Sony RX1R Review -- First Impressions

by Roger Slavens and Dave Etchells
Posted: 06/27/2013

With the introduction of the new Sony RX1R full-frame compact camera -- a "Special Edition" of the award-winning Sony RX1 full-frame compact camera -- the company has attempted what a few months ago seemed impossible. After all, the combination of the Cyber-shot RX1's exquisite 35mm f/2 Carl Zeiss lens and powerful full-frame sensor captured images that appeared virtually unbeatable in its class.

However, by removing the optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter to maximize per-pixel sharpness and by tweaking the processor a bit, Sony has indeed improved the camera's imaging capabilities far beyond our expectations (see our Image Quality Analysis below). The added red capital "R" in RX1R emblazoned on the front of the camera definitively heralds the new model's purpose: Resolution, Resolution, Resolution.

In all other aspects -- save for the RX1R's upgraded HDMI connection that now supports Sony's Triluminos Color TV technology -- the two cameras are identical. Like its near-twin, the RX1R boasts a 24-megapixel, full-frame sensor and a bright, sharp f/2 lens that are housed in a lightweight and compact, almost-pocketable body. Even the price is the same: a whopping $2,800. (We thought the RX1 was well worth the money; there's little doubt we'll think differently about the RX1R.)

To get a more in-depth sense of what the RX1R offers in terms of features and performance, read our Sony RX1 review. Though we won't be able to reach our final verdict on the Sony RX1R until we get more time with it in the lab and in the field, we expect its results to be very similar -- except for in terms of its image quality, which we examine below.

Sony RX1R Review -- RX1R vs. RX1 Image Quality Analysis

As you may know, we loved the Sony RX1 so much we named it our 2012 Camera of the Year. (In fact, it's one of our favorite cameras we've ever reviewed.) And any claims of improvement to such an awesome photographic tool commanded our full attention.

We were fortunate to get a production version of the Sony RX1R before launch, and we were able to take some initial lab test shots and real-world gallery images to see how the RX1R compared to its sibling. The differences were more astounding than we imagined.

Sony RX1R - Image quality comparisons vs. Sony RX1 at base ISO

Sony RX1 at ISO 100 (above)

Sony RX1R at ISO 100 (above)

We quite honestly weren't expecting to see a dramatic difference in sharpness, given that sharpness improvements in other cameras we've tested that lack low-pass filters were relatively modest. To our surprise, the Sony RX1R was quite significantly sharper, as you can see from the shots above and below.

Sony RX1 at ISO 100 (above)

Sony RX1R at ISO 100 (above)

With a camera this sharp, the depth of field gets awfully small. (Basically, you notice things going slightly out of focus quicker with the increased resolution.) It looks like the circular scale was a bit towards the back of the DOF here, so the sharpness difference isn't quite as noticeable, but it's still there. We were impressed that we didn't see color aliasing artifacts in the very finely-spaced lines on this subject; Sony's image processing seems to do a pretty good job of avoiding color aliasing. It isn't foolproof, but we were surprised to thus far find fewer color artifacts in the RX1R's images than in those from the original model. We want to spend more time looking at moiré and color artifact issues in the RX1R once we have time to do a proper review of it.

While we see a bigger sharpness increase from the removal of the RX1's low-pass filter than we have in other cameras, the difference is at times more subtle.

Sony RX1 (above)

Sony RX1R (above)

In this shot, the differences are probably most readily apparent in the grain of the large knot above the person's left foot, and in the texture of their shoes and shoelaces.

The following comparison shots prove that landscape photographers are definitely going to consider trading in their RX1s for the RX1R. In fact, in our pre-launch briefing Sony confirmed that landscape photographers were likely to be the No. 1 audience for the RX1R.

Sony RX1

Sony RX1R

The difference in sharpness between the two cameras is very evident in this shot. What's especially interesting here is the interaction between the removal of the low-pass and the (likely improved) noise-reduction processing in the rendering of some of the foliage.

Here are a pair of 1:1 detailed crops of the above images that showcase the astonishing difference between the two cameras.

Sony RX1 1:1 crop (above)

Sony RX1R 1:1 crop (above)

Now this is dramatic. Not only is the RX1R image very noticeably sharper, but there's radically more definition in the foliage, from highlights through shadows.

Some of the increased sharpness and definition in these shots could be attributed to improved JPEG production, but we think some of it is also the result of how the increased detail in the RX1R's images interacts with its noise-reduction algorithms.

We've seen this sort of thing very often in digicams that are limited by poor lenses: With lower amounts of fine subject detail in areas of subtle contrast, the noise reduction algorithms tend to assume that the remaining local tonal variations are probably noise, and further smudge what detail remains. There's no question of the lens limiting the RX1's performance here, but the effect of the low-pass filter is much the same. With much more fine detail arriving from the sensor, the RX1R's image processing trusts that what it's seeing is actual subject detail, and so refrains from flattening the foliage into impressionistic blobs.

Whether the result of improved JPEG processing or the increased subject detail causing the NR algorithms to back off, the improvement in rendering is almost startling. The RX1R is a genuinely significant improvement.

A sharper camera is always nice, but conversely the pair of shots below actually illustrate why it may not make as much difference as you'd think to many shooters. As noted earlier, the sharper the camera the shallower the effective depth of field for any given aperture. This means that for three-dimensional objects relatively close to the camera and at reasonable apertures, only a relatively small slice of your subject is going to be in focus enough to take advantage of all that resolution.

Sony RX1 (above)

Sony RX1R (above)

These two images where shot as close to identically as we could manage, but it's tough to find parts of the car similarly in focus between the two. If you already have an RX1, you may want to think twice about the types of subjects you shoot before running out to trade it in for the RX1R. If a lot of your shots are like this (3D objects relatively close to the camera), you'll have to be awfully exacting to put the center of the DOF exactly where you want it, and the 90% or more of your image outside the now-smaller DOF won't gain any benefit from the added sharpness.

Sony RX1R Review -- Initial Conclusion

Despite the fact we've only been able to shoot with the Sony RX1R for a few days, and haven't had a chance to thoroughly test its capabilities, we were frankly wowed by what we saw. By removing the optical low-pass filter, the RX1R delivers considerably more detail and sharpness than the RX1 in a wide variety of shooting situations -- though ultimately we think this Special Edition is likely most ideal for landscape photography. (A fact confirmed by Sony's plans to specifically target this audience.) Other cameras we've reviewed that have removed the low-pass filter to increase sharpness simply haven't displayed such a dramatic difference.

The Sony RX1R may not be as revolutionary as the RX1 was, but it proves that Sony continues to push the boundaries of the image quality that can be attained in such a small, lightweight package. We can't wait to put the RX1R through our full battery of tests to see what else we might find, and we can't wait to see what imaging innovation Sony comes out with next.

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