Not everyone wants to carry around a large DSLR or mirrorless camera. And while the smartphone in your pocket takes decent photos, you’ll still be much better off with a dedicated compact shooter.
A top option is the Sony RX100 III, which has a one-inch, 20.1-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, which is a fair bit larger than what you find on most other compact cameras in this price range.
The camera’s Bionz X processor allows for ISO sensitivity ranging from 125 to 12,800, or up to 25,600 in noise reduction mode. The Sony has a 24-70mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.8 to f/2.8 Carl Zeiss lens, with a 2.9x digital zoom and 11x digital zoom at the full 20-megapixel resolution.
Although this camera’s telephoto capabilities are limited, the wide 24mm view will be appreciated when shooting in small spaces, or for street photographers who want to capture wide images.
On the back you will find an integrated electronic viewfinder and a three-inch display, which isn’t a touchscreen but can be flipped upwards by 180 degrees, so you can easily frame selfies or record yourself.
Speaking of video, the RX100 III can shoot at up to Full HD 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, and although 4K video isn’t possible, there is a mode for outputting 4K still images so they look their best when displayed on a 4K TV using an HDMI cable.
The autofocus system features lock-on autofocus to keep moving subjects pin-sharp, and eye autofocus for automatically sharpening the subject’s face when taking a portrait.
Like its predecessor, the RX100 III has Wi-Fi for connecting to smartphones and tablets, then using the Sony Playmemories app to transfer images. There’s also NFC for quick pairing with compatible handsets.
Sony claims the battery is good for approximately 320 shots or 160 minutes of using the display to frame your photos. That drops to 230 images and 115 minutes if using the electronic viewfinder.
The camera weighs 290g and measures 102 x 58 x 41mm.
Check out the best Sony RX100 III deals below:
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