With the presentation of the smallest full frame
camera Sony is showing it’s innovation spirit. The RX1 carries a fixed CZ 35mm
lens with F2.0 as smallest aperture. The lens has an aperture ring and a focus ring. It can be used in macro and normal mode. The body has a physical mode
dial (with aperture mode besides the aperture ring), a thumb dial to handle the
modes and a compensation dial. So the camera can be controlled without use of the menu.
Surprisingly there is no built in viewfinder.
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| Sony Cyber Shot DSC-RX1 |
There is a lot of discussion going on whether this camera is good or not. Basically Sony is showing us what their R&D is able to. The other camera manufacturers now are forced to follow this new path. Without a built in viewfinder the RX1 will be a full frame camera at arm’s length. Sometimes a compromise could be better than the extreme. The smallest full frame camera surely will deliver superb image quality. The fixed CZ lens will contribute to that. But does the customer prefer small to practical? No built in viewfinder is the dealbreaker for a lot of potential customers, more than the fixed lens. And what kind of viewfinder? Qualitywise OVF is still ahead of EVF. Sony surely keeps an eye on Fuji’s X-series because all Fuji has to do is to put an FF-sensor into the X-series and Sony will be behind again. No wonder the Fuji X-series is great, it’s that close to the Zeiss Ikon.
Although for reasons of costs and space it’s more likely that a future RX will have a built in EVF, the Zeiss Ikon would be role model for an exceptionally well executed optical viewfinder. The Zeiss Ikon’s viewfinder is that big and clear that one has to see it to believe. It's hard to imagine that EVFs will ever be there. With today’s sensor technology the rangefinder – a parallel focus mechanism – could be avoided or supported by a direct on sensor focus measuring that could be displayed as a focus flash into the OVF. Since there is no mechanical restriction, the photographer could choose any point in the OVF to focus on. In addition, in manual focus mode a displayed focus balance could show direction and distance of the focus throw to the point where the object is in focus.
Although for reasons of costs and space it’s more likely that a future RX will have a built in EVF, the Zeiss Ikon would be role model for an exceptionally well executed optical viewfinder. The Zeiss Ikon’s viewfinder is that big and clear that one has to see it to believe. It's hard to imagine that EVFs will ever be there. With today’s sensor technology the rangefinder – a parallel focus mechanism – could be avoided or supported by a direct on sensor focus measuring that could be displayed as a focus flash into the OVF. Since there is no mechanical restriction, the photographer could choose any point in the OVF to focus on. In addition, in manual focus mode a displayed focus balance could show direction and distance of the focus throw to the point where the object is in focus.
Well, at this time any viewfinder must to bring to us digital info like histogram at real time, electronic level, with the rest of information about the camera settings, something that does not offer an exclusive optical viewfinder. The Fujifilm hybrid viewfinder is the best option if exist limitations relative to the digital image delivered by an EVF. But by one side this OVF-EVF class is so expensive and I think that the mecano-optical pieces are so delicates then it limits the kind of photography that could be done (not recommended to do war-photography in one extreme), and by other side the technology race is allowing to deliver stunning EVF images. I think that this last sentence is the reason of the new Fuji X-E1.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, I think that the ZM optical Zeiss viewfinder showed with the Sony RX1 was a merchandising trick oriented to catch the attention of the the high market segment (leica-zeiss fans) that has influence in the pro-sumer segment (and this trick have worked if you see the amazon ranking); and I guess that Sony is developing an exceptional EVF to this camera using the interesting hot-shoe of the new cameras (a99, rx1, etc), to shot against Fuji.