Sony finally notices that people like small cameras, releases RX1R III

[MrSMW]

7 hours ago, ntblowz said:

Man all the recently released camera price have gone through the roof, I guess this will be the new norm

Buy used and let some other mug take the hit!

I do sometimes buy new myself, but I’d estimate that 75-80% of all my purchases (cameras and lenses) in the last 5 years have been used.

This new release does seem VERY overpriced that and possibly a bit speculative of them as the old model is trading quite high?

[Davide DB]

Its lens hood is just 198 USD

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/907015-REG/Sony_LHP_1_Lens_Hood.html

 

[eatstoomuchjam]

47 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

Its lens hood is just 198 USD

 

I was going to say that's a crazy markup for about $0.10 in plastic, but then I saw that beautiful cloth bag that is included and it all made sense.  🤣

[Davide DB]

Just now, eatstoomuchjam said:

I was going to say that's a crazy markup for about $0.10 in plastic, but then I saw that beautiful cloth bag that is included and it all made sense.  🤣

And most importantly it has a "MADE IN JAPAN" marking on its side 😉

An artisan next to Hattori Hanzo's shop makes it by hand.

[MrSMW]

3 hours ago, Davide DB said:

And most importantly it has a "MADE IN JAPAN" marking on its side 😉

An artisan next to Hattori Hanzo's shop makes it by hand.

Right, is it the hood or the bag that is made in Japan, because if it’s not both, I’m not interested as I prefer cloth and plastic from Japan and find similar items from countries such as China, Vietnam, Thailand etc, to be far inferior with their shitty cloth and plastics.

I’d pay no more than $195-197.

 

[Andrew Reid]

22 hours ago, ntblowz said:

Man all the recently released camera price have gone through the roof, I guess this will be the new norm

After all the social media shilling of the last 10 years maybe Sony want to see if they now have the brand power to pull off Leica level mark-up (without the German bits) and enter the luxury goods business.

[maxJ4380]

Awesome.. a new market opportunity opening up, for buying cheap plastic lens caps and grinding RX1R III into it with the dremel. Obviously i couldn't sell them too cheap as one of the smarter cookies might smell something fishy going on...  

[EduPortas]

On 7/15/2025 at 10:20 AM, MrSMW said:

The Nikon Zf on the other hand is hands down the best shooting experience stills camera I have ever owned...and I have had dozens.

Just out of curiosity, did you by any chance ever shoot with the older Nikon DF?

Seems it was a banger for stills.

[EduPortas]

On 7/17/2025 at 2:26 PM, Andrew Reid said:

After all the social media shilling of the last 10 years maybe Sony want to see if they now have the brand power to pull off Leica level mark-up (without the German bits) and enter the luxury goods business.

I think they saw the high prices the previous RX1 models go for after 10 or more years.

As for a electronic tech goes, the RX1 line has held up like no other tech out there, maybe only surpassed by the Digital Bolex videocam and the Fujifil X100 line in this regard.

Other than those two outliers, I can't find any other old or very old digital cameras that still garner such high prices relative to their age. 

So Sony saw that and the recent compact camera fad and thought that they were leaving a ton of cash on the table.

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, EduPortas said:

Just out of curiosity, did you by any chance ever shoot with the older Nikon DF?

Seems it was a banger for stills.

I didn’t actually but did same sensor cameras which would have been D3/D700 or something of that era because I was all Nikon back then.

I am getting curious about the Sigma BF now…but must resist, must resist, must resist…

[Andrew Reid]

Same sensor as the Nikon D4.

I had a play with the Sigma BF recently, and the controls are quite frankly batshit.

I came away a bit underwhelmed and it's definitely not an intuitive camera when you first pick one up. Some very strange decisions by Sigma going on with it.

It does look pretty though.

[Andrew Reid]

6 hours ago, EduPortas said:

I think they saw the high prices the previous RX1 models go for after 10 or more years.

Not too bad...

RX1 OG: 700 euros used

RX1R: 900 euros

RX1R II: 2000+ euros

The Mark II price is only going to stay high and may even go up as it has features the Mark III removes such as the articulated screen, oops. The old pop-up EVF is more premium and funky too.

I think the hiatus was about protecting E-mount, as for some people a fast 35mm is all you need, and the return is about trying to out-Leica Leica on profit margins. Sony are a very numbers driven company.

I have always liked the RX1 series as it was one of the very few options if you wanted a full frame sensor and beautiful fast 35mm Zeiss lens matched to the sensor, in an overall package that is smaller than even Micro Four Thirds.

Hands down one of the best compact cameras ever made... the Contax T3 of our times.

The successor was never going to be cheap, but the price escalation in the camera industry really makes me an unhappy customer. I haven't bought a camera "new" for years.

[EduPortas]

11 hours ago, MrSMW said:

I didn’t actually but did same sensor cameras which would have been D3/D700 or something of that era because I was all Nikon back then.

I am getting curious about the Sigma BF now…but must resist, must resist, must resist…

Ahhhh, resist, resist friend LOL

The DF actually used Nikon's D4 sensor. Seems it was very very solid. Those D4 models still go for huge money used.

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, EduPortas said:

Ahhhh, resist, resist friend LOL

The DF actually used Nikon's D4 sensor. Seems it was very very solid. Those D4 models still go for huge money used.

OK, next gen to what I had then!

I probably will resist the BF as I have just downsized my kit and I really don’t want to increase it ever again!

[mercer]

You'll be back to Sony and/or Nikon by the fall. 

[MrSMW]

9 hours ago, mercer said:

You'll be back to Sony and/or Nikon by the fall. 

Would you like to make a gentleman’s wager on that?

If I was going to…and I won’t, it would be more likely Nikon, but I have only made 2 fundamental brand changes in my 25 year career to date:

2000-2011 Nikon

2012-2020 Fuji

2021-… Lumix other than the last 1.5 years when I brought in a single Sony and a single Nikon for stills, now replaced with an additional Lumix, the S1Rii.

Trialled a few Sony’s and Olympus cameras over the last decade or so, but nothing serious.

So nah, unless you know my mind, history and business better than me, I don’t think so!

[ArashM]

On 7/19/2025 at 11:11 PM, mercer said:

You'll be back to Sony and/or Nikon by the fall. 

I'm curious, why do you think that?

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, ArashM said:

I'm curious, why do you think that?

I’m not @mercer (obviously) and not answering that beyond what I said above, but after 3 days shooting with the S1Rii my official review is now available for public consumption below.

It’s fucking superb.

That’s my review.

Indistinguishable image Q to the A7RV and almost indentical handling, ie, excellent, but the Sony does have marginally better AF.

Not quite as ‘fun’ to use as the Zf which for me was the ultimate point & shoot, but as a ‘one stop solution combining the talents of both and within the L Mount family’, fucking superb.

I would be interested in a ‘rangefinderesque’ body a la RX1 line, but no idea if Lumix ever plan on making one 🤷‍♂️

But don’t need one.