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Sony RX100 III

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III front
 
Portability
89
Imaging
52
Features
77
Overall
62

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 #28 out of 65 in Large Sensor Compact cameras and all around #285 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can check our Smart camera search to get camera listings based on your personalized factors.

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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.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-VII front thumbnailSony RX100 VII
RX100 III vs RX100 VII
24-200mm
F2.8-4.5
20MP1"2019
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-V(A) front thumbnailSony RX100 VA
RX100 III vs RX100 VA
24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2018
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-VI front thumbnailSony RX100 VI
RX100 III vs RX100 VI
24-200mm
F2.8-4.5
20MP1"2018
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-V front thumbnailSony RX100 V
RX100 III vs RX100 V
24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2016
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-IV front thumbnailSony RX100 IV
RX100 III vs RX100 IV
24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2015
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-III front thumbnailSony RX100 III24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2014
Photography Glossary
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-II front thumbnailSony RX100 II
RX100 III vs RX100 II
28-100mm
F1.8-4.9
20MP1"2013
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100 front thumbnailSony RX100
RX100 III vs RX100
28-100mm
F1.8-4.9
20MP1"2012

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.

above average flash sync (1/2,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
comes with HDMI out
decently wide (24mm)
exports RAW files
fast at the long end (f2.8)
features face detect focusing
features tracking focus
good sensor size (1")
good sized screen (3 inches)
great max aperture (f1.8)
has a tilting screen
has built in flash
in built zoom lens (24-70mm 2.9 x zoom)
lighter than competitors (290g)
MP count good (20MP)
NFC connection
nice clear screen (1,229 thousand dots)
selfie friendly display
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
you can focus manually
cannot use external flash
lack of headphone support
lack of mic support
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
no phase detect AF
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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.

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The 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.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III sensor size Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

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.

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Down below is a image of the Sony RX100 III alongside a soda to help you to have a feel for its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III dimensions scale

The top view under will show you the button arrangement on the RX100 III.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III topview buttons dials

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III screen and viewfinder Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The 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.

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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.

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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 65 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.

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focusing manually
above average flash sync speed (1/2,000 seconds)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
comes with face detection focus
delivers RAW files
external flash not possible

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.

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tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is good (1")
exports RAW files
lighter than competition (290 grams)

Sports photography with Sony RX100 III

A nice sports photography score of 66 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.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
comes with tracking focus
lack of phase detect autofocus

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 86 as a travelling camera which is a brilliant pick to buy for your holidays.

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lighter than competition in class (290 grams)
MP count decent (20MP)
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
pretty wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)

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 74 as a landscape camera is a fine fit amongst its rivals.

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focusing manually
fairly wide (24mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
delivers RAW formats
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)

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 81.

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rather wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
selfie friendly display
built in image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than average (290g)
lack of external microphone support

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.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Sony
Model
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
Class
Large Sensor Compact
Launched
2014-05-15
Physical type
Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Processor
Bionz X
Sensor size
1"
Sensor dimensions
13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area
116.2mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
5472 x 3648
RAW format
Max native ISO
12800
Min native ISO
125
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points
25
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
24-70mm (2.9x)
Max aperture
f/1.8-2.8
Macro focus range
5cm
Focal length multiplier
2.7
Screen
Type of display
Tilting
Display size
3 inches
Display resolution
1,229 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
1,440 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage
100%
Viewfinder magnification
0.59x
DXO scores
DXO All around score
67
DXO Color Depth score
22.4
DXO Dynamic range score
12.3
DXO Low light score
495
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate
10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize
1/2000 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
290 grams (0.64 pounds)
Dimensions
102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
Other
Battery life
320 images
Battery style
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-BX1
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, self-portrait, continuous)
Time lapse feature
With downloadable app
Storage type
SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots
One
Price at launch
$748