Sony RX10 III
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 125 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 24-600mm (F2.4-4.0) lens
- 1051g - 133 x 94 x 127mm
- Introduced March 2016
- Succeeded the Sony RX10 II
- Replacement is Sony RX10 IV
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
53 Imaging
52 Features
77 Overall
62
Sony RX10 III overview
Sony RX10 III is Sony's Large Sensor Superzoom camera first launched on March of 2016. It includes a 20 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1" size sensor with a peak resolution of 5472 x 3648.
Sony brought out this camera to upgrade the earlier Sony RX10 II (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards launched the updated Sony RX10 IV (Read Full Comparison) to upgrade this model.
The RX10 III comes in at #5 out of 9 in Large Sensor Superzoom cameras and all round #273 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can try out our Advanced camera search to get camera results based on your customized requirements.
The following is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.
Sony RX10 III family
The Sony RX10 III comes with a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can look at all earlier and most recent models alongside key specifications.
F2.4-4.020MP1"2016
Sony RX10 III Gallery
You can view the RX10 III from various angles in the gallery underneath.
Sony RX10 III Pros and Cons
Here is a shortlist of pros and cons of the Sony RX10 III based on factors which are often seen as essential in a camera.
Sony RX10 III Sensor features
The Sony RX10 III features the Bionz X processor chip. The dimension of the sensor on the Sony RX10 III is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 5472 x 3648 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can easily produce cropping.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 20MP and features a native ISO range of 125 to 12800. The ISO can also be expanded electronically to 64 to 25600. RAW photos are supported which means that the user has more margin for error.
The picture underneath illustrates the RX10 III's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The RX10 III sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.7 and is highlighted in green.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesTo get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.
Sony RX10 III dimensions
Sony RX10 III weighs about 2.32 lb (1,051 grams / 37.07 oz) and the overall size of the camera is 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0"). The weight of general Large Sensor Superzoom camera is 874 grams and the Sony RX10 III is weightier than its competitors.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneDown below is a shot of the Sony RX10 III next to a soft drink to help you have a sense of its size.
The top view under will illustrate the button arrangement on the RX10 III.
Sony RX10 III Lens features
The RX10 III features a fixed lens with a focal range of 24-600mm making it a 25.0 x zoom which is significant and will allow you to zoom all the way in.
At it's widest 24mm, it offers an aperture of f2.4 which will be somewhat sluggish and not the best in low light situations and you may find it hard to capture good bokeh. You would also have to boost your ISO setting producing noisy photographs. For the long end, 600mm is fantastic zoom and comes with f4.0 which is fairly good and will let you keep higher shutter speeds.
Sony RX10 III Connectivity
The RX10 III has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- NFC Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras that consist of NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to send photos and at times change settings without connecting directly with the camera.
Many apps also stream a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't near the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external display. A good number of cameras enable you to recharge the battery with the USB socket.
Sony RX10 III Video features
The highest video resolution on the Sony RX10 III is 3840 x 2160 and it can save in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S format. 2160p is a fantastic resolution for video recording. You can easily downsample to Full HD to get cleaner results. Beware of the huge file sizes and make sure you own good SD cards with good write speed. The camera does include both headphone and microphone jack making it especially useful while recording audio.
Sony RX10 III Weather Sealing
Sony RX10 III features environment sealing which makes it a fantastic choice to use for rough locations. This can be particularly helpful in case you are not sure about the elements you might encounter for outdoor photography.
Sony RX10 III Display and Viewfinder
The Sony RX10 III includes a 3 inch tilting display screen with a resolution of 1,229 thousand dots.
Please be aware that the display offers no touch support. The RX10 III also has a builtin Top LCD display so its possible to quickly view your settings.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe View Finder specifications regarding Sony RX10 III are below:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- Resolution 2,359 thousand dots
- Coverage 100%
- Magnification 0.7x
Viewfinders are rather useful for sunny outdoor situations which may make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.
Sony RX10 III Shutter features
Sony RX10 III has the ability to shoot continuously at 14.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000s. The camera also includes silent electronic shutter of 1/32000s. Keep in mind that the electronic shutter may result in "rolling shutter" in some situations.
Sony RX10 III Flash and Hot shoe features
Sony RX10 III includes both built-in flash plus external flash ability.
Sony RX10 III Autofocusing features
Sony RX10 III includes only Contrast Detect AF and is missing Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is more quicker & exact than Contrast Detect focusing. The camera includes Face detect which is helpful for taking photos of people.
The Sensor includes 25 focus points to select from. It also boasts Tracking AF for moving subjects. Sony RX10 III has the ability to use manual focus if required for low light situations or you need more accurate control on focus.
Sony RX10 III Battery life
The battery power (NP-FW50) on the Sony RX10 III is made to last for 420 photos with respect to the CIPA standards making it higher than average when compared to its class. The typical Large Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 373. Sony RX10 III comes with the highest (420) battery life for this range of cameras.
Here is a collection of Large Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the highest battery life:
Sony RX10 III for varying types of photography
The following graph gives a summation of the Sony RX10 III for varying types of photography. To see more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.
Sony RX10 III Portrait photography highlights
The Sony RX10 III has a rating of 71 which is above average, and means the camera is a fine pick to use for portrait images. Taking portraits favors greatly towards sensor resolution, support for RAW files and capability to work with off-camera lighting.
Sony RX10 III Street photography information
Getting a nice rating of 64, the Sony RX10 III is a good option to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.
Sony RX10 III Sports photography features
A very good sports photography rating of 70 indicates the Sony RX10 III is a respectable fit for taking photos of sports. A camera needs to have fantastic tracking and continuous shooting for sports photography.
Sony RX10 III as a Travel photography camera
Portability is really crucial in selecting a camera for travel. All things considered, the Sony RX10 III gets a decent 55 for a travel camera which makes it fairly suited to purchase for your travels.
Sony RX10 III Landscape photography details
For anyone looking to purchase a camera for landscape pictures, the most vital aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Sony RX10 III and it's very good grade of 63 as a landscape camera is a good fit compared to it's competition.
Sony RX10 III as a Vlogging camera
A vlogging camera preferably should have a moving display screen, microphone port and if possible image stabilization. Considering all things, the Sony RX10 III is not really good as a vlog camera as it receives a lousy rating of 28.
Sony RX10 III Alternatives
If you need replacements to the RX10 III, here is a number of the highest rated cameras which fall into the category of Large Sensor Superzoom.
The diagram followed below gives you a bird's eye view of the RX10 III compared to it's top ranked rivals shown above.
There are a bunch of cameras you might regard as alternate options. To browse through a full comparison, simply click the "compare" link.