The ultimate compact?

APN user for years, whether compact all kinds (LX3, LX5, EX1, Leica D-LUX, Ricoh GRD 3), SLR (30D, 40D, 450D, 600D, 5D, 5D MK II) coupled with top-flight goals (24-105mm, 17-40mm, 50mm 1.4), well I have to say I am in awe of this little gem.

I would not say I'm surprised by the image quality because the device is acclaimed by all and I knew what to expect, having read and reread the various papers published on the internet or tests, but not that the point, really ... I tested the optical quality from every angle, shooting a brick wall from the front, then a house roof at all apertures and at all focal lengths and is just a technological achievement from Sony that back in the race and far surpasses all compact I had a chance to use. The center is a blameless sharpness at 28mm f / 5.6, the picture is perfectly uniform, a very slight lack of sharpness on the extreme edges (which of course remain net) but it's not super obvious, and 100% in Photoshop CS6. Max zoom, 100mm at f / 8 the record is still clean, with nice clarity and quality consistency. I even tried to diaph pushed to the max but always 100mm f / 11 where the signs of diffraction should be clearly visible, well I'm watching, loss of sharpness is very light, I have a little more sharpness at f / 8 (you must analyze the image) but very little loss, I would say almost zero .. The ideal for this Carl Zeiss optics that is around f / 5.6 at 28mm and you can mount the diaph gently until 100mm f / 8 and f / 11 to taste.

The picture quality, clarity, detail and sharpness searched surpasses even some SLR APS-C, the final result is even more homogeneous as my 24-105 I paid 1000 euros! (Though the comparison may be some gnashing of teeth, I'm not afraid to say ..). As an amateur "expert" and passionate, that's also why I use compact for several months, asking me if I will not leave the world of SLR cameras, as the disadvantages are many advantages compared to The ultimate goal is not to make money, this is also my job to not ..

In short, for comparison with a similar appliance, my beloved Panasonic LX3 compact was then the LX5, hyper reactive, incredible macro unit, very good image quality but marked signs of fatigue (noise, significant loss stung, grain) from 400 isos! I found it hard frustrating, especially as I had paid this camera in the 450 euros at the time. Having some little hesitant with the LX7 (the successor to the LX5) and as I know that many should be in the same case to date, I put my comparison with the positive and negative points compared to the RX100 LX5 and LX7.

++ For the RX100:
- Superlative image quality, especially for this type of device (surpasses certain reflex)
- Development hyper reactive Point
- Many options and wish to customizable buttons so the ring ojectif
- No lens cap that would limit the use and speed of shooting
- The device fits in your pocket! (And yes it is important, if not (re) carrying around a "weight" shoulder all day ...)
- It's tough, without being heavy, the case is with good and solid materials
- The panorama mode is amazing

The - for the RX100 (who does not really end):
- Macro mode is not as good as the Panasonic LX models (LX3, LX5, LX7) are the numbers of a macro lens can be glued on limit, the point is done perfectly and quickly with a clarity perfect. The RX100 provides an update to 5cm, but thanks to the high resolution (20 megapixels against only 10 on LX) a crop is widely possible to equalize and even surpass the good macro LX.
- The gap between the development and final shooting is fairly short, I do not have big hands and big fingers but after 5 pictures I found the "slip point".
- You can not use the creative modes in RAW + JPG, love the high contrast black and white, and I have to put myself in JPG only to use it, if not in RAW + JPEG I use black and white simple that is already very good, a level of contrast in your shot and editing software you'll get a similar result.
- The video mode that is not going below 50 frames per second, I would have liked 24p or another (as in the movie), even if I only use it too little video mode of the camera, ie, it is still growing. (It can be added in a firmware I think)
- The objective that starts at 28mm, initially it's really the only point that blocked me for buying this RX100, really .. but when I saw the difference in image quality between the two! devices, I do not even hesitate to keep the RX100. My LX5 24mm offers a wider field, but without much detail I find, at least nothing like the LX100 in 28mm black and white high contrast, I have the feeling of using a Silver Efex filter, image with very thorough details, even in the corners and distant shots, really no regrets ..

Hoping that this "small" test may help some, any device you choose, there are no bad choices in 2013. It will make concessions, the ultimate device does not exist finally (d hence the 4 stars), it's all about including, among price, image quality options, openness, brightness, etc ... Good pictures to everyone and all :)

Last, a big thank you to Amazon, which is still pro, for me it is the number 1 store, very fast shipment as always, well packaged, the most competitive market price, thank you to you.