Thought I'd add a quick update, seeing as I posted a variety of last-minute questions about the camera before I left. I have several thousand new images to slowly sort through, and then import into LightRoom. So, depending on how many are great keepers, my final opinion of the camera may change wildly...
- Overall, it was an extreme pleasure traveling and shooting with the camera. A true "trial by fire" - but the more I used the RX1, the more I appreciated it's level of photographic control.
- I had never previously owned a camera with a direct exposure compensation dial before. I've got shortcuts on my Nikon DSLR bodies, but no dials. So, I was pleasantly surprised at how often I used that quick feature when out shooting with the Sony. Especially, when in broad daylight, I would cover myself when shooting certain broad landscape shots with lots of potentially washed-out hazy sky, by dropping down a stop, or even two at times. As normal in post-processing, much better to try and retrieve a little more data from the dark, than the light.
- In context, the size is awesome. Considering the lens / sensor / IQ is only matched by other FF cameras, it was amazing that I could most often just spend the day with the camera in my coat pocket. Or, occasionally, from a neck-strap worn underneath the jacket.
However, that context is VERY important. I had to permanently remove the notion that the RX1 was or is ever going to fully replace a true compact "pocket" camera. It simply is too large and heavy for that role. In the winter conditions where I traveled, that was okay because (as mentioned) I was always wearing a jacket. However, the real test will be in my daily life where the weather is sunny and warm for most of the year. Not sure how things will go in that sense, and that's really going to be a major indicator for how well this camera works for me for the coming year or two.
- Batteries. I bought two extra, plus a cheap wall-charger. That was perfect. Even on the longest daily excursion, with hundreds of images and more than a few takes of video, I only just barely dipped into the third battery. On every other day, with sizable amounts of shooting, I never even depleted the second battery. So, that was a great relief. I never felt hindered or worried that I'd be left for dead when out and about.
- The one real concern I had, was the weather. It snowed a few times, and there was light rain some other times. I simply have no idea what the threshold is on the RX1 for even the slightest water intrusion. So, it is no minor point that if I were to travel to more locations with guaranteed bad weather, I would seriously think twice about bringing the RX1 as my main camera. That's no knock against the Sony, per se, but for a camera which I consider to be my new "go to" for the coming year or two, that's a little disconcerting. But as far as I know, there are no other HQ compacts with even the slightest weather sealing, let alone full weather proofing.
That's it for now. Like I said, I have yet to even process one single frame. So, all my opinions may be moot if I only come back with a small percentage of keepers. But, I'm doubting that will be the case...
- Overall, it was an extreme pleasure traveling and shooting with the camera. A true "trial by fire" - but the more I used the RX1, the more I appreciated it's level of photographic control.
- I had never previously owned a camera with a direct exposure compensation dial before. I've got shortcuts on my Nikon DSLR bodies, but no dials. So, I was pleasantly surprised at how often I used that quick feature when out shooting with the Sony. Especially, when in broad daylight, I would cover myself when shooting certain broad landscape shots with lots of potentially washed-out hazy sky, by dropping down a stop, or even two at times. As normal in post-processing, much better to try and retrieve a little more data from the dark, than the light.
- In context, the size is awesome. Considering the lens / sensor / IQ is only matched by other FF cameras, it was amazing that I could most often just spend the day with the camera in my coat pocket. Or, occasionally, from a neck-strap worn underneath the jacket.
However, that context is VERY important. I had to permanently remove the notion that the RX1 was or is ever going to fully replace a true compact "pocket" camera. It simply is too large and heavy for that role. In the winter conditions where I traveled, that was okay because (as mentioned) I was always wearing a jacket. However, the real test will be in my daily life where the weather is sunny and warm for most of the year. Not sure how things will go in that sense, and that's really going to be a major indicator for how well this camera works for me for the coming year or two.
- Batteries. I bought two extra, plus a cheap wall-charger. That was perfect. Even on the longest daily excursion, with hundreds of images and more than a few takes of video, I only just barely dipped into the third battery. On every other day, with sizable amounts of shooting, I never even depleted the second battery. So, that was a great relief. I never felt hindered or worried that I'd be left for dead when out and about.
- The one real concern I had, was the weather. It snowed a few times, and there was light rain some other times. I simply have no idea what the threshold is on the RX1 for even the slightest water intrusion. So, it is no minor point that if I were to travel to more locations with guaranteed bad weather, I would seriously think twice about bringing the RX1 as my main camera. That's no knock against the Sony, per se, but for a camera which I consider to be my new "go to" for the coming year or two, that's a little disconcerting. But as far as I know, there are no other HQ compacts with even the slightest weather sealing, let alone full weather proofing.
That's it for now. Like I said, I have yet to even process one single frame. So, all my opinions may be moot if I only come back with a small percentage of keepers. But, I'm doubting that will be the case...