There are good cameras that look cute, take passable pictures and don't cost an arm and a leg. And then there are incredible cameras that can really do it all, but come along with comparatively astronomical price tags. The Sony RX100 is the latter -- the original model, which cost $650 and first appeared in 2012, was already wildly popular with camera enthusiasts, and 2014's version cashes in on two additional years of R&D.; The result is a more capable point-and-shoot that's even pricier, at $800, but still worth every penny: It's the RX100 III. At $800, Sony's RX100 III is a very expensive point-and-shoot, but it's an excellent buy if you have the cash to spare. There are a few major changes in the third iteration. For some photographers, the most significant is the new pop-up OLED viewfinder that's available when you need it, but retracts completely into the housing when you don't. Sony removed the full-size hot shoe to accommodate the new EVF, but that's a trade-off few will mind. Another big swap is the new 24-70mm lens, which sports an f/1.8-2.8 maximum aperture range, giving you more bokeh and better low-light performance when zoomed all the way in. Finally, there's a new video codec on board, called XAVC S. On paper, it's not tremendously exciting, but it does result in some pretty spectacular video footage, rivaling what you'd get with a higher-end (and much larger) rig, assuming you add on the mandatory Class 10-plus SDXC card. You'll still get better performance from a top-of-the-line mirrorless camera or DSLR, but those aren't nearly as portable, and they're certainly not small enough to carry in your pocket. The RX100 is plenty capable, but its greatest strength is its size. While heavier than many other point-and-shoots, it's not much larger. Its powerful 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens does make it quite a bit thicker than your run-of-the-mill compact, but assuming you can deal with a moderate bulge, it can fit in a pants pocket. You'll more likely be dangling the RX100 III from your wrist, using the included band, or from a third-party neck strap (the requisite adapters are in the box). Despite its small size, however, the camera offers all of the necessary buttons and dials, including a dedicated mode dial, a video record button, a scroll wheel (for adjusting aperture and/or shutter speed) and a button for accessing the integrated WiFi mode, which lets you transmit images from the camera directly to a smartphone or a tablet. This time around, the greatest engineering feat is the pop-up electronic viewfinder. It's located at the far-left corner, and extends up about one inch when in use. The clever design includes a slide-out magnifier, complete with a diopter adjustment dial. The camera powers on as soon as you extend the EVF using the release switch on the left side of the housing, though it also turns off when you push it back down. Like most other EVFs, there's a proximity sensor that activates the finder and disables the LCD when you raise it to your eye. Of course, grazing the viewfinder with a finger or other appendage has the same effect, but you can simply push it back into the housing to eliminate the issue. Because the EVF takes up quite a bit of space within the housing, Sony had to move the pop-up flash a bit to the right. It's now centered just above the lens, though it extends far enough to reach beyond the zoom, even at the widest focal length. Given that the flash has now taken over the real estate previously allocated to the full-size hot shoe, that component is a casualty of the RX100's redesign, though (as mentioned earlier) with the exception of perhaps a few hardcore shooters, it likely won't be missed. For a spell, Sony began including touchscreens with its mirrorless cameras, such as the NEX-5N, but newer models, including the Alpha 6000 and flagship A7s don't offer that feature. All three RX100 models also lack touch functionality, including this year's iteration, which may be a disappointment to some. On the other hand, no touchscreen means Sony needed to include a range of dedicated controls and dials, which ultimately work to improve the experience. The trade-off, of course, is that you can't tap to focus, which many shooters have come to count on when capturing video. The user interface hasn't changed much since the original RX100. The menu layout is more or less identical, though there have been some slight cosmetic tweaks. The quick-access menu has been refined -- it's a bit more straightforward to use now -- but indicators and the camera's general workflow are consistent with past models. Like with the RX100 II, you can transfer images over WiFi using Sony's PlayMemories Mobile app for smartphones and tablets, but unlike competing products, you can't control the camera remotely.

• published: 10 Jan 2015
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