The Sony RX10 III Goes on Safari

image courtesy of Thrutheframe

Shannon Heng took the very popular Sony RX10 III on safari and wrote a great article about the experience and how tweaking settings like Zoom Assist helped him capture the moment. This is one of those rare articles about an exciting photographic adventure, where you get to take a peak inside the photographers head, because Shannon goes into great detail about the daily tweaks he made to improve his work. If you want to know how the RX10 compares to a more capable interchangeable lens camera then check out his Pros and Cons below, but if you have the time giver his article a thorough read.

Pros of Using RX10III on my trip.

1. 24-600mm equivalent F2.4-4 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens is optically very good. A lot of details can be captured, even at the longest focal length of 600mm.
2. 1″ stacked sensor has an excellent dynamic range, allowing me to apply ettL for my shots. I was still able to get details back in post process without the need to increase iso value.
3. 4K videos and slow motions capture were fun to use. Giving a different dynamic to the whole experience of using a camera. I manage to get both photos and great videos.
4. This was the lightest setup I have ever used on my wildlife trip. With the tilt screen, I was able to carry the camera at odd angles too shoot photos and videos.
5. The Focus Assist function was great for recomposing.
6. The weather sealing gave me a peace of mind during the slight drizzle when I was photographing T19.
7. The shutter was very silent and did not disturb any birds when I was photographing them.

 Cons of Using RX10III on my trip

1. I kept the camera on at all times as the startup was slow.
2. Battery life was short. I almost juiced up 2 batteries per safari
3. Even though the Contrast AF was good, I wish it had PDAF that will be able to track subjects better.
4. As for all bridge camera, the DOF cannot be compared with an aps-c or full frame camera. Isolating the subject against its background is tricky and needs a good eye to spot during composing.
5. While the sensor is good in low light, it still pales against bigger sensors.

Via Thrutheframe