Sony RX1003M A Great Camera if You Have a Ph.D.
January 18, 2017
We got this camera in 20150505 and it's currently 20170117.
I'm writing to offer this up in hopes it might be of some benefit to those considering one.
The operating system for the camera is quite complex. Granted, considering I come from a film background, for years having used a top of the line competitor's camera, I learned about f-stops, shutterspeeds, exposure values and ISO and so a jump into the foray of things digital was, for me the second digital camera we owned. The first was a point and shoot. This camera, the Sony RX1003M is hardly a simple point and shoot. The imaging technology is excellent as would be expected however, the operating system is challenging and hardly intuitive at all.
There are many videos on youtube that can be viewed and I suggest watching as many as possible. I suspect other manufacturers have similar problems. It would be useful if Sony had a series of video tutorials on this camera.
The camera as I said is excellent for what its capabilities are.
But if you want to set up the camera using Manual settings be prepared for let's see, using mathematical combinations 10 modes x 118 Menu Items! Meaning if you factor this out there are 118 menu items possible (not in reality) factorial. So for you mathematicians out there, correct me if I'm wrong, that means (118x10)! different possibilities.
Still, all in all the camera is truly amazing considering one eventually begins to grasp its capabilities.
The problem is how to set up the camera with the way one wants to make photographs since it has so many wonderful features. The other problem is recalling exactly where everything is in the event one wishes to 'tinker' with things like shutterspeed, ISO, f-stops and so on.
For example finding the photographer can set up the 'control ring' which can be set to govern f-stops or aperture and other things is a challenge.
Finding that the Menu button brings up icons like the Gear icon and then on page 4 of the Gear icon, finding Custom Key settings and then clicking on Shutter Speed gives the photographer the option to select it, or Aperture or Creative Style (I thought Creativity was in the eye of the photographer).
But given the complexity of choices and how much is possible with this camera at best it is a challenge for users to remember all it is capable of doing.
Clearly the developers are attempting to appeal to as many markets as possible. It should appeal to those who are familiar with the Sony product line and also to very advanced digital photographers.
All in all this is an excellent camera. The technology is first rate. The camera feels solid and seems responsive and yet it is light and appealing to me and would seem the ideal camera to carry around. It's WiFi abilities are amazing. But again, this requires considerable tinkering once the cell phone operating system is aligned with its Sony Play Memories software, which can be put on the phone, desktop or tablet in accordance with the operating system. My experience was with the Android system on the HTC 626 Desire Cell Phone. The ability to turn the phone into a WiFi hot spot the phone can recognize was somewhat challenging but do-able.
The camera's logic seems convoluted and deviates from historical film photography with its many nuances. It is a great camera if you need one to carry around with great still and movie capabilities. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time learning your way around the ropes. Perhaps upwards of 1000 hours. At least that was my experience. And consider this. My view is based on my experience as an amateur. Pros no doubt will have their opinions. Considering all the work that went into its design and production, the quality of the electronics and the legendary quality of the Zeiss lens and the machining involved, it is a first rate camera.... Read More
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