Sony has announced the new Cyber-shot RX10 III, which comes loaded with features such as the 25x optical zoom and image stabilization.
The camera's sensor is a 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS, which can capture 20.1 megapixels snaps and shoot 4K video.
Photography enthusiasts will enjoy the versatility of the camera, as the 24-600 mm of the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens is capable of delivering varying degrees of zooming. The nine-blade aperture can be stopped down at F11, with a high point of F 2.4-4.
A note on the lens: they contain eight ED glass sections, one of which is a super ED glass element, two are ED aspherical lenses and five are ED glass elements. Thanks to the Zeiss T coating, the lenses manifest very little flares or ghosting artifacts. What is more, the technical construction of the Zeiss T allows for a vivid color reproduction.
Because of its built-in optical image stabilization and minimum focusing distance 2.36 feet, the Sony RX10 III is adept at delivering macro photos of high sharpness, which can make a great impact on the viewer.
Sony touts that the in-house Optical SteadyShot system gives way to 4.5 stops of stabilization.
The response time of the autofocus is 0.09 seconds, and with 25 AF points, this makes the camera one reliable and quick gadget.
RX10 III's sensor is back-illuminated and can hit a range between ISO 64 and ISO 12,800. When looking at the shutter, its maximum speed is at 1/32,000 seconds.
Video enthusiasts will be pleased to know that Sony's camera can record slow-mo videos at 960 fps. Thanks to its DRAM chip that works in tandem with the Bionz X processor, the RX10 III can capture high-resolution footage at 14 fps.
A great plus for the camera is that the 4K video recording capability is not pixel binned. This means that the video file is actually shot at roughly the sensor's resolution, and then scaled down to 4K.
Rumors about Sony implementing 4K video recording capabilities in its cameras emerged during the summer of 2015.
Sony fans will also find that the camera also holsters microphone and headphone input. A number of video features come to support the video-making capabilities of the RX10 III: owners of the device will be able to toy with such things as S-Log2/S-Gamut, Picture Profile, Time Code and Gamma Display Assist.
The manufacturer designed the camera to be moisture and dust repellant, and equipped it with both NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity measures.
You will be able to purchase it in stores this May, at a price tag of approximately $1,500. Why so expensive, you ask?
"The new RX10 III offers a true 'all in one' package that will appeal to a wide range of amateur, hobbyist and professional photographers and videographers," says Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics Neal Manowitz.
The main selling point of the RX10 III appears to be its versatility. Having many features in a rather tiny volume and weight makes the device a perfect partner for a more role-dedicated DSLR camera that a professional photographer would use.
