Tag: Canon Powershot

Abstracts, reflections, and textures – Sony RX100 Mark 1

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Trawling through old pictures from my RX100, I see a few that catch my eye. For some reason, I make many more contemplative and abstract photos with this camera. I think the form factor has a lot to do with it. Being able to put it in a pocket and pull it out whenever I see something interesting, without fanfare or too much technical preparation, results in a sense of ease. Consequently, I find my mind more open to the world and the image.

Reflections in glass and water are always interesting to me. The world is reflected and abstracted, turning into shards and odd shapes – a separate dimension. People walk by, unaware that their doppelgangers exist inside the glass.

I’ve always been drawn to graffiti. Humans have been engaging in the act of scrawling names, messages, and sexual innuendo for as long as we’ve been able to make a mark. The green door above, surrounded by opportunist scrawls made by urban rogues and cocksure teens, caught my eye. I also like the play of light and shadow.

Things to love about the RX100

Originally, I purchased the RX100 as a way to make great photos with a minimum of fuss. At the time, it was either the RX or the slightly older Canon Powershot S110. I’d used an older and less well-featured Powershot in the past, and I’m sure I’d also have been happy with the S110 had I decided on it at the time.

Still, the RX100 is a classic digital camera for very good reasons. The 20.2 megapixel Sony-made CMOS sensor is excellent, even now. Combined with the Zeiss-made lens, detail is superb for such a small camera. The detail in shadow areas is also well-preserved and the Raw files have plenty of latitude. The body is robust, and mine is certainly in great condition, as I’ve not used it regularly in the last ten years.

I daresay that a camera like this would suit many people who think that a larger camera is best for what they do. It’s a pity that Sony have discontinued the RX line, even if they have replaced it with the vlogger-friendly ZV line. The RX100 proves that Sony knows how to make feature-rich groundbreaking cameras. I know that I’ll be using it a lot more. Next time, I hope to try out some of my custom JPG picture settings.

Possible picture settings for the Sony RX100

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When I wanted to transition from a small Canon Powershot point & shoot to a more sophisticated camera, I had two in mind: The Canon Powershot S110 or the Sony RX100. I opted for the Sony partly because it was newer than the Canon and partly because it seemed a powerful camera in a tiny and well-built body. I wasn’t disappointed.

At the time, the pocketable, all-black RX100 was considered an amazing compact camera. Even today, over a decade later, the original RX100 holds up amazingly well. The Raw files are malleable and provide plenty of editing latitude. In many ways, the Rx100 is like a DSLR in a small body, and I guess that was the point behind it.

Photo settings

I’ve not used the Rx100 too much over the years, mostly because I purchased a DSLR not too long after and moved up from there. The RX sat around for a long time but lately, I’ve fostered a new appreciation for small cameras with great output. Though I normally edit Raw files and eschew JPG output, my time is limited these days and I find myself looking much more at JPG output and useful camera settings to make my life easier.

Diving into the needlessly verbose Sony menu, I’ve added the Creative Picture modes to the Function button for easy access, alongside ISO, Metering, and Exposure Compensation. This makes it fast and easy to switch to another picture mode when out and about.

Here are my picture mode settings for the next outing:

Black & White:

  • Contrast +1
  • Sharpening +1

Standard:

  • Saturation +1
  • Sharpening +1
  • Contrast -2

Vivid:

  • Saturation -1
  • Sharpening +1
Fiery sunset – Sony DSC RX100

There’s no optimum setting, just a wide range of possible photographic looks. Old internet wisdom from users at the time suggest that the RX100’s JPG output requires a touch more sharpening. DRO and High ISO Noise Reduction are both turned off. Whilst DRO does effectively tackle high dynamic range situations and tames highlights and shadows, it can add more noise to shadow areas at higher ISOs, making it not so awesome for low light photography. I’m also experimenting with White Balance and have it set to AWB and +1 to Amber, so photos should look a little warmer. Some users report that there’s a tendency for the AWB to bias towards blue/green. Being able to tweak this deeply on such a small camera is still amazing, even today!

Of course, Raw is always the preferred option, so I’ve left the Sony at RAW + JPG and the 20 Megapixel image setting. This gives me the option to use the JPG if I like the output or dive into editing the Raw file if I have the time and the photo is a real keeper. We’ll see how these settings work out !