Finally! Sony revives its full-frame premium compact camera line after a 10-year hiatus, with the pricey new RX1R III
- The new RX1R III has the same high-resolution 61MP sensor as the A7R V and A7C R
- Like them, it also has Sony's latest Bionz XR processor and AI autofocus skills
- It features the same Zeiss 35mm f/2 Lens as its 10-year-old predecessor
Sony dropped a huge surprise today by unveiling the RX1R III, a third instalment in its line of high-resolution full-frame premium compact cameras.
I'm shocked because the RX1R III comes 10 years after the RX1R II, without so much of a whisper leaked, and such a lengthy gap between cameras is practically unheard of.
That said, premium compacts such as the Fujifilm X100VI have enjoyed a surge in popularity, so it's understandable that Sony has revived the series. And it's done so with its latest tech – this is no mere refresh of a 10-year-old model. No, the RX1R III features the same 61MP sensor, Bionz XR processor and AI processing chip for wide-ranging subject detection autofocus as the A7R V and A7C R.
Paired with Sony's super-sharp Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens – that's the exact same optic as the one found in the RX1R II – you have what looks like the ultimate everyday camera for reportage, street, travel photography and more.
What's more, the lens features a macro focusing mode, which shortens the minimum focus distance from 0.35m to 0.2m for a 0.26x maximum magnification – that's some decent close focusing skills.
Here's the rub – the RX1R III costs $5,098 at B&H Photo (with pre-orders available – UK and Australia pricing TBC). That's quite the price hike from the RX1R II, which was announced in October 2015 for $3,299. It's certainly not just inflation.
That price point pitches the RX1R III against the Fujifilm GFX100RF, a little under the Leica Q3, but more than double the price of the Fujifilm X100VI.
As per the Q3 and GFX00RF, the RX1R III's high-resolution sensor unleashes a handy digital crop mode, which mimics 50mm and 70mm lenses with 29MP and 15MP stills respectively.
I expect Sony's latest premium compact to have the advantage over these rivals in a few areas, namely performance and autofocus skills. However, the competition is much stiffer 10 years down the line than it was for the RX1R II.
There's also the Sony A7C R in the picture now – which is effectively the RX1R III but with Sony's E-mount, meaning you can swap lenses out.
We're yet to get our hands on the Sony RX1R III, but we'll be sure to do so and give it a proper test: it could become our top premium compact camera pick.
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Timothy Coleman
July 15, 2025 at 06:10PM
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