Sony RX100 III
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 125 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
- 290g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
- Launched May 2014
- Previous Model is Sony RX100 II
- Newer Model is Sony RX100 IV
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
89 Imaging
51 Features
77 Overall
61
Sony RX100 III overview
Sony RX100 III is Sony's Large Sensor Compact camera first revealed on May of 2014. The camera uses a 20MP, BSI-CMOS 1" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 5472 x 3648.
Sony launched this camera in an effort to upgrade the previous Sony RX100 II (Read Full Comparison) and then released the newer Sony RX100 IV (Read Full Comparison) as a way to upgrade this model.
The RX100 III is placed #30 out of 65 in Large Sensor Compact cameras and all around #295 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can check our Smart camera search to get camera listings based on your personalized factors.
The following is a graph of different criteria used in the scoring system.
Sony RX100 III family
The Sony RX100 III is part of a family of products. You can see the detailed range underneath.
F1.8-2.820MP1"2014
Sony RX100 III Gallery
You can see the RX100 III from several angles in the gallery underneath.
Sony RX100 III Pros and Cons
Below is a selection of good and bad points of the Sony RX100 III based on features which are typically seen as important in a camera.
Sony RX100 III Sensor specifications
The Sony RX100 III features the Bionz X processor chip. The dimension of the sensor in the Sony RX100 III is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor can resolve 5472 x 3648 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is superior than digital stabilization as the latter can easily cause cropping.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 20MP and supports a native ISO range of 125 - 12800. RAW photos are saved which means that you have wider margin for error.
The image underneath illustrates the RX100 III's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The RX100 III sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.7 and is highlighted in green.
Photography GlossaryTo get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.
Sony RX100 III dimensions
Sony RX100 III weighs around 0.64 lbs (290 gr / 10.23 oz) and the over all size of the camera is 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6"). The weight of general Large Sensor Compact camera is 396 gr so the Sony RX100 III is lighter compared with other competitors.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesDown below is a image of the Sony RX100 III alongside a soda to help you to have a feel for its scale.
The top view under will show you the button arrangement on the RX100 III.
Sony RX100 III Lens specifications
The RX100 III has an inbuilt lens and a focal range of 24-70mm making it a 2.9 x zoom which won't be very good however it can be convenient in certain scenarios.
At the widest 24mm, the lens offers an aperture of f1.8 and that is amazing in low light conditions and capturing a shallow depth of field. It is going to also enable you to use a lower ISO in order to get better files. With the tele end, 70mm comes at f2.8 making it fairly decent and enables you to use high shutter speeds.
Sony RX100 III Connectivity
The RX100 III has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- NFC Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras that feature NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can easily be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can easily transfer photos and at times alter settings with no need to connect physically to the camera.
Several applications even give a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it could be hooked up to an external display. Nearly all cameras enable you to charge the battery through the USB socket.
Sony RX100 III Video specifications
The highest video quality in the Sony RX100 III is 1920 x 1080 and it can capture in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S format. 1080p quality delivers a great balance for quality and file sizes but FULL HD won't leave you with much room to crop. The camera doesn't include a mic and / or headphone socket which means you get no control over your audio. It is probably best to order a different model should you need better audio in your video clips.
Sony RX100 III Weather Sealing
Sony RX100 III doesn't include weather proofing so rainy conditions can ruin the camera.
Sony RX100 III Display and Viewfinder
The Sony RX100 III houses a 3 inch tilting display boasting a resolution of 1,229 thousand dots.
It has a selfie friendly display to shoot self portraits and group photos when needed. Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe ViewFinder specifications regarding Sony RX100 III are as follows:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- Resolution 1,440 thousand dots
- Coverage 100%
- Magnification 0.59x
Viewfinders are rather useful for sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera display washed out and hard to view.
Sony RX100 III Shutter specifications
Sony RX100 III continuous shooting rate is 10.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.
Sony RX100 III Flash and Hot shoe specifications
Sony RX100 III includes only in-built flash with no external flash ability. The highest flash sync is 1/2000 sec.
Sony RX100 III Autofocus specifications
Sony RX100 III includes just Contrast Detect AF and does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is more snappier & accurate compared with Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera boasts Face detect which can be useful for portraits.
The Sensor boasts 25 focus points to choose from. It also has Tracking AF for moving things. Sony RX100 III supports manual focus in case it is required for low light scenarios or you need to have more accurate focus control.
Sony RX100 III Battery life
The battery power (NP-BX1) on the Sony RX100 III is fashioned to last for 320 photographs as per the CIPA requirements which is about the same as its rivals. The typical Large Sensor Compact camera battery life is 301. Leica X-U has the highest (450) battery life for this class of cameras.
Following is a number of Large Sensor Compact cameras with the strongest battery life:
Sony RX100 III for different types of photography
The following chart gives a summation of the Sony RX100 III for different types of photography. To read more, browse to the specific section underneath.
Sony RX100 III Portrait photography details
The Sony RX100 III gets a score of 64 which is nice, and means the camera is a good pick for portrait photography. Shooting portrait images favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support together with the potential to use off-camera lighting.
Sony RX100 III Street photography features
With a brilliant points total of 85, the Sony RX100 III is a excellent fit to use in street photography. A good street photography camera offers a good balance of image quality plus portability.
Sports photography with Sony RX100 III
A nice sports photography score of 65 indicates the Sony RX100 III is a respectable pick for taking photos of sports. A camera really should have fantastic focusing and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.
Sony RX100 III Travel photography features
Weight is really critical when choosing a camera for travel. All round, the Sony RX100 III gets a fantastic 85 as a travelling camera which is a brilliant pick to buy for your holidays.
Sony RX100 III Landscape photography information
For anybody who is looking to pick a camera for landscape photos, the most essential aspect will be image quality. The Sony RX100 III and it's above average rating of 73 as a landscape camera is a fine fit amongst its rivals.
Sony RX100 III Vlogging information
A vlogging camera ought to posses a moving display screen, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Sony RX100 III is a awesome pick as a vlog camera as it delivers a awesome rating of 80.
Sony RX100 III Alternatives
If you need replacements to the RX100 III, below is a collection of the top placed cameras that fall within the category of Large Sensor Compact.
The line graph here shows you a summary of the RX100 III vs it's top scoring competitors shown previously.
Following are several cameras you may have a look at as alternatives. To read a thorough comparison, just click on the "compare" link.