The Sony RX1R III Is Finally Here: What’s New, What’s Not, and Why Now?

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Sony’s surprise reveal of the RX1R III premium compact camera this morning has sent shockwaves through the photo industry. The new camera, arriving nearly a decade after the RX1R II, introduces some key improvements, some interesting changes, and perhaps even misses a few opportunities. Let’s take a closer look at the RX1R III.

The Biggest Differences Between the New RX1R III and the Old RX1R II

The Sony RX1R II was announced in October 2015. That’s a long time ago, and much has changed not only in the digital camera landscape but within Sony’s own lineup. To put the RX1R II’s release into context, Sony announced an APS-C A-mount DSLR, the A68, less than three weeks after the RX1R II’s reveal. Sony still had one DSLR to come, too, the a99 II in September 2016.

Suffice it to say, Sony’s camera lineup has evolved dramatically since the RX1R II’s debut, and camera technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the intervening years.

One of the most significant changes with the RX1R III is the imaging pipeline. The new premium compact camera sports the same 61-megapixel full-frame image sensor Sony introduced in the a7R IV in 2019, albeit with the Bionz XR image processor and dedicated AI chip the company later added to its most recent flagship high-resolution camera, 2022’s a7R V. Sure, that’s not that new of an imaging system, with some roots in 2019. Still, the a7R V remains an excellent camera even today.

A close-up of a black Sony RX1R II digital camera with a ZEISS lens, showing detailed dials and branding, set against a dark background. — Sony RX1R III

The RX1R III inherits the a7R V’s imaging capabilities, which represent a significant upgrade from the 42.2-megapixel sensor and Bionz X processor found in the RX1R II. Not only does the RX1R III offer more resolving power, but it also features more phase-detect autofocus points — 693 versus 399 — and, with the AI processing unit, significantly improved autofocus performance and features. The RX1R III promises better face and eye detection, subject detection, and enhanced tracking performance. Now, how much the built-in 35mm f/2 lens will be able to take advantage of that improved autofocusing horsepower remains to be seen. More on that in a bit.

A close-up view of the back of a black digital camera, showing its screen, control dials, buttons, and part of the attached lens, all set against a dark background. — The RX1R III ditches the pop-up EVF of its predecessor. It has also made the control dials and hot shoe sit flush with the camera’s top plate.

Sony has also refined the RX1R III’s design and form factor, reducing its size and weight. The RX1R III is slightly shorter than its predecessor, albeit with a bit more thickness thanks to its revised grip design. The RX1R III is marginally lighter than its predecessor, having shaved nearly 10 grams (less than half an ounce) of weight.

While that alone is not much of a difference, the RX1R III swaps the RX1R II’s pop-up EVF design for a rear-mounted solution. The viewfinder has 2.36 million dots and 0.7x magnification, which is the same resolution as the RX1R II’s EVF but less magnification. The RX1R II’s EVF has 0.74x magnification.

When it comes to the rear display, much has changed. On the plus side, the RX1R III’s 3-inch 2.36M dot display is now a touchscreen, a now ubiquitous feature the RX1R II’s 1.23M dot panel lacked. However, the RX1R II’s screen tilted, while the RX1R III’s is fixed in place. The lack of a tilt screen is certainly disappointing.

Rear view of a black digital camera showing the screen, buttons, dials, and viewfinder. The model "RX1R II" is visible on the upper left corner. The camera has a textured grip and various labeled controls. — The RX1R III gets a touchscreen, but it loses the tilting design of the RX1R II’s rear panel.

As far as the control layout goes, there are some differences here, too. The RX1R III’s top control dials are now recessed, sitting flush with the camera’s top plate. The hot shoe, which is a Multi-Interface shoe now, is also flush on the camera’s top. The overall look of the camera is more aligned with Sony’s most recent bodies, whereas the RX1R II appears somewhat dated in comparison. That said, the RX1R II remains a real looker. It will remain to be seen if the RX1R III’s relative lack of character will go down in history as “sleek” or “boring.”

From a user experience perspective, the RX1R III features new film-inspired Creative Looks that Sony has introduced since the release of the RX1R II, including the FL2 and FL3 flavors introduced in the FX2 earlier this year. It’s a big area of focus for Sony, although not necessarily a segment where the company has historically excelled. Photographers looking to scratch their creative itch in-camera have flocked to other systems, while Sony cameras are renowned for their RAW file flexibility in post-production.

A black Sony RX1R camera with a Zeiss lens facing forward, shown with its battery partially ejected below the grip, against a plain white background. — The RX1R III uses a new, larger battery.

The RX1R III also uses Sony’s NP-FW50 battery, which is much larger than the RX1R II’s weak NP-BX1 battery. This increases the CIPA rating from 220 shots to 300, although in real-world use, photographers can expect to capture many more than that.

To summarize the most prominent changes between the RX1R II and the new RX1R III:

A new-and-improved 61-megapixel image sensor and faster image processor
A faster AI-powered autofocus system
A revised design with an EVF that no longer pops up and a touchscreen, albeit one that doesn’t tilt

What Hasn’t Changed With the Sony RX1R III?

While the RX1R III gets a new image sensor, processor, and autofocus system, one key component in the overall imaging pipeline has remained utterly untouched: the built-in Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens, which actually hasn’t been tweaked at all since the original RX1 was announced in 2012.

Yes, the lens proved popular with photographers in 2012, 2013, and 2015 in the RX1, RX1R, and RX1R II. However, that was a long time ago, and it will be fascinating to see if the Zeiss optical design holds up against a 61-megapixel image sensor, especially one without an optical low-pass filter. If there are any issues to be found, that sensor will find them.

Top view of a black digital camera showing the lens with focus and aperture markings, a mode dial, power switch, shutter button, and other control buttons. — The Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens from the original RX1, which released in 2012, remains in place on 2025’s RX1R III.

The most interesting test may concern autofocus, though. The Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens has some fairly prominent elements to move around inside, and this has proven to be a bottleneck in prior RX1R-series cameras. Yes, the RX1R III features a new, swifter autofocus system, but will the lens be able to take advantage of it?

While these are concerns, there are plus sides to sticking with the tried-and-true lens. It still has a leaf shutter, which shoots at 1/2000 second at f/2, 1/3000 second at f/4, and 1/4000 second at f/5.6, meaning that the RX1R III can sync with flash at some relatively fast shutter speeds, something the a7R V can’t do. As we’ve seen with photographers using leaf-shutter lenses in other systems, a leaf shutter can enable some creative and interesting uses of flash.

A black Sony RX1 digital camera with a large detachable flash mounted on top, shown on a white background. — The RX1R III’s leaf shutter means it can sync flash at its fastest mechanical shutter speeds, which is 1/2000 second at f/2.

Putting the RX1R III Into Context: Why Now?

The RX1R III took so long to arrive that it was fair to assume the camera was never coming and that the RX1R series was essentially dead. However, the RX1R III arrives at a time when premium compact cameras are flourishing, which undoubtedly influenced Sony’s decision to release the camera now.

On the slightly less premium side of things, the Fujifilm X100 series has thrived in the years that the RX1R series has been dormant. While the X100VI camera features a 40-megapixel APS-C image sensor, it embodies the same general spirit as the RX1R series: a compact camera with a 35mm equivalent lens that delivers high image quality.

On the much more premium side, there is the Leica Q series, which, like the RX1R models, features a full-frame sensor. 2023’s Leica Q3 pairs a 60-megapixel image sensor with a fantastic 28mm f/1.7 lens, and 2024’s Q3 43 swaps that wide-angle prime for a 43mm f/2 ASPH lens.

Despite their relatively high price tags, 2019’s Leica Q2 and the newer Q3 models have found a strong, passionate following among photographers who want a high-resolution camera that they can slip into their pocket.

A close-up of a black Sony RX1R II digital camera with a Zeiss lens, showing detailed buttons and dials on a dark background.

The RX1R III undoubtedly targets that same general market, albeit with an even smaller body. In fact, the RX1R III is about 40% lighter than the Q3, and its narrower, shorter body has 45% less volume.

There’s no question whatsoever that Sony has been watching the Leica Q series and wondered, “Is now the time to revisit the RX1R?” Well, that time has come, and the RX1R III enters a surprisingly crowded premium compact space. Not only does the RX1R III compete against the Leica Q series, it also has medium-format competition.

Much like the GFX series has long put high-res full-frame cameras, such as the a7R series, in its crosshairs, promising a “better than full-frame” experience, the RX1R III has a GFX competitor, the GFX100RF. The 100-megapixel premium fixed-lens camera is noticeably bigger and heavier than the RX1R III, but it has a 100-megapixel sensor and a 28mm f/4 equivalent lens. And it costs less — $4,899 versus $5,099 (with a lens hood included, by the way).

Three digital illustrations show a Sony RX1 camera body from the front, back, and top, with the lens facing forward, and a detachable lens hood displayed alongside the camera. — Alongside the RX1R III, Sony unveiled three accessories: a body case, a thumb rest, and a lens hood, all of which cost extra, even the hood.

So then, that brings us to price — the elephant in the room. It’s impossible to totally disentangle a camera’s price in the United States these days from the ongoing tariff situation, but even so, the RX1R II’s launch price was $3,300. Inflation and tariffs aside, the jump from that to $5,099 is significant, and Sony wants another $200 on top of that for a lens hood. The photographer who wants the RX1R III, the thumb grip, the case, and the hood will spend about $5,850 before tax.

The RX1R III is a premium compact camera, of course, so premium prices come with the territory. What remains to be seen is if the overall experience and feel of the camera lives up to its billing, and if, after all these years, the Sony RX1R III is everything that everyone wanted it to be.