Sony DSC-RX100MIII vs Sony DSCRX10/B

[ams cruiser]

I've been reading threads about different cameras with great interest, and would like to get opinions about which of the these two Sony cameras I should purchase based on the following.

 

Experience with cameras:

 

None, other than point-and-shoots and my iPhone, so I am looking for a Point-and-Shoot that will take good pictures on automatic settings. (I am certainly open to learning more about manual settings down the road, but would like a camera that I can use right away, without a steep learning curve.)

 

Kinds of pictures I like to take:

 

People - family members, friends, etc. (not random strangers!) both indoors and outdoors

 

Scenery - my husband spends a fair amount of time on a boat on the San Francisco Bay, and so there are lot of opportunities for sunsets, bridge shots, cityscapes, and the occasional marine mammal. Also, annually special events like the Blue Angels, and (once even the America's Cup!)

 

Food - to capture memorable meals in restaurants

 

Our dog - my favorite subject!

 

Upcoming vacations:

 

1) Grand Canyon

2) Alaska cruise

 

My thoughts:

 

One of the appealing things about the RX100Miii is its size. It came highly recommended by a friend, a very experienced amateur photographer, who says it is his "go-to" camera when he is not using one of his DSLR's, and that he has taken beautiful pictures using automatic settings.

 

The main reason I am considering the RX10 is for the xoom (24-200mm) vs. (24-70mm) on the Rx100iii,

 

The RX10 weighs 1.79 lbs and the RX100Miii weights .64 lbs, and is more compact.

 

The price of both cameras is the same, although both are temporarily out of stock at Amazon. (I'm not sure why. Hope it's not because they are being discontinued.)

 

I really like the idea of the more compact camera, but also really like the longer zoom on the RX10.

 

There are some websites I have found that compare the two cameras and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each, but some of the discussion is technical, so it's not clear to me how important each factor is.

 

Oh, and video is not something that I would use a lot on either camera.

 

The question:

 

I realize that the main factor that determines that quality of any photo is most likely the skill of the person taking the pictures. That being said, I would love some advice about which camera might best suit my needs.

 

Thank you, in advance, for your opinions!

Edited August 5, 2016 by ams cruiser
grammar

[havoc315]

They essentially use the same sensor and produce the same image quality.

The rx100, when used at wide angle particularly, has a slightly faster lens (that means it lets in more light, so it's slightly better in low light).

They have basically the same menus and settings.

 

So it's really just a choice:

Something small and light that can fit in your pocket. It can take great shots of people, great landscapes, etc. But it does not really do telephoto shots-- you won't be photographing eagles and whales in your Alaska cruise with it. But you'll get great landscapes.

Or the rx10 -- medium size and weight. Won't fit in your pocket. But you'll get some telephoto range.

 

So which is more important.... fit in your pocket, easy to carry everywhere, but give up telephoto shooting OR a bulkier camera that you may not want to always carry, but with telephoto range.

 

It's partially a question of how often you want to shoot telephoto. I have a wide variety of lenses. I do shoot telephoto at times, but sometimes I'll go months without even taking the telephoto lenses out of the closet. (only used for sports and wildlife).

[ams cruiser]

They essentially use the same sensor and produce the same image quality.

The rx100, when used at wide angle particularly, has a slightly faster lens (that means it lets in more light, so it's slightly better in low light).

They have basically the same menus and settings.

 

So it's really just a choice:

Something small and light that can fit in your pocket. It can take great shots of people, great landscapes, etc. But it does not really do telephoto shots-- you won't be photographing eagles and whales in your Alaska cruise with it. But you'll get great landscapes.

Or the rx10 -- medium size and weight. Won't fit in your pocket. But you'll get some telephoto range.

 

So which is more important.... fit in your pocket, easy to carry everywhere, but give up telephoto shooting OR a bulkier camera that you may not want to always carry, but with telephoto range.

 

It's partially a question of how often you want to shoot telephoto. I have a wide variety of lenses. I do shoot telephoto at times, but sometimes I'll go months without even taking the telephoto lenses out of the closet. (only used for sports and wildlife).

 

Thank you so much for such a clear and concise analysis! Much easier for me to understand than all of the tech specs comparison charts I was looking at.

 

Based on these criteria, I'm leaning towards the rx100, which I could see being a great option year round. When my son was in high school I did take a lot of sports photos, but not much since then.

[Victress2007]

If you have any type of photography store near you, go in and handle both cameras. Even Best Buy may have them in stock. Just seeing how they feel may make a difference. I'd probably go for the longer lens, but that is me.

 

Have fun with whichever!

 

Vic

[ams cruiser]

If you have any type of photography store near you, go in and handle both cameras. Even Best Buy may have them in stock. Just seeing how they feel may make a difference. I'd probably go for the longer lens, but that is me.

 

Have fun with whichever!

 

Vic

Good suggestion!

 

Spent a couple of hours at a local camera store with a very helpful and patient manager. They didn’t have the rx-10, but was able to see a similar camera to get an idea about size and weight. Finally decided on the rx100iii, which turned out to be the manager's favorite non-DSLR camera. (She had hers strapped on with a cross-body case, and said she takes it everywhere.)

 

Learned something interesting about the apparent shortage of some of the Japanese cameras. Apparently it is related to the earthquake in Japan that damaged the sensor making facility that supplies a lot of the camera manufacturers. The store has had a lot of cameras on order, but just can’t get them in. This has affected online retailers as well, as I just noticed the rx100iii now has a wait time of 1-3 months. I got the last one on the shelf, and they have no idea when they will be able to get more.

 

I can’t wait to start using the camera. My only regret was not having the longer zoom, but my husband took care of that by getting a camera of his own!:eek:

 

Appreciate all of the advice!

[havoc315]

Good suggestion!

 

Spent a couple of hours at a local camera store with a very helpful and patient manager. They didn’t have the rx-10, but was able to see a similar camera to get an idea about size and weight. Finally decided on the rx100iii, which turned out to be the manager's favorite non-DSLR camera. (She had hers strapped on with a cross-body case, and said she takes it everywhere.)

 

Learned something interesting about the apparent shortage of some of the Japanese cameras. Apparently it is related to the earthquake in Japan that damaged the sensor making facility that supplies a lot of the camera manufacturers. The store has had a lot of cameras on order, but just can’t get them in. This has affected online retailers as well, as I just noticed the rx100iii now has a wait time of 1-3 months. I got the last one on the shelf, and they have no idea when they will be able to get more.

 

I can’t wait to start using the camera. My only regret was not having the longer zoom, but my husband took care of that by getting a camera of his own!:eek:

 

Appreciate all of the advice!

 

Congratulations.... It's a great camera. You will miss a few shots due to the lack of zoom, but you'll gain more than you lose, with the great low light capability. All these images were with the original RX100:

 

 

[funnel]

Good suggestion!

 

Spent a couple of hours at a local camera store with a very helpful and patient manager. They didn’t have the rx-10, but was able to see a similar camera to get an idea about size and weight. Finally decided on the rx100iii, which turned out to be the manager's favorite non-DSLR camera. (She had hers strapped on with a cross-body case, and said she takes it everywhere.)

 

A good choice!

I have had mine for 2 years and am still impressed by the picture quality. The fast lens is very nice while taking indoor photos.

I also think you can crop the images a bit as a "digital zoom" without loosing too much quality to compensate for the short reach of the lens. It depends of course of how big prints you are doing of your pictures.

 

/Erik

[c230k]

This is a great half case for your NEW camera. I have one on my Rx100 for the last 2 years, great for protection and helps with the grip.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Gariz-Genuine-Leather-XS-CHRX100M3BK-RX100III/dp/B00LKGWJBG

 

Tom :cool:

[ams cruiser]

Congratulations.... It's a great camera. You will miss a few shots due to the lack of zoom, but you'll gain more than you lose, with the great low light capability. All these images were with the original RX100:

 

 

 

Wow, great pictures! Love the spring training pics, and some of the scenery pics are absolutely stunning!

 

Since I'm a point-and-shoot rank beginner, everything is going to be on automatic settings for awhile. In fact, I'm looking for some good sources (online or books) along the lines of "RX100 for Dummies" to help me navigate the basic functions.

[ams cruiser]

This is a great half case for your NEW camera. I have one on my Rx100 for the last 2 years, great for protection and helps with the grip.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Gariz-Genuine-Leather-XS-CHRX100M3BK-RX100III/dp/B00LKGWJBG

 

Tom :cool:

 

Thanks for the link. It looks like a really good one.

 

What do you do for the top half?

[ams cruiser]

A good choice!

I have had mine for 2 years and am still impressed by the picture quality. The fast lens is very nice while taking indoor photos.

I also think you can crop the images a bit as a "digital zoom" without loosing too much quality to compensate for the short reach of the lens. It depends of course of how big prints you are doing of your pictures.

 

/Erik

 

I am so impressed by the quality of pictures already. And this is just from a few taken in the camera store!

[ams cruiser]

The camera store manager helped me download Sony's PlayMemories app, and I was able to send a picture from my camera to my iPhone.

 

But now that I'm home, I can't do it unless I go through the steps (scanning QR Code) again. Is this something you have to do each time?

[pierces]

Thanks for the link. It looks like a really good one.

 

What do you do for the top half?

 

Since the camera hangs from the lugs at the top, the bottom has the greatest chance of impact. When I got my first SLR ages ago, it came with the "ever-ready" full coverage case. I soon found this to be a "never-ready" case since it was such a pain to un-snap it before taking a picture. I ended up just using the bottom half and throwing the top cover away (as did most everybody). I imagine similar experiences led to the half-case design. :)

 

Dave

[ams cruiser]

Since the camera hangs from the lugs at the top, the bottom has the greatest chance of impact. When I got my first SLR ages ago, it came with the "ever-ready" full coverage case. I soon found this to be a "never-ready" case since it was such a pain to un-snap it before taking a picture. I ended up just using the bottom half and throwing the top cover away (as did most everybody). I imagine similar experiences led to the half-case design. :)

 

Dave

 

Ah, makes sense!