Impressive quality in a tiny little package...

My first thought on this cameras when Sony announced this camera was it was overpriced... but after reading a bit about it, decided to try it. WOW.

First thing is this camera is REALLY small (even though it has a realtively big sensor that is the main selling point). It's a "pocket camera"... barely bigger, if at all, than your "typical point and shoot". Because of this, a case or an aftermarket grip is advisable - my RX came with Franiac (sp?) grip installed, makes it more "grippable". Second highly recommended accessory is the MagSpeed polarizer. The camera is small and light, but a neck strap is probably better than a wrist strap so the camera is always handy.

Picture quality is quite good, video is excellent, very nice "all around" camera. Bear in mind this is also a very COMPLEX little machine - auto features work great, but you also have lots of manual and mode choices to explore and experiment with.

The lens is fast when "wide open", but be aware it does stop down fairly quickly when zoomed, so you lose some low light performance a bit quickly (just a function of physics, it is what it is). Zoom range is adequate, the clear zoom seems to work fairly well, and even "digital zoom" could be used in a pinch to some extent, if you have no other choice and use iit carefully.

Lens ring is a bit touchy, but effective, and you can program it for different functions. Sony packed a lot of ways to control this camera into the design - you have to spend some time with it to find how you personally want to set it up!

The camera has programmable button features I'm still trying to decide how to configure, but the design helps put most used functions just a couple clicks away. Good thing, since there's not too much room on this tiny body to put controls!

If you want a camera that is WAY more capable than a typical point and shoot and will give you top image quality, but isn't big, heavy, and noticeable, take a serious look at the RX100. While the retail price IS a bit stiff, you get quite a lot for your money!

With a couple accessories, this becomes a very capable image capture device for most purposes, and it's small enough to take everywhere so you have a way to "capture the moment" - that's the reason to have a camera in the first place!

NO specific dislikes about the camera, and it' hard to "compare" to anything else, since there's nothing comparable! It will defintely give the "serious" photographer/videographer a nice new tool to work with, and could easily cover the average users needs for a quality camera/videocam.

Because this COULD replace larger more expensive cameras (if you shoot both photos and video) for many users, the price begins to look less painful, and might even be considered a "bargain" in relation to buying a full size SLR and a higher end Handycam.

Best of class, but also highest of price. Do you need this much camera?

Overall: It's best of class, but also highest of price.

Camera is well made; design is well thought out. Definitely the newest in terms of design; truly a "state of the art" camera.

My wife & I took the camera on a trip to rural Haiti (church mission project) and have photos of a quality which will be used for presentations and publication.

We needed an exceptionally high quality camera which was easy to use in locations which were not condusive to cameras which are heavy or complex to use (such as beside a swollen river where food was being transported on the heads of local residents so children at a church-sponsored school would have something to eat). Light weight and ease of use was a primary consideration.

We are totally satisfied and would buy again, though admit that we had to take a deep breath before spending this much money on a camera.

Pros: Excellent quality images. Far better than average image quality in low-light situations. Movies are also far better than average for a camera of this type. Lightweight & portable. This is clearly the camera to buy if you are looking for a lightweight substitute for a SLR camera in the lower or even mid-range category. Zoom lens is easy to use.

Cons: Expensive; this is cutting edge technology so you can expect to pay for it. Instruction manual leaves much to be desired although a better manual in .pdf format can be found on-line, though not easily. Placement of flash unit is quite
inconvenient. Although zoom lens is easy to use, and has good quality throughout focal range, there is only one choice when you buy; not interchangeable.

Comments: buy a BIG storage disk. We bought a 32 GB disk and were glad we did (we bought two disks just in case). A spare battery is a relatively inexpensive investment, especially if you will be in an area where it is inconvenient to charge the battery. We strongly recommend the spare battery.

RX100 replaces my Canon S95

Before the Sony RX100 I had a canon S95 which took excellant photos. When the S95 got damaged I bought the Sony RX100 as a replacement as well as a Sony RX1. The Sony RX100 is a perfect traveling camera. Most of the pictures from this camera will be taken from a road bike in extreme conditions like Death Valley where I want to be assured to get the best shots possible.

The overarching reason I purchased this camera was initially the sensor size; but now that I've used it I find the picture quality, menu system and overall functionality of the camera to be superb. It has the weight and feel of quality.

Best carry around camera for personal photography and videos! PERIOD!!!

I am a wedding photographer who`s gotten tired of carrying heavy camera bodies for my personal trips and everyday photos of family and friends!. Outstanding camera with a great image quality in a pocket sized camera was something I was waiting on for a long time until the Sony RX 100 came out! The problem is solved now! I am super happy with the overall quality/performance of this camera and for fun only I am planning to cover a complete wedding event with this little wonder! The video quality is awesome, better than many DSLR`s with video capability! I remember back in the time when I was super happy with the quality of a VHS 8 analog videos! I am done with the technology progress and updating my camera gear, this camera is all that I need for personal use and it will be my companion as long as it serves me! Kudos to Sony!!!

It takes outstanding photos.

This is a great camera for a compact and it takes beautiful photos. I just set it up on auto, point, shoot and photos have been outstanding. I also have a Nikon D200 and its photos aren't any nicer. I do wish it came with an outside battery charger, but I found an aftermarket one and I'm happy with that.