[Test & Reviews] Sony RX100 III, the ideal compact camera for round-the-world touring – Beginners level

It’s been more than a year since I bought the Sony RX100M3 camera (or RX100 III, Amazon link, Fnac link). It’s been halfway around the world, from the Sahara desert to the glaciers of Iceland through the Canadian forest, it’s time for me to give you a return on this camera, whose quality and size I appreciate.

My level : beginner amateur photographer

First of all, I must point out that I am not a photography enthusiast.

I bought my first Canon EOS 1100D reflex (350€ at the time, 200€ now) for a very practical reason: I was a foster family of cats for an association and to help them to be adopted faster, I needed pretty pictures, that’s all. I took 3 courses at https://www.zoomup.biz/ in Paris (which I highly recommend) to learn how to use this Canon and I really liked the results (more info at the bottom of the article, they didn’t sponsor me I should mention it)

To show you my level, here is the only acceptable picture I could take in manual mode with my Canon. Pssst is Rosalie and she isn’t for adoption.

During the first round-the-world tour, I had to abandon my Canon. We only used my iPhone 5S and JB’s Samsung J3 to take pictures. And you probably noticed it on the blog, the photos are dull, lack contrast, look “burnt” in places and do not reflect reality.

During the 2nd round-the-world trip, while preparing my trip to Egypt (the trip of my life), I told myself that it would be too bad to leave with ugly pictures, while I was trying to promote Egypt, at my scale. That’s how I bought the Sony RX100 III following the advice of Mathieu, a pro photographer and tourdumondist.

And it’s only since I bought the camera and put online the pictures taken by this new camera that I have compliments on our pictures ahahahahahhaa because before, it was too ugly 😀

My selection criteria

Here are the criteria I gave Mathieu to help me choose a device:

1. As small / compact as possible
2. Colors faithful to the place
3. Easy to use : I only have some notions of photography and even with my big Canon reflex, I was often in semi automatic mode with just the aperture to set.
4. 400€ budget

So I don’t spend a fortune on a camera; I don’t spend an eternity taking ONE picture; and I don’t kill myself by wearing it every day.

The candidates

Here are the devices Mathieu recommended to me:

Model	Size	Weight	New price	Used price recorded	Objective
Sony RX100 M3	10,2 x 4,1 x 5cm	290gr	500€ (Amazon link, Fnac link)	400€	24-70mmF1 .8-2.8
Olympus E-M10 Mark II (or E-M5 which is better but more expensive)	11,9 x 4,7 x 10,5cm	390gr	492,97€(Amazon link), 448€ the bare case (Fnac link)	400€	14-42mmF3 .5-5.6
Fuji X100S	12.7 x 5.41 x 7.39c	445gr	1234€ (Amazon link)	424 (Fnac link)	Fixed at 23mm. F2

Clearly, as my size & weight criteria is very important, I immediately opted for the Sony RX100.

Which model of the RX100?

Then, the question is to choose from the 6 RX100 models from I to VI? Knowing that there is 700€ difference between the 1st model and the 6th model

The differences are subtle and aren’t very important for a beginner like me: e.g. from model III on, you go from a 28-100mm lens to a 24-70mm lens.

However, there are some details that speak to me a little more, i.e. from model II, there is a swivel screen (for the selfie); and from model 3, a viewfinder is integrated (it’s cool to have a viewfinder, especially to take a picture of the sun without burning your retina). The 1st model being the lightest (240g), but from the II (280g), we go up by 10g for the following ones.

After thinking about it, I opted for the RX100 M3 (or RX100 III), 20.1 Megapixels

Because I absolutely want the viewfinder. And it’s the cheapest model in the range equipped with a viewfinder. Plus, it meets all my criteria perfectly.

The strong points

The device is very small

290g only, and it can be stored in the pocket. It is as small as my hand (although I have small hands). You can buy the Sony carrying case (27,3€ Amazon link) that goes well with it. It is very discreet and gives less envy to thieves than a huge reflex.

The proof: on the picture on the left, the camera is in the black pouch. On the photo on the right, the camera is in my comforter pocket.

Very good image quality

The camera allows you to take pictures with colors that are true to the place: That’s what I like. You don’t have the impression, as with smartphones, of having a filter, nor duller colors. It’s just exactly what you see in reality.

Easy to use

Easier and you die. Even in a child’s hand (which does not shake too much), you can have beautiful pictures. I really like the i+ mode (Superior Automatic). The camera takes a burst of pictures when necessary and superimposes multiple images. By overlaying the images, the camera records an image with less subject blur and noise.

Just to work a little more, there are pre-designed modes (Macro, Landscape, Portrait, Sunset, Dark etc.). To do this, choose SCN and then scroll through the modes.

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Note: The photo below was taken with the “twilight” mode on the Nile in Egypt. The viewfinder helps me to look at the sun directly for long minutes without crying 🙂

If you want to work harder, you can be in semi-automatic mode (set the aperture only, or only the speed) or switch to 100% manual. You can also save predefined parameters to make the task easier.

400€ budget

The new device costs more but if you buy a second hand one, it’s exactly 400€ that’s my budget.

Features ++

After 1 year of use, not only does it meet my criteria but I appreciate it for features I hadn’t thought of.

• Selfie mode & tilting screen: the screen can betilted so you can take pictures or video without any problem. At the beginning, I didn’t use it too much, but I started to use it more and more, for selfie but also to take pictures very close to the ground, without having to lie down on it

• Very good sound & stabilization OK for videos: it’s only when I start making vlogs that I appreciate the sound quality and the stabilization my camera offers. Videos are in HD.
• Panoramic photo mode: works very well and it is particularly adapted to travelers because it is an essential mode when you are in front of beautiful landscapes or in front of a dream beach. You can take a picture in panoramic mode from left to right, from right to left, from top to bottom, from bottom to top. It’s great!
• Sending photos & videos via Wifi or NFC: the camera transmits files via wifi to the phone, TV or computer. You can transfer everything without cable and choose to compress automatically when sending (or not). This is very useful when travelling, to transfer photos to the smartphone and post them on Instagram for example.
• Robust battery: in Egypt, on our dahabiya, we only had electricity for a few hours a day. It was important to be able to hold all day long. Not only did it really hold all day long (I mainly took the pictures) but also the battery recharges very very quickly (I didn’t really measure it, but 1 hour of recharging is enough).
• Beautiful pictures even when there is a lack of light: Inside the Sainte Sophie in Istanbul, while smartphones only took black pictures, my camera was able to capture exactly the beauty of the place. The same in Cappadocia at 6am.

Weaknesses

display screen

The display screen reflects a little too much light so I have to use the viewfinder when there is too much light.

Moreover, what you see on the display screen is always uglier than the real picture: the colors observed on the screen (or through the viewfinder) have nothing to do with the real pictures taken. Sometimes, I have the impression to have only bad pictures, only to discover, SURPRISE, on the computer that the pictures are super pretty.

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The viewfinder is electronic

Being used to the Canon viewfinder, I discovered with surprise that the Sony viewfinder is electronic. So it’s just a miniature of what we could have seen with the display screen. The rendering is a bit more “fake” but it doesn’t matter, because the features I like are still available through this viewfinder: grid, ruler to stay straight, plus I have the focal length and speed data…

no GPS coordinates

Unfortunately, geolocation data isn’t integrated. This problem was partially solved with the RX100 VI model, with the help of Sony’s PlayMemories program, but not for my old model.

Not strong enough for a camera serial-killer

I’m a killer of smartphones, computers, cameras… because I don’t take care of them at all. I consider them as just objects and if I have to take care of them more than I do, there is a big problem.

Even before I mistreated him, after 2 weeks, there are already scratches on the screen. Since then, I have been forced to wrap it with a tissue and store it carefully in its pouch after use. After 9 months, the small piece of silicone protecting the “video” button is gone. And after two falls (by accident, I don’t have fun throwing the camera on the floor), it is injured everywhere (traces of impact on the case), the HDMI trapdoor can’t even close anymore.

Fortunately, the lens is very strong and remained intact (on this model, you can’t change the lens so a scratched lens = it’s over). Recently, the camera fell in the middle of “shooting” with the lens wide open and has, miraculously, no scratch on the lens.

I also specify that he endured all types of weather: rain, desert, forest, mountain… and did not die. So he is still quite strong. In Sian Ka’an, he took (sea) water and went into a coma for a few days. But after a few days and after being reconnected to a computer, he reset himself and woke up

I think that unless you’re a serial-killer of high-tech devices like me, you shouldn’t have to worry about that.

Conclusion

I am extremely happy with this device (thanks again to Mathieu for helping me). If I had to do it over again, I would have bought it earlier.

Thanks to its small size, its ease of use, I can take it out discreetly for a few pictures, I don’t take centuries to set it up. I have beautiful photos, without spending too much time and money. I highly recommend: the Sony RX100M3is really the ideal camera for the world tour.

You can buy it new for 500€ (Amazon link) or second hand from 400€. You can buy the Sony carrying case (27,3€ Amazon link) very discreet, which goes with it.

Beginner’s photo course in Paris

Here are the 3 courses I took with Zoom Up. I highly recommend you if you have the means and the time, because you will learn the basic principles, but also some tips on how to compose the photo and how to position yourself well according to the light of the place.

Again, I would like to point out that I am not sponsored by them, I simply loved their classes. I went there with a friend and he really liked it as well. The best thing is to come with your own device of course (but they can lend you one), the teacher will help you understand the features of your device, and will give you personalized advice.

After the class, we all get together to look at the pictures on the computer and comment on the results. The teacher, Stéphane Norsic, is very nice and very pedagogical, I recommend him with my eyes closed.

INITIATION COURSE – Level 1 – Courses to get a good start in photography :
– PRIORITYSPEED and movement : tolearn how to freeze and show movement (4h30)- PRIORITY
SLIDEand depth of field : to learn how to manage
sharpness and blur areas (4h30)INITIATION COURSE –

Level 2 – A course to conclude your initiation :

–

LIGHT and
MANUALMODE :to learn how to expose well


and obtain beautiful lights (4h30)