A tiny but mighty image factory
Sony's RX0 Mark II digital camera fits in the pocket but is always ready to tackle to biggest assignment
SONY RX0 Mark II is a premium, tough digital camera that allows you to capture good-quality photos despite its tiny size.
The RX0 II has a footprint of only 59x40.5x35mm and weighs just 117 grams without the battery or microSD card, but it can capture 15-megapixel photos in 3:2 format and good-quality 4K video.
Its diminutive size and weight allow you to carry it in your pocket all the time, ready to grab images whenever you encounter something interesting.
The camera can capture beautiful images even in dim light thanks to the powerful 1.0-type sensor and low-distortion Zeiss Tessar T lens.
The camera can also send the photos and video clips to your phone for instant sharing on your social networks.
The RX0 II is so compact that it rests comfortably in the palm, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish.
There are two separate shutter buttons on top, one for stills and the other for video, but if you buy an optional shooting grip, you can much more conveniently press the shutter buttons.
The shooting grip has a USB cable to link to the camera and the grip also provides a button for zooming in and out, making it more convenient to switch between telephoto and normal focal length.
The camera has no optical zoom, but instead 2x digital zoom of good quality. It will reduce the resolution from 15 to 7.7MP.
The excellent quality of images coming out of this tiny camera is attributed to the 1.0-type Exmor RS sensor and low-distortion wide-angle Tessar T 24mm-equivalent lens with an f/4.0 aperture and improved 20cm minimum-focus distance.
The LCD screen can be tilted 180 degrees to take pictures of yourself and video for your vlog. With the Picture Profiles feature and S-Log2, you can set the overall tone of movie productions from the camera body, adjusting parameters that affect the final look.
I found the RX0 II captured nice photos in most lighting conditions and the video taken using the grip was clear and not shaky.
The camera has a Soft Skin mode that reduces small facial wrinkles and improves skin dullness while preserving the clarity of your subject’s eyes and mouth.
The Eye AF function automatically focuses on your subject’s eyes, so portrait shots will not be out of focus.
The super-slow-motion mode running at speeds up to 1,000fps lets you to capture split-second action and enjoy it really slow. You can even shoot in full HD resolution at up to 120fps.
And the continuous-shooting capabilities allow you to better capture decisive moments of action and fleeting facial expressions. Up to 12,916 JPEG (Standard) images can be shot in one burst.
The Anti-Distortion shutter is capable of speeds of up to 1/32,000 of a second and is designed to minimise the “rolling shutter” phenomenon, which can distort images of fast-moving objects.
The Mark II version has a new interval-recording feature that enables continuous shooting at a set interval, anywhere between one and 60 seconds. These still images can then be edited into a time-lapse movie on a PC.
The RX0 II comes in a rugged and robust construction with a duralumin body. The body is built to withstand the impact of a drop from a height of two metres.
The camera is dustproof waterproof in both fresh water and seawater. There’s no need to safeguard against rainwater or splashed drinks, and you can also shoot comfortably in beach settings with sand blowing around without needing a special case or other accessories.
It’s also crushproof, rated for up to 200 kgf/2000 N, so you can carry the camera around without worrying about damage.
The camera can be wirelessly controlled from a phone or tablet with Sony’s Imagine Edge Mobile app. This gives you greater flexibility in positioning your cameras to create stunning shots or videos.
It links to your phone with the same app so you can download the video and then edit it with the Movie Edit app. This add-on will also keep your subject in-frame automatically, even when you crop movies for phone portraits and sharing online.
The app works the camera’s gyro sensor and image stabiliser for editing the videos to look smooth, as if they were shot with a gimbal. You can create videos with multiple aspect ratios from one video file for efficient posting online.
Sony’s RX0 II has a suggested retail price of Bt21,990. The VCT-SGR1 Shooting Grip costs Bt3,190. Get them packaged together for Bt23,990.
KEY SPECS
Sensor: 1.0inchtype (0.52 x 0.35 inch) Exmor RS CMOS sensor, aspect ratio 3:2, with 15.3 MP resolution
Lens: Zeiss Tessar T Lens, 6 elements in 6 groups (6 aspheric elements), 24mm focal length, f/4.0 aperture
Screen: 1.5inch (4:3) / 230,400 dots / Clear Photo / TFT LCD
Image processing engine: Bionz X
Electronic shutter: 1/4 in, 1/32000
Focus type: Contrastdetection AF
Focus mode: Singleshot AF, Preset Focus, Manual Focus
ISO sensitivity: ISO12525600
Video resolution: 4K 30p (3840x2160)
Interface: Multi/Micro USB Terminal10, HiSpeed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI, Microphone jack(3.5mm Stereo mini jack)
Wireless connectivity: WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1
Battery: 240 shots per charge, 60 minutes of video shooting
Dimensions: 59x40.5x35mm
Weight: 132g (battery and microSD card included)
