Sony release RX100 mark VI

snerkler

For an eye watering £1149 (in stores). That's not a typo, yes £1149 Would anyone pay this for a 1" type compact camera? I guess some people must do It's got a more usable zoom, but noticeably slower than previous models (f2.8-4.5 vs f1.8-2.8), I wonder how quickly it stops down from f2.8?

Sony RX100 VI - broad zoom range and super-fast AF

AMc

It looks very impressive - 24fps for 233 shots for instance.  
There's a lot there to like but at that price it will never be in my pocket.
After the demise of my Fuji XF1 I've resigned myself that the phone is the one camera I'll always carry in my pocket.

Johnmcl7

Dpreview have an image showing the focal length drop off:

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI: What you need to know

I'm surprised they've called this the mk6 rather than offering it an alternative version to the main RX100 as the lens zoom significantly changes the camera's balance of capabilities.  That said I still think it's a sensible addition to the RX100 series as I don't think there's much they can add to the existing model at the moment although I'll be sticking with my mk4 as F1.8 at 24mm is much more important to me for general purpose use.

John

snerkler

Thanks for this. The drop off is more gradual than previous gens, but obviously you've lost over a stop of light from the get go. The drop off on the G7x-II is impressive though, not hitting f2.8 until over 50mm eq whereas the Sony RX100-IV reaches f2.8 before 35mm eq

rancidpunk

They've packed a lot in, but I'm not sure the extra reach is worth it with the compromise of a slower lens. Mk 7 will be aiming at Leica at this rate.

Johnmcl7

I can see some of the logic in the decision particularly as the RX10 series did the same with the mk3 opting for a longer, slower lens and a bump in price with the mk4 a staggering increase up to £1800 plus this gives Sony something to rival the longer Panasonic TZ cameras.  I was out a bike ride last night and didn't need low light but would have found a little zoom range handy which got me thinking would it be handy to have a camera like this on days when I don't need low light.

However that cost is just ridiculous, there's no way I could justify that as a second camera and while the mk4 wasn't cheap I knew it's a camera I'd get a lot of use out of it.  I am wondering now if I could give the TZ200 a go although I'm all over the place as I've also been considering an RX10mk4 as a do it all single camera, or an a6500/18-200...or an A7m3/A7R2 24-240mm....

John

newbie1

It’s not for the type of pictures I take with a compact, for that the mark iii is still working well.

AMc

Kai seems to like it - but then if I got flown to Venice to play with one I'd be quite happy too

topgazza

I still use my Mk1. I still think its a remarkable camera that takes beautiful colour shots and produces pin sharp images. Never really felt the urge to replace it with the ever more expensive updates for small gains IMO.

I'd still go for the Lumix TZ100 for over half the price

Johnmcl7

I only upgraded my mk1 because I wanted the 1000fps slow motion on the mk4 although the NFC wifi is certainly handy but I agree with you about the mk1 and wouldn't have upgraded if the newer one didn't have slow motion.  I was actually thinking I'd be a lot more interesting in a long lens version of the RX100 Mk1 or Mk2 for under £500 than I am on the mk6 for £1200.

DPR have a spec by spec comparison against the Panasonics (I was hoping for something a little more detailed):

Sony RX100 VI vs Panasonic ZS200 vs Panasonic ZS100: which is the best travel companion?

The Sony clearly is impressive but I can't justify that cost for a camera that would be additional to my mk4.

I've been toying with a different all in one solution as currently my first choice is the D750 with the 28-300mm but on a trip away for a few days recently I opted for the smaller Nex-6 with the 18-200mm instead primarily because it can do video as well plus the 16-50mm gives a more compact option.  I've never been that keen on that setup though so I've been thinking about an RX10mk4 which while pricey seems a superb all in one package although I've never liked the RX10mk2, that's partially down to the zoom range  being more limited than the 28-300mm or 18-200mm though.  

After reading about the RX100VI I'm now wondering if I should consider the TZ100 or TZ200 instead of any of the above options.

John