Does the Sony RX1R III Make the a7CR More Compelling?

When Sony announced the a7CR in August 2023 alongside the a7C II, the compact high-res a7CR flew a bit under the radar. With the shock announcement of the highly anticipated RX1R III fixed-lens premium compact camera, the a7CR is getting more attention, and it’s well deserved.

For many photographers who have been waiting for the RX1R III for years — it has been nearly a decade since the RX1R II arrived — the RX1R III’s arrival has met a mixed reception. There is an awful lot to like about the camera — including its compact, lightweight form factor and the same excellent 61-megapixel full-frame sensor as the a7R V — but the $5,099 asking price, which doesn’t include a lens hood (that’s another $200) has made a lot of photographers, including those here at PetaPixel, wonder if the RX1R III was worth the wait.

What if there were a camera with the same high-resolution 61-megapixel sensor, Sony’s excellent AI-powered autofocus technology, but didn’t cost over $5,000 before tax?

Lo and behold, that’s exactly what the Sony a7CR has offered for about two years with little fanfare. Unlike the RX1R III, the a7CR doesn’t have massive shoes to fill, which explains the general lack of hype surrounding the camera when it arrived. But make no mistake, the $3,000 compact camera offers photographers many of the same benefits of the RX1R III, and even some unique advantages.

What the Sony a7CR and RX1R III Have in Common

As mentioned, the Sony a7CR and RX1R III cameras share Sony’s excellent 61-megapixel full-frame backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, the latest Bionz XR image processor, and the a dedicated AI processor. Essentially, the imaging pipelines in both cameras are identical, and each promises the same underlying autofocus technology, albeit with different real-world performance, as the RX1R III features a fixed 35mm f/2 lens, while the a7CR accepts interchangeable E-mount lenses. However, the similarities extend far beyond that.

The a7CR and RX1R III feature identical 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinders with 0.7x magnification, both mounted in the top left corner. Both cameras, due in large part to the relatively sluggish readout speed of the 61-megapixel sensor, are best suited for photography rather than video. And both the a7CR and RX1R III prioritize compact form factors, although to be fair, they do so in different ways.

From a pure imaging perspective, if it were possible to remove the RX1R III’s 35mm f/2 Zeiss lens and put it on the a7CR, the two cameras would capture the same exact photos. Therefore, if a photographer thinks the RX1R III is the only compact camera in Sony’s lineup that can capture high-res 61-megapixel photos, they would be mistaken.

What the Sony a7CR and RX1R III Do Differently

How Sony’s two compact 61-megapixel cameras achieve their very compactness differs in potentially meaningful ways.

The RX1R III, complete with its fixed 35mm f/2 prime lens and NP-FW50 battery, weighs 498 grams (1.1 pounds). That’s impressively lightweight, there’s no doubt about it. Because it’s a fixed lens, photographers also get the benefits of a leaf shutter for much higher flash sync speeds.

The a7CR, on the other hand, thanks in large part to its more prominent front grip and consequently larger NP-FZ100 battery, weighs 515 grams (1.1 pounds) without a lens attached. A good point of comparison is Sigma’s new 35mm f/2 DG Contemporary lens for E and L-Mount, which adds another 325 grams (0.7 pounds) to the equation.

For comparison’s sake, what about the Sony a7R V? That camera, much larger and admittedly more versatile for most professionals, weighs 723 grams (1.6 pounds) before adding a lens. It is a relatively svelte professional-grade full-frame mirrorless camera, but compared to the RX1R III and a7CR, it’s a heavyweight boxer in a featherweight bout.

The a7CR with the Sigma 35mm f/2 (or really, any lens) is also quite a bit thicker than the RX1R III, again because of the larger front grip. This more prominent grip makes perfect sense on the a7CR because you could use it with heavier lenses than a 35mm prime, and you want good purchase for that type of photography. Granted, neither camera in discussion will fit in a pants pocket, unless you’re sporting some JNCO jeans.

Even so, there’s arguing that the Sony RX1R III is a smaller and lighter camera than the a7CR when put on even ground.

But this pursuit of slenderness has come with compromises. Unlike the a7CR, the RX1R III’s (sharper) rear display does not tilt. Heck, the a7CR’s screen can even flip all the way out to the side. Perhaps even more importantly for users who are doing the type of walk-around photography the RX1R III is designed for, Sony’s latest compact camera entirely omits in-body image stabilization, a feature the a7CR offers.

Unfortunately, this is due to the RX1R III’s aged Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens, which has no image circle to spare for the wonders of in-body sensor-shift image stabilization on top of the fact the RX1R III’s camera body would have to grow in order to accomodate even a slimmed down IBIS system. That said, Sony did have nearly a decade to sort this out.

Of all the differences, by far the most impactful for photographers is that the RX1R III has a built-in lens and the a7CR doesn’t. Depending on who you ask, either one is superior. However, if the priority is capturing 61-megapixel photos with a 35mm f/2 lens, both cameras can achieve this, and the a7CR will deliver better image quality in the process thanks to modern lens design. The a7CR can, of course, also take advantage of the 61-megapixel sensor with other compact, fast primes, like a 24mm, 28mm, or 50mm lens.

For photographers who ultimately care the most about the RX1R III’s size, it may be worth its premium asking price. However, those who are willing to compromise slightly on form factor have a second, cheaper, and more versatile option in the a7CR.

A Case Study: What About Fujifilm?

While it’s hardly fair to compare sales numbers between Fujifilm cameras against anything Sony is making (mainly due to the fact that Fujifilm cameras simply move better overall), we can look at how Fujifilm approached a nearly identical situation: it launched the X100 series first and then only in the last couple months created an interchangeable lens system that mimics that design in the X-E5.

Because Sony took a huge, nearly 10-year break between RX1R models, it’s difficult to say for sure if the system would be as popular for Sony as the X100 series has been for Fujifilm. That said, the product development cycle is mimicked. Sony’s a7CR came after the RX1R and the X-E5 came after the X100. Fujifilm didn’t give up on the compact fixed lens system like Sony did, which was eventually to its overwhelming success, but it also recognizes there is enough demand in this segment to offer both fixed and interchangeable options.

And Fujifilm photographers are very happy with the ability to make that choice. The interesting difference is that Sony is charging more for the fixed lens version of this setup than the interchangeable lens option, while Fujifilm flip-flops that. In a Fujifilm world, the X-E5 would be an overwhelmingly more popular option if it was several hundred dollars cheaper than the X100, so there is no reason not to view Sony’s options with that same slant.

For Sony, the shooting experience of these cameras isn’t even different like it is for the X100VI and the X-E5. On Fujifilm’s side, the X100VI has that rangefinder-style, hybrid OVF. That really is unique, and some photographers might argue that it’s worth paying more for (even though Fujifilm doesn’t charge more for it). Sony doesn’t have that at all, so the lower price and greater versatility of the a7CR versus the RX1R III should be even more glaring.

The Sony a7CR Has Never Looked Like Such a Great Value

Although Sony launched the a7CR as a more affordable, smaller alternative to its a7R V rather than its own X100VI alternative, the RX1R III’s long-awaited arrival has breathed new life into the a7CR, not just as a point of comparison but as a viable choice for photographers who want a powerful high-res camera that can just as easily be a reasonably lightweight travel camera as the backbone of a full-fledged photography kit.

If you’re excited about the photographic promise of the RX1R III but its budget-busting $5,100 price tag has you feeling down, Sony solved these woes two years ago; it’s just that hardly anyone noticed.

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Image credits: Elements of header photo licensed via Depositphotos.