Sony RX100 Mark VI is a Terrific Little Camera!

Actually, I don't consider this thing a "P&S" at all, since it is much more sophisticated than that, but I see threads about the other RX100 cameras in here so I guess this is the spot!

I preordered early in the month and received it on Launch Day, July 10th, and so far am very, very pleased with it, especially the longer lens reach (its predecessor, the Mark V, is 24-70, whereas this new one is 24-200).

It had been while since I've done much shooting at all and I was definitely rusty -- but now after a couple of days I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride again and the creative juices are finally beginning to stir as my eyes and brain start to seek out and spot interesting photo possibilities.....

DSC-RX100M6    ---    72mm    f/4.5    1/200s    ISO 400

DSC-RX100M6    ---    49mm    f/11.0    1/160s    ISO 4000

DSC-RX100M6    ---    72mm    f/11.0    1/200s    ISO 6400

DSC-RX100M6    ---    72mm    f/4.5    1/200s    ISO 250

DSC-RX100M6    ---    34mm    f/4.5    1/100s    ISO 125

 

Thanks, Allan! Yes, I was attracted to the weathered look of the door that was hanging open (it’s part of an exterior enclosure for HVAC units) and when I got home and looked at the images I was very, very pleased at how nicely the camera had captured what I had been seeing. I had the RX100 M3 and still have the RX100 M5 but I think this one beats both of them, and not just in the increased focal length of the lens, although that definitely helps in framing of some images. I am very happy with it so far!

 

Something occurred to me this evening, and that is.....I currently am processing my images on a 15” MacBook Pro (2015). At the time I bought this machine I figured I’d also get an external monitor to plug into it for larger screen real estate for image processing, but then since I really wasn’t doing much in the way of photography at all, that idea rather slipped by the wayside. Now it is occurring to me that maybe this would be the time to get an external monitor, say, around 24” or so, for image processing in the future, as I have the feeling that what may look just fine to me on a 15” screen really isn’t cutting the mustard when someone is looking at it on a 24”, 27” or larger screen..... ??

 

Thanks, Dave! I definitely am happy with the display on the MBP in general, but it occurred to me that maybe while a photographic image I'm processing looks just fine to me on this screen, when blown up further to a larger monitor's screen it might not at all....and I do need to know that! I'm not exactly offering my images for stock photography or other gallery sales, no plans for selling big prints, but still, I would like them to at least look good on any computer screen that a person viewing them is using.

Actually, now at this point I am not inclined to buy a new external monitor because if I make some changes in my gear -- both photographic and computer -- in the next several months. which is possible given the news about Apple's release of the refreshed MBPs, that would probably make a difference with regard to whatever kind of external monitor I would then purchase. Still very undecided about the A7 III and the more I'm using and enjoying this little RX100 M 6 the more I'm thinking, why spend a bunch of money on expensive lenses and such when what I go out and shoot is fine for me and maybe a few other people on the internet might like it, but that's it? I'm not shooting a lot of family photos and such for sharing and printing, which is different than many photographers' experience and gear requirements.

 

Thanks, Mike! Right, it is the resolution and the monitor's own technology that is key here. I don't know if this monitor can be calibrated with one of the usual tools -- never investigated that -- it can be calibrated to a limited extent via Apple's own software in the machine, but that's not the same as using a more professional tool designed for this purpose.

Well, at this point I am not going to do anything until I've seen whether or not I'm really going to jump full-force back into photography after somewhat of a hiatus, and also whether or not within the next several months or so I am going to (1) update my computer and (2) update my photo gear.

And, yes, I agree that the second and third images I shared here could be really cool in B&W, too! I rather liked the soft and subtle grey-and-white shadings that have come from years of weathering, but the images could be even more interesting and compelling in B&W, especially since they hit upon the aspects that make B&W so wonderful: emphasis on lines and shapes, shadows and light.....

 

Glenn!!! Long time no see!!! Gosh, I'll bet your girls are all grown up now, or close to it. Time does fly.....

I hear you loud and clear on the whole thing about lugging a lot of gear around and I must say, today when I was out with this little thing, I really enjoyed just being able to concentrate more on finding interesting things to shoot and then shooting them without having to fiddle with swapping lenses or setting down a heavy bag and digging around in it for something..... An extra battery and an extra SD card in my pocket, the camera around my neck, and that was it. Very liberating!

The first day I was out with the camera I hadn't yet quite figured out the touch pad/touch screen thing and didn't have it set up correctly, but now that I have done so, it's really a cool tool! Two big things that I am appreciating that are different from the RX100 M5 are the aforementioned touch screen/touch pad functionality and also the fact that now when one wants to use the EVF, pressing the button pops the thing up and it is ready for immediate use, unlike in previous iterations where one had to carefully pull on the eyepiece section and get it into position prior to use. I also am really loving the greater range with this camera as opposed to the earlier 24-70; that reach from 24-200 really makes a difference!

I would say that Sony has really hit a homerun with this camera, as it offers a lot that will be appealing to both the experienced enthusiast photographer and the person who is familiar only with basic P&S or cell phone photography.

My iPhone X definitely comes in handy when I'm out with friends or somewhere and don't have a "real" camera with me; this past weekend as I was driving to meet friends for a birthday celebration luncheon for a couple of them, I realized that, oops, I'd forgotten a camera. The iPhone X worked just fine to capture fun moments of the day, and the quality of the images, while certainly nothing that would be great if blown up into a 11 x 17 or larger print, was more than adequate for recording the occasion and providing images for the participants to enjoy later.

 

It sounds as though your girls are both doing really well! Congratulations to the older one -- wow, Hopkins, Manhattan apartment and a good job -- great way to begin her adult years! And the younger one is now 18??? Wow, they grow up so fast!!!

 

Oh, I hear you loud and clear on that convoluted and complex menu system, Allan!!!! I've had the camera since Tuesday and I am STILL tweaking and fiddling with settings!! If I recall correctly, when I bought the M3, it was something like two days before going off on a vacation and I didn't have much time to really learn about the camera and as a result pretty much wound up using it as a sort of P&S, not really taking full advantage of what it could do. When I got my M5 last year I did take more time to delve into the menu settings but again never really used the camera to its full advantage, as it seemed that if I were going to shoot something "serious," I'd grab the Nikon and a couple of lenses....

The M6 is even more sophisticated than its predecessors, and the menu reflects this, especially since they have added new features like the touch screen/touch panel. One thing which Sony has added to this camera's menu is a tab called "My Menu," and this is handy for stashing frequently-used functions. It is a little different than the Function button feature where one can assign specific functions and customize some of the buttons. On this "My Menu," I've put "format," so that I don't have to dig in the larger menu to find that each and every time I need to format the memory card, and I've added a couple of other things as well. Haven't yet done the customization of the function buttons, though.

The touch screen/touch pad function is very nice, once one gets it set up properly -- it is too bad that they didn't also allow for touchscreen capability on the menu, too! THAT would be so valuable! The touch screen feature is for moving the focus point when shooting -- they call it the "touch screen" when one is using the LCD monitor for focusing, and "touch pad" when one is using the EVF. It's a bit awkward, but doable, to hold the camera steady in the left hand while looking through the EVF and then using a finger on the right hand to touch the LCD screen and adjust the focus point! Wisely, Sony offers options about how much of the screen should be touch-sensitive, and most users, including me, have found that when using the EVF it's best to block out the left half of the screen so that one's nose and face don't touch the screen inadvertently and mess things up! The right side of the screen being set to use the touch capability works out pretty well.

Once I get this thing fully set up to my way of shooting and my preferences, I should not have to do much menu-diving at all....that's the hope, anyway!!