Sony RX10 III Review

Main Features

20MP - 1" BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 12800( expands to 64-25600)

24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

14.0 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video

960fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

1051g. 133 x 94 x 127 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony RX10 II

Replaced by Sony RX10 IV

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Sony RX10 III Overview

Sony RX10 III Review - Editor's Note

First introduced in March 2016 , Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III is a 20.0MP Large Sensor Superzoom camera with a 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor. Sony replaced the older Sony RX10 II with this model and later RX10 III was replaced with Sony RX10 IV. Follow the links to compare these cameras in detail:
Compare Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III vs Sony RX10 II
Compare Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

Alternatively, try our multi-camera comparison to see all three cameras on one page:

Compare Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III vs RX10 II vs RX10 IV

Sony RX10 III Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Lens
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Sony RX10 III is a member of Sony's RX10 series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Sony RX10 Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Sony RX10 IV Compare	2017	20.0MP - 1"	24.0 fps	133 x 94 x 145mm	1095g
Sony RX10 III	2016	20.0MP - 1"	14.0 fps	133 x 94 x 127mm	1051g
Sony RX10 II Compare	2015	20.0MP - 1"	14.0 fps	129 x 88 x 102mm	813g
Sony RX10 Compare	2014	20.0MP - 1"	10.0 fps	129 x 88 x 102mm	813g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series:
Sony RX10 IV vs RX10 III vs RX10 II vs RX10

Sony RX10 III has an Overall Score of 71/100 and ranked #7 out of 113 in DSLR-Like cameras (Top 10 Bridge), and ranked #133 out of 1212 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Sony RX10 III Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Sony RX10 III Compared to other Bridge Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Sony RX10 III review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)

NFC Connectivity

Image Stabilization

Articulating Screen

External Flash Shoe

4K (UHD) Video

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

RAW Shooting

Face Detection Focusing

20.0MP - High Resolution Sensor

12.800 Max ISO

25 Focus Points

1.229k dots LCD Resolution

1/32000s Electronic Shutter Speed

14.0fps Shooting w/ Mechanical Shutter

Long Battery Life (420 shots)

Manual Focusing

Manual Exposure

External Microphone Port

External Headphone Port

Environmental Sealing

24mm Wide Angle Lens

600mm Good Tele Lens

25.0X Optical Zoom

Fast 2.40 Lens at Wide

2359kdot Viewfinder Resolution

Good Low Light ISO - 472

960fps High Speed Video

Top LCD Display

AE Bracketing

Dual-axis Electronic Level

Remote control with a smartphone

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CONs

No Touch Screen

Heavy Body: 1051

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Sony RX10 III Sensor and Photography Features

Sony RX10 III has a 20.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 5472 x 3648 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. RX10 III has a native ISO range of 125 - 12800 which can be boosted to 64-25600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Sony RX10 III is not the highest resolution 1 inch Sensor camera. Nikon 1 J5 with its 21.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Sony RX10 III vs Nikon 1 J5 or take a look at Highest resolution Bridge cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Sony RX10 III's 1" sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Sony RX10 III Physical Specs

Sony RX10 III weighs 1051 g (2.32 lb / 37.07 oz) and has external dimensions of 133 x 94 x 127 mm (5.24 x 3.7 x 5″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR-Like type cameras is 591g, Sony RX10 III is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 127mm, it is not small either, 22mm thicker than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

DSLR-Like Cameras

Sony RX10 III

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR-Like Cameras

Sony RX10 III

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Sony RX10 III with the dimensions:

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Sony RX10 III with its main competitors:

Sony RX10 III Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs RX10 III	Thickness	vs RX10 III
Sony RX10 IV Compare	1095g	44g heavier	145mm	18mm thicker
Panasonic FZ2500 Compare	915g	136g lighter	135mm	8mm thicker
Sony RX10 II Compare	813g	238g lighter	102mm	25mm thinner
Panasonic FZ1000 II Compare	808g	243g lighter	132mm	5mm thicker
Panasonic FZ1000 Compare	831g	220g lighter	131mm	4mm thicker
Canon G3 X Compare	733g	318g lighter	105mm	22mm thinner
Nikon P1000 Compare	1415g	364g heavier	181mm	54mm thicker
Nikon P950 Compare	1005g	46g lighter	150mm	23mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Sony RX10 III has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera, providing resistance against the water and dust getting in to the camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Sony RX10 III will serve you well.

Sony RX10 III Lens

Sony RX10 III features a 24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 25x zoom lens. This camera offers exceptional wide angle capacity thanks to 24mm focal length on the wide end and remarkable super telephoto reach at 600mm.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 III

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 III

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

With a max aperture of f2.40, this lens is fast on wide end. The long end is also quite fast at f4.00.

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 III

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 III

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

RX10 III is also equipped with Optical image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds. Sony RX10 III's lens also has a Manual Focus Mode.

Sony RX10 III LCD and Viewfinder

Sony RX10 III has a Tilting 3" LCD screen with a resolution of 1,229k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

RX10 III has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder has a resolution of 2,359kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later. The magnification ratio of the viewfinder is 0.7x (35mm equivalent).

Sony RX10 III Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Sony RX10 III features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11b/g/n with NFC) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection. With its NFC feature, RX10 III can communicate with devices such as smartphones which are also equipped with this technology by simply touching each other.One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our RX10 III. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.

You can connect RX10 III to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

Battery

Sony RX10 III is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 420 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of DSLR-Like type cameras is 353 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Large Sensor Superzoom Cameras

Sony RX10 III

Min

Average

Max

Sony RX10 III is the longest battery life Large Sensor Superzoom camera in our database. The closest competitor in this class is Sony RX10 with its 420 shots battery life. Check the comparison of Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 or take a look at Longest battery life Bridge cameras list.

Sony RX10 III Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Sony RX10 IV Compare	3840 x 2160	400shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Panasonic FZ2500 Compare	4096 x 2160	350shots	Yes	No	No
Sony RX10 II Compare	3840 x 2160	400shots	Yes	No	Yes
Panasonic FZ1000 II Compare	3840 x 2160	350shots	Yes	Yes	No
Panasonic FZ1000 Compare	3840 x 2160	360shots	Yes	No	Yes
Canon G3 X Compare	1920 x 1080	300shots	Yes	No	Yes
Nikon P1000 Compare	3840 x 2160	250shots	Yes	Yes	No
Nikon P950 Compare	3840 x 2160	290shots	Yes	Yes	No

Sony RX10 III Video Features

With Sony RX10 III, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 30p,25p,24p fps and save in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S formats. This means that Sony RX10 III provides 4K (Ultra-HD) video. Except some exotic 6K and 8K video recording cameras, 4K is the new standard in consumer video world.

RX10 III also a high speed mode where it captures videos at 960fps for ultra slow motion videos. RX10 III has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker. Sony RX10 III also has a port for an external microphone and a headphone port for connecting external headphones which make Sony RX10 III a very suitable camera high quality videography.

Sony RX10 III Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Sony RX10 III can shoot continuously at max speed of 14.0 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/2000 sec. RX10 III also has an electronic shutter which can shoot silently at max speed of 1/32000s. One thing to keep in mind is that electronic shutter may cause rolling shutter / jello effects, and also banding issues under artificial light on your images.

Flash

RX10 III has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing

Sony RX10 III features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 25 points to choose from.

Sony RX10 III also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

What type of Photography is Sony RX10 III Good for?

In this section, we review and score Sony RX10 III in 5 different photography areas.

Sony RX10 III for Portrait Photography

Sony RX10 III has a score of 59 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Bridge Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Sony RX10 III for Portrait Photography

Sony RX10 III for Street Photography

Sony RX10 III has a score of 80 for Street Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Street Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Bridge Cameras for Street Photography list.

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Image Stabilization

Fast Lens at Wide: f2.40
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
RAW shooting capability
Medium sized Body
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Sony RX10 III for Street Photography

Sony RX10 III for Sports Photography

Sony RX10 III has a score of 63 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Bridge Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Environmental Sealings
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Manual Exposure Mode
Manual Focus Mode
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

External Flash Shoe
Image Stabilization
600 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f4.00
RAW shooting capability
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Average Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Sony RX10 III for Sports Photography

Sony RX10 III for Daily Photography

Sony RX10 III has a score of 67 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Bridge Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Environmental Sealings
25.0X Optical Zoom
RAW shooting capability
Medium size Body

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
1051g
Body Thickness 127mm

Read the details of how we scored Sony RX10 III for Daily Photography

Sony RX10 III for Landscape Photography

Sony RX10 III has a score of 43 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Bridge Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Manual Exposure Mode
Manual Focus Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
RAW shooting capability

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Sony RX10 III for Landscape Photography

Sony RX10 III Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Sony RX10 III compares with other DSLR-Like cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of RX10 III and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Sony RX10 III alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Sony RX10 III

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Sony RX10 III amongst Camera Decision readers.

Sony RX10 IV

Compare

Panasonic FZ2500

Compare

Sony RX10 II

Compare

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Compare

Panasonic FZ1000

Compare

Canon G3 X

Compare

Nikon P1000

Compare

Nikon P950

Compare

Sony RX10 III Alternatives in Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Sony RX10 III with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Sony RX10 III's price range.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sony RX10 III

Does the Sony RX10 III have Image Stabilization?
Does the Sony RX10 III have RAW support?
Does the Sony RX10 III have Weather Sealing?
Does the Sony RX10 III have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Sony RX10 III?
What is the Sensor Size of Sony RX10 III?
is the Sony RX10 III a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Sony RX10 III have Touch Screen?
Does the Sony RX10 III have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Sony RX10 III?

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Sony
Model	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
Announced	2016-03-29
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens
Number of Lenses
Lens Focal Range	24-600 mm (25x)
Max Aperture	F2.4-4.0
Macro Focus Range	3cm
Screen
Screen Type	Tilting
Screen Size	3"
Screen Resolution	1,229k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/2000s
Max Electronic Shutter Speed	1/32000s
Continuous Shooting	14.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash Modes	Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	70
DxO Color Depth	23.1
DxO Dynamic Range	12.6
DxO Low Light ISO	472
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Sensor
Sensor Type	BSI-CMOS
Sensor Size	1"
Sensor Dimensions	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Sensor Area	116.16mm²
Sensor Resolution	20 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	5472 x 3648
Max Native ISO	12,800
Max Boosted ISO	25600
Min Native ISO	125
Min Boosted ISO	64
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	25
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	1051g
Physical Dimensions	133 x 94 x 127mm
Battery Life	420 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	NP-FW50
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage Slots	1