Sony RX1R review: Special edition of RX1 full-frame compact camera ditches low-pass filter, delivers even sharper images

 

 

We didn't think it would be possible to improve upon the Sony RX1, the full-frame compact camera we named our overall 2012 Camera of the Year -- at least not so soon. But that's exactly what Sony has accomplished with the Sony RX1R, a special edition of the award-winning model that removes its almost-identical twin's optical low-pass filter for the sake of sharpness and detail (and at the greater risk of inducing moiré ).

Other camera manufacturers have made similar resolution-boosting moves recently to some success, evident in closely paired models such as Nikon's D800 and D800E and Pentax's K-5 II and K-5 IIs. But we weren't expecting the RX1R's image quality differences to be so dramatic.

You have to check out our first impressions Sony RX1R review to see exactly what we're talking about. We've been hands-on with the RX1R, and we've examined side-by-side a series of test images and real-world photos captured by it and the original RX1, and we think you'll find the results as surprising as we did.

Read our Sony RX1R review for our detailed image analysis, then take a look at RX1R test shots and RX1R sample images for yourself, and finally compare the RX1R against other cameras using our Comparometer.

The Sony RX1R retails for the same price as the RX1 -- US$2,800 -- and will be available in July 2013.