Sony RX100 III Shooter’s Report III: SteadyShot, video, flash and more—you asked, we answer!

 

 

Parting, they say, is such sweet sorrow -- and yet part with the Sony RX100 III is what I must do. I've just posted the third and final part of my Sony RX100 III Shooter's Report blog, and it's time for opinions rendered and perhaps a few tears shed. Some cameras are easier than others to give back; suffice to say that the RX100 III is a camera that's hard to let go. But let go I did, if only for long enough to put fingers to keyboard and answer some of your remaining questions -- as well as a few of my own.

First and foremost, I wanted to take a closer look at image stabilization. Just how does the RX100 III's SteadyShot system perform in comparison to those of the RX100 and RX100 II? To get to the answer, I took literally hundreds of handheld photos side-by-side at low shutter speeds, crunched the numbers in Excel, and rendered a verdict on this crucial area of the camera's design.

 

To render a verdict on the Sony RX100 III's image stabilization, I took hundreds of slow-shutter exposures alongside its siblings, then crunched the numbers in Excel.

I also took a look at the RX100 III's flash capabilities, and spent quite some time shooting and comparing high-definition video from the RX-series siblings to determine whether the RX100 III's new video feature set is all it's cracked up to be. And finally, I dove deep into Sony's PlayMemories Camera Apps, as well -- and especially the RX100 III's Smart Remote Control app.

All of which should go quite some way to helping you decide whether the Sony RX100 III deserves a place in your camera bag -- something I've actually been trying to decide for myself. (I'm a proud owner of the original Sony RX100, but its newer sibling seems to have been crafted with me in mind, so I've been mulling an upgrade.)

 

I also cast a critical eye over Sony's PlayMemories Camera Apps, and especially the RX100 III's built-in, Wi-Fi remote shooting functionality, which allows touch autofocus and more.

But now it's time to pack my review unit away, and bit it fond farewell. Can I live without this pocket-friendly beauty, or does the crystal ball show a shiny new Sony RX100 III in my near future? (And should your crystal ball be a mirror of my own?) Read Part III of my Sony RX100 III Shooter's Report, and find out!