensitivities. It would have been easy for Sony to stick with the existing sensor and concentrate on the physical or software upgrades, but it's refreshing to find an upgrade in this respect. It makes the RX100 II a better complement or even replacement for a larger camera
The pictures, as expected, look great. The camera did a fine job of exposing, and colors and white balance were spot on. Everything I loved about the previous RX100 is present here, too, so you can absolutely expect a top-shelf experience through and through.
I used a RX100 for underwater video on a recent holiday.
Here's 60 seconds of Manta Clips:
Some video data at Focus-Numerique: http://www.focus-numerique.com/test-1713/compact-sony-rx100-II-mode-video-17.html
I can't see their video of Rolling Shutter, but the resolution/moire target looks good, and certainly not soft...
This is somewhat alarming: "Contrairement à certaines informations dévoilées lors de la présentation du RX100 II, le boîtier ne semble pas capable de filmer en 24p." I hope they made a mistake. Maybe 24p is just a function of selected shutter speed... Or perhaps, because of pulldown issues, only the NTSC version can do 24p... Hmmm...
The RX100 II's image quality is noticeably improved over the already good RX100, with impressive noise performance even at high ISO settings up to and including ISO6400, with the multi-frame noise reduction performing significantly better than the previous model. With additional features and greater versatility the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II could be the last compact camera you'll ever need, and is therefore Highly Recommended.
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx100-ii-review-22341
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II review by DXOMark
Until such time that rivals adopt the Sony unit, or something similar (like the sensors found in the Nikon 1 cameras), it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to compete on level terms. For the moment at least, the highly pocketable Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX100 and the new Mk II version have no real equal.
The glassblowing video is cute subject matter, but not really the best subject to check for accuracy. Additionally, I have only been able to find a 720p copy. There is another 720p Sony sample video at:
But it also is not really how I would be shooting that subject matter. It is almost as though Sony are trying to meet the criticism of the earlier version blowing out in highlights. I would like to see an indoors event - a wedding, a party, something without so much camera motion and with sufficient detail to allow me to see 1080p resolution. Or perhaps using a stabilizer when in the boat :)
The 24p footage is nice and smooth, however, quite promising, and I would expect that the sensor would not use so much power at 24p as 60p, so the heating issue may now be under control :)
Video is present in the post above.
I haven't seen anybody check whether this sensor gets as hot as the first-edition RX100 when faced with continuous video (up to its silly 29min limit, of course). I am also nervous about the comparative lack of sharpness reported in the video, hopefully this is just conservative image sharpening...
I just love the RX100 for video and this update addresses all shortcomings, except for the slow tele end of the lens and higher bitrates in 50p. @Vitaliy_Kiselev Any news on a RX100 hack?
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