Sony has added an upgraded model to its RX line of palm-sized, compact Cyber-shot cameras.
The new RX1R II boasts a high-resolution 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor paired with a large aperture, fixed focal length Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm F2 lens, which have been fine-tuned to optimize performance together.
Sony said the RX1R II features a 30 percent improvement in autofocus response speed compared with the original RX1 models, and is equipped with “the world’s first optical variable low-pass filter that can be set to ‘off,’ ‘standard’ or ‘high’ based on user preference, with low-pass filter bracketing available.”
The camera also has a retractable XGA OLED viewfinder for eye-level shooting, which has been implemented with minimal change in overall body size from its predecessors.
The back-illuminated 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor is paired with a Bionz X processing engine to achieve a sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 25,600, expandable to 50 to 1,024,002, with wide dynamic range. The sensor’s back-illuminated structure, with an expanded circuit scale and copper wiring design, enables faster transmission speed and outputs data approximately 3.5 times faster than the original RX1R, Sony said.
The camera’s fixed-lens design allows the positioning of its sensor and lens to be precisely adjusted. The closer the two components are to one another, the wider the angle through which light can pass through the lens and directly reach the sensor, resulting in imagery that is richer in detail and resolution the company said. Also, unlike the focal plane shutter common to interchangeable lens cameras, RX1R II utilizes an in-lens shutter, allowing 1/2,000-second flash synch speed and a significant reduction in overall body size.
It offers uncompressed 14-bit RAW image capture while also still supporting existing compressed formats.
The RX1R II is the first RX camera to feature fast hybrid autofocus capabilities. The camera’s sensor features 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover about 45 percent of the image area, making for “the world’s widest AF coverage on a full-frame sensor,” Sony said.
It can achieve up to 5 fps continuous shooting with AF tracking. Multiple AF area settings including wide, center and flexible spot and expand flexible spot. The camera also has eye AF and lock-on AF.
The RX1R II will be available in November for about $3,300 at authorized Sony dealers.
