It may be a small evolution of the action cam, but Sony’s new Cyber-shot RX0 II has a tilting LCD screen. This means easier image framing from various angles and maybe even better selfies.
Sony yesterday lobbed the latest volley in the action camera wars with the launch of the RX0 II. The little camera, which Sony calls the “world’s smallest and lightest premium ultra-compact camera” (an arguable statement), stacks up well with its competition: GoPro and, to a lesser extent, Rylo.
It has the numbers vloggers, adventurous videographers, and Insta personalities need to churn out quality video stories. Note internal 4K video at 30 fps, 15.3-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS image sensor, BIONZ X image processor for enhanced color reproduction, and enhanced image stabilization.
It has a wide ISO range of 80 to 12,800. For glass, it rocks a ZEISS Tessar T 24mm F4.0 fixed lens with a minimum focusing distance of 20 cm. It also has a 3.5mm mic input, something that sets this rugged camera apart from the admittedly much cheaper GoPro competition.
So it’ll shoot the images and video you need. It builds on a good previous model, the RX0. And without testing it, I’m relying on specs and the pretty video produced below to guess that, yes, this is probably a pretty solid camera.
That LCD Screen Though
But what grabbed my attention was the tilting LCD screen. This won’t be a big deal for those who use the camera mostly on a helmet.
But for framing images, a waist-level viewfinder can really change the look of your video and photography, especially handheld. (If you’ve ever shot with a Rolleiflex or similar double-lens reflex camera, you understand.) Low-angle shots should be easier to frame.
And, of course, so should selfies.
Now the burn: the Sony RX0 II retails for $700 in the U.S. For that price, you can almost buy two GoPro HERO7s ($399 each).
So if you’re willing to spend a lot more for comparable results, the Sony RX0 II is an interesting product. It hits the market on April 1.
