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What do you get when you merge a petite, rugged act cam with a Sony RX100 advanced compact? Very likely something a lot like the Sony RX0. On Aug. 31, Sony introduced the Cyber-shot RX0, a waterproof camera that uses the company’s popular 1-inch Exmor sensor for high-resolution photo and movie capture. The RX0 has a immobile lens, and it’s designed for multi-camera setups. It has been a while since Sony updated its rugged point-and-shoot and Act Cam lineups, but Sony said the RX0 is neither. Instead, it is a fresh type of camera that’s designed for a fresh generation of creative filmmakers, combining key elements from various camera categories and use cases.
Powered by the same stacked Exmor RS CMOS 1-inch sensor and Bionz X processor that’s behind Sony’s advanced cameras, like the RX100 V and RX10 II, the RX0’s bod resemble that of an act camera. That little boxy bod, however, weighs only Trio.9 ounces and measures just Two.38 inches at the widest point. Its weatherproof attributes, however, are more in-line with rugged point-and-shoots: The RX0 is waterproof (down to thirty three feet), crushproof, and shockproof (from 6.Five feet), and weather-sealed to protect it against dust.
The 15.3-megapixel sensor features Sony’s stacked technology for swifter speeds and improved low-light capture. Due to the puny form-factor, it accommodates a immobile, 24mm Zeiss Tessar T* wide-angle camera lens with a constant f/Four aperture — more Sony Act Cam than RX-series, but minus the distortion and fisheye effects you normally get from an act camera.
The RX0’s autofocus system, however, functions more like those in regular camera. It offers a single-shot autofocus mode, manual concentrate, and a preset concentrate, all using a 25-point contrast detection autofocus system.
For still photos, if the concentrate and exposure is locked on the very first framework, the RX0 can shoot as rapid as sixteen frames per 2nd (fps). For other shots, the camera can manage Five.Five fps. Shutter speed ranges from 1/Four to 1/32,000, using an electronic shutter designed to eliminate the rolling shutter distortion in rapid act.
The camera includes utter manual mode and programmed auto for both photos and movie, as well as a handful of full-auto modes. Aperture priority and shutter priority mode are missing, but that’s not surprising considering you can’t adjust the aperture anyway. The camera can shoot RAW files in addition to JPEG, making it more advanced than most act and point-and-shoot cameras.
For movie — the primary purpose of this camera — the RX0 can shoot Utter HD at sixty fps. While 4K is supported via a clean HDMI output, you will need to use an outward recording system. Other advanced movie features include S-Log2 picture profile. The RX0 can also shoot slow motility with framework rates up to nine hundred sixty fps — made possible in part by the stacked sensor and processor. But like an activity cam, there’s no optical stabilization system.
Sony says numerous RX0s can be rigged together to create “bullet-time” effects (like in The Matrix). Sony’s existing PlayMemories app can control up to five RX0s at once, while the FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander can control up to 15. Sony says they are working on a camera control box and updated firmware specifically for creating multi-camera setups, with both expected to launch around January 2018.
The RX0 is launching with a number of accessories, including a box with thirty five screw crevices for adding extra accessories (like that outer 4K recording equipment), housing to take the camera deeper underwater, and a filter adapter kit that permits the camera to use filters and lens fetish masks.
As you can tell, the RX0 is a bit of an oddball that mixes features from many different Sony cameras. But it’s truly neither an alternative for any camera that’s presently in the market. It has the makings of a niche camera, but from an engineering standpoint, it’s another feat for Sony, as it managed to squeeze a large sensor inwards a compact camera (and we thought the RX100-series is puny enough).
The RX0 is priced at $700, with availability in October. That’s $300 more than GoPro’s flagship, but it’s $300 less than the RX100 V. The RX100 V is likely still Sony’s reigning champ with more megapixels, zoom lens, and adjustable, brighter aperture, but if you can’t determine inbetween a compact camera and an act camera for your movie workflow, the RX10 shows up to mix the best of both worlds.