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:
Liked this?
- Best Christmas gifts: inspirational present ideas for everyone
- Best Black Friday deals
- Best Cyber Monday deals
- Boxing day sales
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Alistair is a freelance automotive and technology journalist. He has bylines on esteemed sites such as the BBC, Forbes, TechRadar, and of best of all, T3, where he covers topics ranging from classic cars and men's lifestyle, to smart home technology, phones, electric cars, autonomy, Swiss watches, and much more besides. He is an experienced journalist, writing news, features, interviews and product reviews. If that didn't make him busy enough, he is also the co-host of the AutoChat podcast.
-
Quick! This stunning Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker is $200 off, but it'll be gone tomorrow!
The Beolit 20 is one third off right now
By Sam Cross Published
-
This 77-inch LG OLED TV is suddenly even cheaper than its Black Friday price – but only for a few hours
Save an extra $300 on the already heavily-discounted LG OLED C3, but you need to be quick
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Quick! The best Bluetooth speaker won't stay at this Cyber Monday discount price for long
Bang & Olufsen's stellar speaker gets a deal
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
The smart Christmas lights I've wanted for years just dropped to their lowest-ever price
These are a great buy right now
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
This monster 77-inch Samsung OLED TV is less than half price for Cyber Monday – that's crazy!
You can get $1,700 off the Samsung Class S84D OLED at Best Buy right now
By Rik Henderson Published
-
I love this mini retro games console and this big deal makes it the ideal Christmas present
The NeoGeo Mini is a superb buy with £15 off – comes with 40 games and its own screen
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Huge 65-inch LG OLED TV deal drops to lowest-ever price in Amazon deal
You won't find OLED tech this good for a lower price
By Mike Lowe Published
-
Is there a DJI Neo drone deal on Black Friday? Here's what I found
The brand's top-selling dinky drone might not be any cheaper for Black Friday, but there are a ton of exciting DJI offers to choose from
By Matt Kollat Published