In the Field: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R Mark II for Travel Photography

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R Mark II is a compact powerhouse, seamlessly blending portability with professional-grade features. Released as the successor to the RX1R, the Mark II features a 42-megapixel full-frame sensor and advanced autofocus.

But does its fixed 35mm lens and lightweight design make it the ideal travel companion—or are there still elements that hold it back? These are the questions professional photographer and traveler Ruby Cruden set out to answer during a recent trip to Japan, where she tested the camera extensively in bustling cities and serene landscapes alike. In this review, Ruby explores the specs, performance and quirks of the RX1R Mark II. Over to you, Ruby.

As a professional photographer and traveler, I had the chance to push the Sony DSC-RX1R Mark II to its limits. From low-light street photography to capturing intricate details of temples, I’ve gathered plenty of insights to share.

My passion for photography began at a very young age, but it truly deepened when I brought my first analog camera to Japan. There’s something magical about capturing the essence of a place—the atmosphere, the memories—and bringing these memories home as a lasting keepsake. My style is defined by bold colors and striking contrasts, with the goal of immersing viewers in the exact moment I experienced, allowing them to see and feel what I did when I took the shot.

Key Specifications

The RX1R Mark II is a great fit for travel- and street photography, which is all about acting fast. This is where the great autofocus and sensor are incredibly helpful. There’s a tracking mode for every setting and it rarely misses, even in low-light conditions, thanks to the full-frame sensor.

Pros

• Weight: The camera is incredibly lightweight, making it easy to take on long walks. On some days I took all three cameras I had with me, but on longer days, I just took the Sony Cyber Shot.

• Low-light: It works great in low-light settings, making it perfect for after-hours street photography

• Design: The camera looks really sleek and elegant. It’s well-designed and feels nice in your hands when shooting.

Cons

• Slow processor: When shooting in simultaneous JPEG and uncompressed RAW, the camera needs to “think” before shooting again. I shot a lot of images when I saw a perfect composition forming on a busy crossing, but when I wanted to adjust the settings and shoot again, the camera was still busy writing files to the card.

• Battery life: The battery life isn’t fantastic. I tend to shoot a lot of images fast when shooting digitally, and noticed the battery was pretty much dead after 200 shots.

• No built-in flash: A built-in flash would have been the cherry on top for me personally. I don’t use flash a lot, but when I do it’s mostly for night portraits. The lack of a flash isn’t great.

Compact Yet Impressive

The first thing I noticed when I unboxed the camera is that it is super compact. I don’t think I’ve ever shot with a camera this small, except for maybe the small point-and-shoot cameras I took to the shopping center when I was 14 to have way too elaborate (and very cringe) photoshoots with my friends. I’m used to shooting with 120 analog cameras such as the Pentax 67 (fittingly also known as ‘The Beast’), which weighs 2.7kg. With only 507g, the RX1R Mark II was a true eye-opener: I could just throw it in my bag. It almost fits in my pocket (but I think you’d need a pair of vacation dad pants with abnormally large pockets if you don’t plan to bring a bag). Still, perfect for an activity-packed city trip. 

Read our guide for digital cameras for film-like photography.

42-megapixel Full-Frame Sensor in a Compact Body

The RX1R Mark II’s full-frame 42-megapixel sensor was quite a special feature for me, especially for a camera with such a compact body. If shooting in a high resolution is on your checklist, this one’s for you. Whenever I get home from a trip, I love to frame and hang my favorite shots in my home, creating my own hall of fame of travel memories. The full-frame sensor makes sure every shot you take will be in the best resolution, so you don’t have to worry about pixelated prints.

Design and Handling

Let’s have a look at the design of the camera. As a Canon girl, I can adjust my settings blindly with any Canon camera. Surprisingly enough, the menu layout and placement of controls in the Sony RX1R Mark II was not as big of a problem as I thought it was going to be. After a few tries, I could navigate the settings (both on-screen and using the physical buttons) effortlessly. This made it super easy to think on my feet and be in the moment when doing street photography. 

The RX1R Mark II also has a pop-up viewfinder, though I have to admit I didn’t quite enjoy using it that much. If I see something, I shoot it, and pressing a button to reveal the viewfinder is an extra step that could possibly make or break your momentum. Therefore, I preferred using the screen itself while shooting. The screen has the ability to tilt, which can be useful if you want to shoot something from a very low angle without physically having to drop to the floor. 

The only thing I’d add as a feature here would be a touchscreen. It’s such a force of habit for me to quickly tap and swipe on my screen, which made me feel like a newbie quite a few times (though I figure this would not be a deal-breaker if I were to buy the camera).

Battery Life

What was a bit of a disappointment in my experience with the RX1R Mark II was the battery life, which was close to zero after about 200 shots. Of course, there are multiple factors that can improve this experience (making sure not to let the camera get too cold or hot, turning off the camera, keeping your screen brightness low, etc.). But let’s be real, if you’re like me and you’re running around a city capturing as much beauty as you can, these things are not your priority. I also found that charging the battery takes quite a long time (about 5 hours). And yes, buying some extra batteries would help here, but I still feel like we’re allowed to expect a bit better from this.

35mm Fixed Lens

The Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens—which is the same lens as the original Sony RX1R—was a very cool touch. The high-quality glass and the fact that it’s a prime lens (or “fixed” lens, no zoom) make for a great sharpness. I personally love playing with depth of field, so getting the aperture all the way to f/2 was perfect for getting that nice out-of-focus background. I did have to get used to the 35mm focal length. I’m a great fan of zoom lenses for trips, because it allows me to be more flexible. Sometimes, there’s no time to get closer, and to be able to do that with your lens can really save your shot. If I had it my way, the camera would have a lens with a focal length somewhere around 35-70 for a bit more flexibility. If you want a full-frame camera and a zoom, you'll want to look at the Sony A7C and a zoom lens.

Autofocus Performance

Fun fact for the detail-oriented photo fan: the RX1R II uses the exact same autofocus system as the Sony A7R II. But for this camera, the autofocus speed is slightly slower. The RX1R II has a whopping 399 autofocus points, making it perfect for shooting in a dynamic setting such as a bustling city. If you’re like me and love asking locals with a cool style for a quick portrait, you can get started right away with, for example, the super-fast Eye AF. When shooting still objects, such as birdhouses in parks or cool details in temples, I mostly used the Single-AF, which worked well.

Continuous Shooting

If your favorite form of photography involves continuous shooting, this might not be a good fit. If continuous shooting at a frame rate of around 5fps in JPEG is all you need, you should be good to go. But I noticed that anywhere faster than that will become a problem. Personally, I would not recommend shooting in just JPEG if you want to edit your images. JPEG compresses the image, reducing the data required when you want to change its values such as highlights and shadows. My advice would be to shoot in RAW. Or, for greater flexibility, in RAW and JPEG simultaneously. Choose a shooting mode in your settings that is suitable for whatever you’re shooting. For example, there’s no need for continuous shooting if you’re taking a picture of a still object.

Image Quality

As I mentioned earlier, the full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor is an absolute treat. Having a full-frame sensor in such a small camera is quite special, elevating the camera to one fit for the professional. I love shooting at night, especially in a city like Tokyo that turns into a wonderland of lights at sundown. With this camera, I didn’t have to worry about noisy images when bumping up the ISO. The dynamic range is great too, so with an aperture as large as f/2, you can take the dreamiest night portraits.

Verdict

I think the RX1R Mark II is a great camera, but not necessarily a crowd-pleaser. At launch, it wasn’t the most appealing price for beginners and hobbyists. Though if you’re ready to take your photography to the next level and love to travel light, I think it’s definitely worth it. If I wasn’t into analog photography so much, I definitely would have considered buying this one for my travels compared to my DSLRs I use for work. Not being able to change the lens on the camera saves you the struggle of carrying a full photo kit, but I personally like being able to switch between prime and zoom lenses. In the end, I would say the RX1R Mark II is a great camera for the city-trip enthusiast who wants an easy-to-use camera that shoots pictures with amazing quality. 

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