Sony has released the third-generation RX1R III, a flagship high-end point-and-shoot camera that comes with a hefty price tag of $5,099 USD. That isn’t a typo.
The full-frame 61-megapixel camera features a fixed-lens ZEISS Sonnar T* 35mm F2 lens. The fixed-lens camera is expensive, and I would be hard-pressed to buy one at this price point. However, I’m sure fans of the small size and impressive specifications will catch the eye of compact camera users.
Sony states the combination of the 61-megapixel full-frame Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS image sensor and the BIONZ XR image processing engine delivers high resolution and sensitivity, with low noise and a wide dynamic range. The sensor surface features AR (Anti-Reflection) coating and omits the optical low-pass filter to achieve high image quality.
The integrated lens offers excellent image quality. By optimizing the position of the lens and the imaging surface one by one at the micron level, RX1R III achieves high optical performance in a compact form factor.
The RX1R III is equipped with the latest AI-processing unit, a feature on the top-of-the-line professional Sony Alpha cameras. The AI-processing unit can accurately recognize the shape and movement of subjects, human bodies, heads, and the position of eyes, tracking subjects even when their faces are not visible, and is available for both still images and videos. Up to 693 densely arranged phase-detection AF (Auto-Focus) points cover approximately 78% (for still image shooting) of the image capture area.
While the camera features a fixed lens, it has a neat trick. Since the camera features a large 61-megapixel sensor, it also offers a crop mode with fixed focal lengths, which allows you to switch between focal lengths equivalent to 35 mm, 50 mm, and 70 mm via assigned buttons or dials. When shooting in RAW format, users can reselect the focal length during post-production. The lens’s macro ring enables instant switching to macro mode, allowing users to get as close as 20 cm (maximum magnification: 0.26x).
For creators who enjoy unique and personalized visuals, RX1R III offers twelve built-in Creative Looks. Adjustments to hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and sharpness can be applied not only to still images but also to videos. According to Sony, the most notable among the Creative Looks, FL2 allows the capturing of a nostalgic expression with subdued colors, and FL3 allows for a more vibrant image.
Streamlined Design
Made of lightweight yet highly rigid magnesium alloy, the RX1R III design strikes a balance between aesthetics and functionality. While maintaining excellent operability, the dials and Multi-Interface (MI) Shoe are embedded into the camera body, and the top surface of the body features a flat design. The grip design and surface texture provide a secure and comfortable hold.
RX1R III is equipped with an electronic viewfinder featuring an approximately 2.36 million-dot XGA OLED with high resolution and high contrast, offering a magnification of approximately 0.70x.
The RX1R III utilizes the relatively small NP-FW50 rechargeable battery pack, enabling the capture of up to 300 still images. It features a USB Type-C port for rapid charging when connected to USB Power Delivery compatible devices, or the addition of external power sources, such as mobile batteries, for extended shooting sessions.
What’s In The Box
Rechargeable Battery NP-FW50, Lens cap, Accessory shoe cap, Eyepiece cup, Shoulder strap, Wrapping Cloth
Recording (movie)
Audio Recording Format
LPCM 4ch (48 kHz 24 bit), LPCM 2ch (48 kHz 24 bit), LPCM 2ch (48 kHz 16 bit)
Video Compression
XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Recording (still images)
Image Size (pixels) [3:2]
35-mm full frame L: 9504 x 6336 (60 M), M: 6640 x 4432 (29 M), S: 4752 x 3168 (15 M)
Recording Format
JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.32, MPF Baseline compliant), HEIF (MPEG-A MIAF compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 5.0 format compliant)
Movie Functions
Proxy Recording
Yes
TC/UB
Yes
SLOW & QUICK MOTION (SHOOTING FRAME RATE)
Yes
Lens Compensation
Setting
Shading, Chromatic Aberration, Distortion
Image Stabilization
Mode
Movie: Active/Off
type
Electronic
Operating temperature
Operating Temperature
0–40 °C/32–104 °F
Audio
Microphone
Built-in, stereo
Speaker
Built-in, monaural
Playback
Modes
Enlarge Image, Protect, Rating, Shot Mark (Movie), Divider Frame, Crop, Photo Capture
Shutter
Flash Sync. Speed
1/4000 s
SHUTTER SPEED
Still images (Mechanical shutter): 1/4000 to 30 s[fn_XX2], Bulb, Still images (Electronic shutter): 1/8000 to 30 s, Movies: 1/12800 to 1 s
Shutter Type
Mechanical shutter/Electronic shutter
Other Features
Other Features
Soft Skin Effect, Creative Look, Custom function, Picture Profile, My Image Style, Vertical Display
CLEAR IMAGE ZOOM (MOVIES)
Approx. 1.5x (4K), Approx. 2x (HD)
LCD Screen
Adjustable Angle
No
Monitor Type
2.95 inch (3.0-type) wide type TFT
Number of Dots
2,359,296 dots
Touch Panel
Yes
Exposure control
METERING SENSITIVITY
EV-3 to EV20 (ISO 100 equivalent)
Metering Type
1200-zone evaluative metering
Exposure Compensation
+/- 5.0 EV (1/3 EV steps)
ISO Sensitivity
Still images: ISO 100–32000 (expandable to ISO 50–102400), AUTO (ISO 100–12800, selectable lower limit and upper limit), Movies: ISO 100–32000 equivalent[fn_XX4], AUTO (ISO 100–12800, selectable lower limit and upper limit)
Recording System
Memory Card Slot
Slot for SD (UHS-I/II compliant) memory card
Recording system (movie)
MOVIE RECORDING FORMAT (XAVC S 4K)
3840 x 2160 (4:2:0, 8bit) (Approx.): 29.97p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 25p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 23.98p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10bit) (Approx.): 29.97p (140 Mbps), 25p (140 Mbps), 23.98p (100 Mbps)
MOVIE RECORDING FORMAT (XAVC S HD)
1920 x 1080 (4:2:0, 8bit) (Approx.): 119.88p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 100p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 59.94p (50 Mbps / 25 Mbps), 50p (50 Mbps / 25 Mbps), 29.97p (50 Mbps / 16 Mbps), 25p (50 Mbps / 16 Mbps), 23.98p (50 Mbps), 1920 x 1080 (4:2:2, 10bit) (Approx.): 59.94p (50 Mbps), 50p (50 Mbps), 29.97p (50 Mbps), 25p (50 Mbps), 23.98p (50 Mbps)
MOVIE RECORDING FORMAT (XAVC S-I 4K)
3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10bit) (Approx.): 29.97p (300 Mbps), 25p (250 Mbps), 23.98p (240 Mbps)
MOVIE RECORDING FORMAT (XAVC S-I HD)
1920 x 1080 (4:2:2, 10 bit) (Approx.): 59.94p (222 Mbps), 50p (185 Mbps), 29.97p (111 Mbps), 25p (93 Mbps), 23.98p (89 Mbps)
Camera Section
Sensor Type
35 mm full frame (35.7 x 23.8 mm), Exmor R CMOS sensor
Number of Pixels (total)
Approx. 62.5 megapixels
Number of Pixels (Effective)
Still images: Approx. 61.0 megapixels max.[FN_XX1], Movies: Approx. 50.8 megapixels max.[FN_XX1]
Color Temperature Range
2,500 K–9,900 K
Built-in ND Filter
No
OPTICAL LOW-PASS FILTER
No
Focus system
FOCUS POINT
Still images: Max. 693 points (phase-detection AF), Movies: Max. 693 points (phase-detection AF)
AF illuminator
Yes (with built-in LED type)
Focus Sensitivity Range
EV-4 to EV20 (ISO 100 equivalent in AF-S)
Recognition Target (Still images)
Auto, Human, Animal, Bird, Insect, Car, Train, Airplane
Recognition Target (Movies)
Auto, Human, Animal, Bird, Insect, Car, Train, Airplane
Focus Type
Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection AF / contrast-detection AF)
Accessibility
Functions
Screen reader, Focus Magnifier, Peaking Display, Subject Recognition in AF, Touch Focus, Touch Tracking, Touch Shutter, Touch AE, Custom function, Enlarge Menu Screen
Drive
Continuous Drive Speed (approx. max.)
Hi: 5.0fps
NO. OF FRAME RECORDABLE (APPROX.)
JPEG Extra fine L: 120 frames, JPEG Fine L: over 1000 frames, JPEG Standard L: over 1,000 frames, RAW: 52 frames, RAW & JPEG: 40 frames, RAW (Lossless Compressed): 20 frames, RAW (Lossless Compressed) & JPEG: 16 frames, RAW (Uncompressed): 15 frames, RAW (Uncompressed) & JPEG: 14 frames
General
CAMERA TYPE
Digital camera
Viewfinder
Eye Point
Approx. 22 mm from the eyepiece lens, 17.9 mm from the eyepiece frame at –1 m-1 (CIPA standard)
Magnification
Approx. 0.70x (with 50 mm lens equiv. at infinity, –1 m-1)
type
0.39″ (1.0 cm) electronic viewfinder (XGA OLED)
DIOPTRE
–4.0 to +3.0 m-1
Size & Weight
Dimensions (W x H x D)
Approx. 4.5 x 2.75 x 3.5″ (113.3 x 67.9 x 87.5 mm), Approx. 4.5 x 2.75 x 3″ (113.3 x 67.9 x 74.5 mm) (from front of lens to monitor)
Weight (with battery and memory card included)
Approx. 1 lb 1.6 oz (498 g)
Body only
Approx. 1 lb 0.1 oz (454 g)
Power
USB Power Supply
Yes (Available with USB Type-C terminal. USB Power Delivery compatible)
Supplied Battery
One rechargeable battery pack NP-FW50
Battery Life (Movie, actual recording)
Approx. 50 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 50 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard)
Battery Life (Movie, continuous recording)
Approx. 80 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 80 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard)
Battery Life (Still Images)
Approx. 270 shots (Viewfinder) / Approx. 300 shots (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard)[fn_XX5]
Internal Battery Charge
Yes (Available with USB Type-C terminal. USB Power Delivery compatible)[fn_xx3]
Power consumption with LCD screen
Still images: Approx. 2.9 W, Movies: Approx. 5.5 W
Power consumption with Viewfinder
Still images: Approx. 3.2 W, Movies: Approx. 5.5 W
Lens
Filter Diameter
49 mm
F-number (Maximum Aperture)
F2
Focus Range (From the Front of the Lens)
Approx. 0.8 ft (24 cm) to infinity (Normal mode), approx. 0.46 ft (14 cm) to 0.95 ft (29 cm) (Macro mode)
Interface
Bluetooth
Yes (Bluetooth Standard Ver. 4.2 [2.4 GHz band])
HDMI OUTPUT
HDMI micro connector (Type-D), 3840 x 2160 (29.97p/25p/23.98p) / 1920 x 1080 (59.94p/50p/23.98p) / 1920 x 1080 (59.94i/50i), YCbCr 4:2:2 10bit / RGB 8bit
Multi Interface Shoe
Yes (with Digital Audio Interface)
Headphone Terminal
No
Mic Terminal
Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack)
PC Interface
Mass-storage / MTP
Wireless LAN (Built-In)
Yes (Wi-Fi Compatible, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz band/5 GHz band))
Remote Control (Wireless)
Yes (Bluetooth remote control)
Functions
Send to smartphone, Remote control via smartphone, Remote Shooting
USB Type-C Terminal
Yes (SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps [USB 3.2] compatible)
Flash
Flash compensation
+/- 3.0 EV (1/3 EV steps)
Control
Pre-flash TTL
External Flash Compatibility
Sony α System Flash compatible with Multi Interface Shoe, attach the shoe adapter for flash compatible with Auto-lock accessory shoe
Thoughts
The Sony RX1R III is an interesting camera at a time when point-and-shoot and mirrorless cameras are having a revival. People want more than what they are getting from a mobile phone. I’m pleased this is happening. While iPhones and other brand mobile devices are improving, they still can’t match the quality of a dedicated camera or a point-and-shoot camera. Convenience is the winner with the iPhone. The small and powerful point-and-shoot with a hefty price tag might find a way to more pockets.
Having 61 megapixels does give you a lot of post and in-camera cropping options that can’t be overlooked. The old-style battery is not going to last very long, and you will need to buy a few, plus a charger, as it isn’t included.
Overheating in video mode can also be an issue. There have been numerous improvements over the years, but something as small as this will generally get hot shooting 4K video.
Pricing and Availability
The RX1R III will be available in July 2025 for approximately $5,099.99 USD and $6,299.99 CAD. The TG-2 for approximately $299.99 USD and $349.99 CAD, the LCS-RXL for approximately $249.99 USD and $224.99 CAD, and the LHP-1 for approximately $199.99 USD and $249.99 CAD, in August 2025.
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