The RX1 isn’t without its limits — it doesn’t have the ability to swap lenses, and doesn’t even have a zoom function. It’s also not small enough to be truly "pocketable," and you’ll definitely want a camera bag or case of some sort. Autofocus, frankly, kind of sucks, and doesn’t nearly come close to the autofocus on a proper DSLR. AF takes a long time to lock, especially in low light, and when shooting subjects with low contrast, like say, a black mobile phone, it can hunt for a long time before either finding focus or just giving up. The lens ring to switch between standard and close focusing modes can be annoying as well, as it’s one more step you have to take before you can capture your shot. Additionally, the RX1’s battery life is a downright disappointment. The battery actually died while on assignment, after only a few hundred snaps were taken. Without a spare battery on hand, I had to wait until I could charge the battery up again before I could keep shooting. When DSLRs frequently go thousands of shots in between charges, the RX1’s compact camera-like battery life is less than I expected from a camera of this caliber. The camera can charge over USB, so the spare USB battery pack I carry around with me most of the time saved me on that particular gig.
I’d be remiss to overlook the cost of the RX1 and its related accessories, many of which feel necessary. It’s cool that the RX1 can charge over USB, but with its crappy battery life, chances are you’ll want a spare battery and external charger to keep it going. That will cost you $50 for each of those accessories. (Sony doesn’t include an external battery charger with the — it’s USB or bust.) If you want a nice case to protect your $2,800 camera, Sony will be happy to sell you a custom leather jacket for another $250. A lens hood to protect and shield that Carl Zeiss lens will set you back a cool $180. Since the RX1 doesn’t have a built-in viewfinder, you might want to consider Sony’s electronic viewfinder for $450 or the optical viewfinder for a staggering $600. I used the electronic viewfinder extensively while shooting with the RX1 (it’s excellent for an EVF), and I couldn’t imagine owning the camera without having it as an option. But that turns the $2,800 RX1 body into a $3,250 camera set before you even get to things like memory cards. Premium cameras can certainly cost much more, but let’s be frank here, the RX1 is not a Leica.
Of course, the best part of having a small camera is that you aren’t holding a monstrous piece of equipment up to your face every time you want to take a shot. You can shoot pictures in public without looking like a weirdo or a total tourist. The RX1 isn’t completely invisible, but it is far less intimidating than a DSLR. My subjects were more relaxed, and it’s just easier to capture that "moment" with a smaller camera. Add in the killer image quality and you begin to have a recipe for an excellent street camera or photojournalist’s tool.
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