Sony Launches RXO II, a Premium Ultra-Compact
I was writing a longer trend piece about a9 Firmware 5 and Sony launches the RX0 II. That’s another fav camera of mine and is the world’s smallest and lightest premium ultra-compact camera.
The new RX0 II is an update to Sony’s popular super-compact camera with superb image quality and 4K shooting. YouTubers will be happy it has a flip up screen for selfies. I’ve traveled all over with an RXO and use it when I ride bikes instead of pulling out my cell phone.
RX0 II Features
- Superb image quality delivered by 1.0-type stacked 15.3MP image sensor condensed into waterproof, rugged, highly compact body
- Featuring ZEISS® Tessar T* 24mm F4 fixed wide-angle lens
- Movie shooting with 4K internal recording and new image stabilization solutions
- Advanced functionality for stills photography, including up to 1/32000 sec. Anti-distortion Shutter and up to 16fps continuous shooting
- Diverse range of shooting scenes enabled by waterproof 180-degree tiltable LCD panel and Clear Image Zoom
- Perfect for selfie with enhanced color reproduction, new Soft Skin Effect mode and advanced Eye AF
- Microphone jack and optional Shooting Grip (VCT-SGR1) delivers minimal and ideal Vlog shooting solution
- Multi-camera solution that enables creative video expression from various viewpoints
The RX0 II uses a 1.0-type stacked 15.3-megapixel Exmor RS™ CMOS image sensor and an advanced BIONZ X™ image processing engine that offer enhanced color reproduction, including beautiful skin tones. This small but powerful combination offers excellent image quality for both stills and movie shooting across a wide sensitivity range of ISO 80-12800. The ZEISS® Tessar T* 24mm F4.0 fixed wide-angle lens has a shortened minimum focusing distance of 20cm, making it perfect for selfies, table-top photos, and schools of fish.
A Camera for All Conditions
Like the RXO, the RX0 II is truly a worry-free camera that’ll go everywhere. It measures just 59mm x 40.5mm x 35mm and weighs just 132g. So it fits easily into a pocket and is waterproof up to 10 meters deep, dustproof, shockproof up to 2 meters and crushproof up to 200KG force.
As I shared when the RX0 launched, it enables new forms of creative expression. I created an array with 12 of them once. Now, the RXO shoots in 4k. It was previously limited to HD. Of course, being a Sony that video has a full pixel readout and no pixel binning.
The other big update is image stabilization and improved Eye AF.
Pricing and Availability
The RX0 II camera will ship in April 2019 for approximately $700. Read more about the ultra compact camera on Sony Alpha Universe.