Tag: Singapore

Review – Sony RX0
Introduction
At first glance, you might mistake it for an action camera like GoPro. If you are looking for a better action camera alternative to your GoPro, the Sony RX0 is not the one. Sony RX0 is the first camera that features a 1-inch sensor in such a compact size. The sensor is the same as the Sony RX100 series thus we could expect Sony RX0 would give a similar stunning still image output. Let’s check it out how it performs in real life!
Sony RX0
Key Specification
- 15.3 MP (effective pixels) 1.0 inch stacked CMOS sensor with DRAM chip
- Super slow motion recording up to 960fps/1000fps in NTSC/PAL mode
- Duralumin camera body with waterproof up to 10m (IPX8 equivalent), shockproof up to 2m, crushproof up to 200kgf/2000N
- Zeiss Tessar T* 24mm F4 lens
- 1.5 inches 230K dots TFT LCD screen
- Dimension 59.0 x 40.5 x 29.8 mm (2 3/8 in. × 1 5/8 in. × 1 3/16 in.), weigh 110g
- Up to 16fps continuous shooting (exposure and AF locked at the first shot)
- Up to 1/32000 second anti-distortion shutter
- 25 points contrast-detection AF
- ISO 125 to ISO 12800
- Built-in Wifi and Bluetooth
- Multi-sync camera control via handphones (with PlayMemories install, up to 50 cameras) or Sony camera control box (CCB-WD1, up to 100 cameras), this setup is used to create bullet-time effect video
- 1080/60p internal XAVCS recording
- S-log2 picture profile available
- 4K 30p 4:2:2 10 bit recording via HDMI clean output to an external recorder, e.g., Atomos (recording details obtained from Atomos RX 0 page )
- Micro USB port, Micro HDMI port, and 3.5mm microphone stereo mini-jack
Pros & Cons
Compact and robust built
Waterproof up to 10m!
Still image quality is great, similar as other Sony RX100 cameras
Half-press shutter for focusing
The camera power up pretty fast
Buttons are responsive and provide good feedback
USB power support during shooting
Micro HDMI 4:2:2 10 bit clean output for 4K video recording
3.5mm stereo microphone jack
no internal stabilization (neither optical nor digital)
fixed F4 aperture
slowest shutter speed at 1/4 second
no level indicator
minimum focus distance at 50 cm
no built-in timelapse
no touch screen
the menu is not optimized for such a small screen
120p/100p video recording is only available in 1280×720, not 1920×1080
Camera overheating (less than 20 minutes of video recording) in room temperature, when ‘Auto Power Off Temperature’ set to ‘Standard’;
Body and Design
Sony RX0 is made of duralumin which gives a rock-solid premium feel. It is waterproof (10 m under the water with an IPX8 rating), 2 m shockproof, and crushproof up to 2000N.
Sony RX0 – Front View
Sony RX0 features a fixed F4 Zeiss Tessar 24 mm lens with the Zeiss T* coating. In front of it is the protecting glass panel and two microphones ports.
Sony RX0 – Top View
On top of the RX0 is a power button and a shutter button. The shutter button allows half-press for focusing, which is impressive for such a mini camera. There is a small microphone in between the buttons.
Sony RX0 – Left View
The left side has a blue Zeiss badge and a hole for the wrist strap.
Sony RX0 – Right View
The right side is the battery compartment. The latch is tight, and the compartment door bounces up vigorously when released.
Sony RX0 – Back View
The back has a 1.5-inch LCD screen with a few buttons. The left arrow and dot buttons are customizable. The buttons have good tactile feedback with adequate spacing in between. However, you might have difficulty pressing the buttons if you are wearing thick gloves.
The Ports
On the left side, there is a removable compartment door for extra ports. The compartment door uses the same latch mechanism as the battery compartment. However, it attaches to the camera body with a tiny plastic string. You only need a bit of strength to pull it out, and you will see the ports residing inside.
Sony RX0 – Ports Compartment
There is a micro-SD slot, a micro-HDMI port, a micro-USB port, and a 3.5 mm microphone jack! It is surprising to see the microphone jack on such a mini Sony RX0. Even its larger Sony RX100 VI brother also does not offer the microphone jack.
The micro-SD card slot does not have any dummy-proof insertion. Please take note that the micro-SD card chips shall be facing to the LCD screen.
Sony RX0 – External Cable Protector
You can mount a protector to the ports compartment if you connect any cable to the external device. It prevents the cable from accidentally being pulled and damages the camera.
Sony RX0 – Bottom View
The bottom offers a standard 1/4-inch metal tripod mount hole. It is not something common on a compact camera like this. Thumbs up for the Sony RX0!
Although Sony RX0 is barely a wireless earpiece box size, it is packed with a surprising number of useful ports, buttons, and an LCD screen. The single-piece duralumin body has a smooth, cold, and rigid feel but is light in weight. It seems built to last and withhold the rough use in the tough environment.
Camera Performance
ISO Performance
Raw
I crop the RAW samples for ISO comparison as shown below.
ISO125
ISO200
ISO400
ISO800
ISO1600
ISO3200
ISO6400
ISO12800
The ISO125 to ISO800 shots are clean and clear. ISO1600 and ISO3200 shots are noisier but still retain a good amount of details. ISO6400 shot starts to show color noise, but the details still retain well. ISO12800 color noise is pretty significant and has lost quite an amount of details.
JPEG
As shown below, I crop the straight out of camera (OOC) JPEG samples for ISO comparison.
ISO125
ISO200
ISO400
ISO800
ISO1600
ISO3200
ISO6400
ISO12800
The ISO125 to ISO800 shots are clean and clear. ISO1600 and ISO3200 shots are noisier but still retain a good amount of details. ISO6400 shot is barely usable, and the ISO12800 OOC is quite soft and lost most of the details in the shots.
Let’s see some high ISO shots (ISO2000 or above) below. I apply noise reduction in the Capture One 21 Pro with minor adjustments (e.g., exposure adjustments, cropping, etc.)
I’m happy with the high ISO shot quality after applying the noise reduction in post-processing. It is definitely not comparable to any latest-generation APS-C camera. However, if you are satisfied with the Sony RX100 outputs, you will not be disappointed with the Sony RX0 shots.
AF Performance
The Sony RX0 provides single-shot AF and manual focus when shooting still. The Sony RX0 AF performance reminds me of the Sony RX100 IV, the 25 contrast detection only AF points, 16 fps with AF and AE locked on first shot.
I take the shots below in a cafe, which is a pretty dark environment.
Generally, Sony RX0 focuses pretty fast and accurately in good lighting. However, the AF performance at night is hit-or-miss.
When doing video recording, only “preset focus” and “manual focus” are available. In preset focus mode, you may activate the ‘Near’ option to focus anything from 0.5 m to 1 m. Otherwise, Sony RX0 will focus on anything beyond 1 m.
Dynamic Range
The dynamic range of the Sony RX0 15.3 MP Exmor RS sensor is impressively good at 12.4 EV although it is a 1-inch sensor only.
To enjoy the high dynamic range, we have to shoot in RAW. Let’s check out the dynamic range comparison between the RAW and JPEG from the two sample sets below.
JPEG Edited
RAW Edited
JPEG Edited
RAW Edited
Sony RX0 RAW files preserve an amazing amount of details in both the highlight and shadow areas. As shown above, I can dramatically pull back the overexposed highlight details and bring up the shadow details from the RAW files.
Lens Performance
Sharpness
Full Size Sample Image
Sony RX0 only has one aperture at F4. It means there is no optimal sharpness at any specific aperture. I crop the center and bottom-left areas to test the sharpness.
Center
Center Sharpness
The center area is sharp and shows a significant amount of details.
Corner
Corner Sharpness
The corner sharpness is good too.
Overall, Sony RX0 offers good sharpness from corner to corner. Due to the 1-inch sensor size, the DoF is depth enough to cover foreground and background without losing the sharpness.
Chromatic Aberration
Full Size Sample Image
I crop the center and the top-right corner high contrast area to examine the CA handling.
Center
Center CA
Sony RX0 controls the CA nicely in the center area. No visible CA is spotted.
Corner
Corner CA
There is noticable purple and magenta CA in the corner area. Luckily, we can fix it in post-processing easily.
Distortion
Before Correction
After Correction
The barrel distortion is significant. Turn on the distortion compensation in the camera could correct it properly.
Flare and Ghosting
Sony RX0 Zeiss T* coating controls the flare pretty well. There is no irritating flare across the frame.
Shooting Experiences
The Sony RX0 is the smallest and most compact 1-inch sensor camera I have ever seen and used. The build is rock solid, and it’s so compact and convenient to bring along anytime, anywhere!
Using the Sony RX0 in a restaurant keeps me low-profile. It is quick to take out, take a few snapshots, and put it back into my bag. However, I wish it could reduce the minimum focus distance from 50 cm to somewhere like 20 cm or even closer. 50 cm is somehow an awkward distance for food photography.
Now talk about some shortfalls of the Sony RX0. The first thing I want to highlight is the slowest shutter speed of 1/4 second. Why is there such a limitation on the slowest shutter speed imposed on the Sony RX0?
It eliminates the possibility of long exposure photography, which is a pity for such a gem!
The Sony RX0 does not support any stabilizing, neither optical nor digital. It is almost impossible to get stable video recording footage without the gimbal. The video recording in the standard ‘Auto Power Off Temperature’ mode results in overheating within 20 minutes in an air-conditioned room. Changing the settings to ‘High’ would get over 1 hour of filming time before the battery is drained.
A camera with such a compact size is a perfect candidate for time-lapse photography. Unfortunately, Sony RX0 does not natively support timelapse options like its 3rd generation a7 brothers or the new Sony RX100 VI. What a waste!
I enjoy shooting using the Sony RX0. It became one of my daily cameras without any hesitation.
Bottom Line
Sony RX0 is a creative, capable, and compact mini camera. It packs a similar image quality sensor as the Sony RX100 series in a much smaller and solid camera body.
However, the compact body restricts its capabilities, like the 50 cm minimum focus distance, overheating, and lack of image stabilization. Besides, some features might be enhanced through future firmware updates, e.g., the timelapse function and the longer shutter speed.
Overall, it is a powerful tiny camera with a big room for improvement. Is it a replacement for GoPro? No, Sony RX0 is targeting a different area. It is a solid-built mini camera with excellent image quality, allowing you to use it in unusual places that a normal camera cannot achieve, such as a glass with water, a washing machine, a tank, etc.
That’s all for the Sony RX0 review. I hope you enjoy it and happy shooting!
5 Aug 2020
Review – Sony RX100 V
Introduction
Sony RX100 V
The RX100 series is well-known for its 1-inch image sensor, high-quality fixed Zeiss zoom lens, and numerous features packed in a well-built compact body since it was first introduced in 2012. In 2016, the fifth-generation Sony RX100 V was introduced with incredible AF and buffer size and improved over the predecessors. Let’s have a look at it now!
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11 Jun 2017
Review: Sony A7S II
Forewords
It was the first post in 2016. I have been working hard to bring a new and fresh look to this website. The camera/lens review will focus on ‘more shots, fewer words’ from this Sony A7S II review onward. I hope you like the new changes 😉
Introduction
When the original Sony A7S came out, it impressed many of us with its amazing low light capability. Sony had introduced the 2nd generation of the A7 series, which is well known for the powerful 5-axis image stabilizer. Let’s check out how the Sony A7S II performs with the combination of a powerful 5-axis image stabilizer.
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24 Jan 2016
Sony A7 II Hands-on Review
I appreciate your patience in waiting for my Sony A7 II hands-on review. I will give a quick view and impression about the new Sony A7 II that I was trying with the Zeiss Sonnar SEL55F18Z and the SEL2870 kit lens during the 30 minutes hands-on session 😉
Sony A7 MK II with Zeiss SEL55F18Z
We get a larger grip on the Sony A7 II than its predecessor.
Larger Grip
The shutter button and front dial are reallocated to the front of the grip. The new shutter button, front dial, and larger grip give a more natural and more comfortable experience overall. The Sony A7 II replaces the first-generation Sony A7original shutter location with two customizable buttons (C1 and C2).
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13 Dec 2014
Sony A7 MK II South East Asia Launch Event
Sony Singapore hSony Singapore holds a Southeast Asia (SEA) launch event for its new Sony A7 II on 11 December 2014 at Garden by the Bay. The new Sony A7 II is currently hot stuff because it is not only a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC), but it has integrated the 5-axis in-camera body image stabilizer we had seen in the Olympus EM-1 and EM-5.
Sony A7 II Launch Event
The event had the conference session as usual, and Sony Singapore also prepared enough Sony A7 II for all of us to try out in the Flower Dome. I split the event into two posts. The first post is about the conference press and a quick view of the underdevelopment sample FE lenses. The second post is the Sony A7 II hands-on review (I need some time to filter the photos and write the review, too 😉 ).
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12 Dec 2014
Sony Alpha A7S Hands-On Session With Den Lennie
Sony Singapore organized a hands-on session for its new Sony Alpha A7S on Monday, 25 Jun 2014, at Sony Store at 313 Somerset Singapore. I’m so glad to be invited to participate in this event with many other professional photographers and photography amateurs. The most important thing is, the host of this hands-on session is the famous Den Lennie!
Sony A7 Series Cameras and 5 FE Lenses
It is an honor to have Den Lennie as the A7S hands-on session host. Den Lennie is an industry expert who has played as a producer, director, colorist, director of photography, and lighting cameraman. He shared his valuable insight into the Sony Alpha A7S during the hands-on session.
Den Lennie
The New Sony A7S
The new Sony Alpha A7S “S” represents the high sensitivity. It is the sales point of this latest full-frame camera. It is capable of shooting from ISO 50 to an unbelievable ISO 409600, yes, 400K of ISO!
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26 Jun 2014
Review: Sony E-mount Lens SEL50F18
It has been more than half a year since my last lens review. Finally, I’m not that insanely busy recently to take some free time for lens review. Which lens is going to be reviewed this time? It is the old but excellent prime lens, the Sony E-mount SEL50F18.
Introduction
SEL50F18
As we know, every camera manufacturer will have a legendary 50 mm prime lens for their cameras. It is usually the cheapest and has excellent optical performance among all the available lenses. So does this apply to the Sony E-mount SEL50F18 as well? Let’s read more about this lens from the following review.
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23 Jun 2014
Photography Tips: Shooting in Aquarium
After visiting the SEA Aquarium and having an extensive collection of shootings (over 500+), I have some thoughts about shooting in the aquarium to share with you guys.
1. Bring an Extra Battery or Two
If you never or rarely visit the aquarium, it is very easy to over-shoot. You may have multiples shots for each scene to ensure that you have at least one or few good shots for that scene. I almost used up two fully charged batteries throughout the tour. Each of them lasts for around 300 shots.
2. Use a Lens with Wide-Angle Focal Length and Large Aperture
Focal length between 24 and 50 mm (in 35 mm equivalence) is recommended because they have a wider angle of view and allow you to shoot closer to your subject. A larger aperture allows more light so that you do not need to bump up too much ISO. Be careful here, large apertures like F2, F1.8, and any smaller F values, will have a tiny part of the subject in focus. I used the Sony SEL24F18Z and kept my aperture between F2.8 and F5.6 to get enough DoF while having a large enough aperture to maintain a lower ISO.
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18 Dec 2013
Review: Sony E-mount Lens SELP1650
Introduction
The Sony SELP1650 is the new kit lens with the new NEX cameras like the NEX-5R, NEX-6, and NEX-3N. It has a filter size of 40.5 mm, and it allows us to us a filter on it easily.
SELP1650 – Attached on Sony Alpha NEX-6
The Sony SELP1650 covers a 24mm – 75mm focal length in 35mm equivalent which is enough for the basic daily shooting. The maximum apertures are F3.5 and F5.6, and the minimum focus distances are at 25 cm and 30 cm on the wide-angle and telephoto side, respectively. It comes with the power zoom feature, which provides highly smooth zooming during the video recording. A focus/zoom ring is found at the front of the lens, it is smooth to turn, and there is no endpoint to stop turning the focus/zoom ring; it also has a built-in OSS, which is great and powerful for low light shooting or video recording.
This lens is retractable like a point-and-shoot camera. When the camera is powered on, this lens will need a few seconds to extend itself before being ready to use. It collapses itself when it is not in use, and the height is only around 3 cm! It’s so compact and looks like a pancake lens. It makes the NEX camera more compact and portable without having a cheap feel. However, the lens is criticized for its fish-eye-effect-like barrel distortion on the wide-angle side before being officially available on the market. So how is its optical performance? Is it worth your money to buy it for the compactness? Let’s look at the following review.
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20 Sep 2013