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Sony has a very impressive "booth" at Photokina, as they have built somewhat of a jungle. It would appear that no expenses have been spared. Of most interest to the photojournalists doring the pre-show tour was the RX1 full-frame point-and-shoot, fixed prime lens camera. Here is the congregation at the RX1 display:
We did manage to get a few snaps of it:
The new Alpha 99 full-frame wasn't noticed by many until a Sony representative repeatedly pointed out that the Alpha 99 was in fact a new item and shouldn't be overlooked!
Back to the RX1 - there was only one specimen on display and it was behind glass so we speculate that it isn't ready for prime time yet. Current estimates indicate that it won't be launching until December.
Stay tuned for more photos from non-Pentax areas of the show!
Yup. Impressive piece of equipment.
Sexy.
If the RX1 was a new Pentax I bet many here would be singing a different tune.
The optical viewfinder sticking out of the hotshoe is kitsch. They should have built it in the body like a real rangefinder. It's not on Sony's DNA though, they probably think the viewfinder is an afterthought and that people use the LCD screen...
P.s it is not your Q and forget the sensor ( thou its hard to forget ) the Q should have come with a standard good quality wide lens prime but it did not . and bc of that Pentax lost the one market that could really enjoy the penatx Q
camera of the year , as far as I concerned of the decade .
it is a camera for photographers . period any one that was looking of a real digital range finder, a good 35mm focal length lens and a good camera is all a photographer need
this is a camera for journalists , for travelers for people that dream about a Leica but can not afford one (the spec is BTW better then anything Leica has done lately ), it is a street shooters dream, documentary photographers . it is the camera that the photographers at magnum dreamed about for 50 years,
and I can also promises you it will sell a lot , it is also the camera that will change the industry.
Sony is inspiring
.
P&S goes with a full frame censor. what a waste!!!
This bet the Leica X2 with 35/2.8 and no Video for sure!!
"Haters gonna hate"
that is one ugly looking camera
@garywakeling: Well, actually that full frame camera in a very small package is ground breaking. I've been reading lots of arguments here in PF that a full frame sensor can't be fixed on a tiny body, and now, we see one. The Q and the RX1 are both nice and both have different concept and have different target market...
The RX1 looks damn sexy. Maybe Ricoh should poach their designer for the next Q!
Am I reading this right? When it says fixed lens, that means that it's not a changeable lens? One fixed focal length on a camera that costs over $2K? Wow, I don't know who would buy that. Maybe there is something I'm not understanding. I'm glad it's not a Pentax.
@ garywakeling. That's like saying, the Ferrari looks just like my 1982 Civic. They both have four tires and a steering wheel! This is on a whole different level than the Q. On a different note, I don't think Sony is worried about selling too many. It's more of a tech demo and test platform for a future interchangeable lens version.
Optical viewfinder looks like a tacky and ugly afterthought for a $2k+ camera.
BOOTH - "no expenses spared"??? It is just a booth with lots and lots of fake plants (where are the bikini girls and water slides????). As far as the camera goes, maybe Pentax can use the same sensor to build a FF. Can't afford it anyway but good to see the possibilities for those who can. Pentax must step up to the plate and produce something with FF eventually.
I cannot understand what market they are going after.
Is this for rich non-photographers who want to take professional looking pics of their kids?
Maybe a professional who carries many cameras with a different lens on each one anyways..
I just don't see it. $2700 ??
But it does look kewl!!
I think it looks pretty much the same as My Pentax Q with the viewfinder, am I missing something ground breaking other than the full frame ?
As far as retro designs go...Sony just nailed it. By all 1 accounts that I've read (Steve Huff), the f/2 lens @ 35mm combined with the full frame yields a very potent combination. For a company that has no legacy products, they sure made it look like they do. Now...is it weather sealed?
I'll predict that within 1 year we see this as an interchangeable lens design; this may be the future version of the full frame Nex line. As Sony does not have the extensive lens portfolio, it makes sense for them to start with a good integrated f/2 design. Next we'll see them release a limited line of Fuji X1 Pro style lenses and the interchangeable full frame Nex body.
Regrettably (or not...I don't own stock), Pentax loses another fingernail in their desperate effort to hold fast to the cliff that represents their 3% market share.