All in a snap

If you’re a camera nut, you’ve probably noticed the trend: the focus has shifted from small snappers to SLRs, bridges and DSLRs, leaving our little point-and-shoot friends seemingly unnoticed at best, forgotten at worst. But in reality, there exist two truths: there are still those who prefer pocket-sized ones, and these compact cameras are becoming more and more versatile — though still not to the point of matching the cap-abilities of other bigger, higher-end categories; but that’s a whole different story.

So if you’re one of those too timid to carry around those heavyweights, take a look at the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. Don’t let its looks deceive you; small as it may be, it’s also aimed at professionals. And thanks to Sony for allowing yours truly to be the first to test it way before it was released here in the UAE.

So you might have guessed it; this baby has a lot of features. I am particularly impressed with its high-contrast, retractable OLED Tru-Finder and really quick lens and auto-focus. However, that auto-focus can — at times — make you wait a bit; it’s a bit of an irony given that while it can be fast, it can also spend some time looking for what you want or need, especially in tricky lighting situations.

Compared to its predecessor, there’s a new and rather cool pop-up electronic viewfinder on the RX100 III — although after popping it up, you still have to pull out the rear end of it, which is befuddling because it may make you ask why you can’t just peek at it right away. Good thing there’s that cute dioptre control on it. Its LCD flips up just 180 degrees… and isn’t touchscreen — how disappointing.

You can also shoot your stuff in 4K — but this is limited only to stills — and, of course, view them in 4K-capable screens. Sony claims that this shooter adapts several movie capabilities from its professional camcorders. Transferring won’t be a problem with HDMI, WiFi and NFC.

And if you need more oomph, the PlayMemories Camera app makes its first appearance in the RX100 series with this one, so have fun with all those filters and other stuff.

AND SO…

The RX100 series is one of the best from Sony and the market, and No.3 in the line makes a good impression — a very good impression at that. Although you’ll 
have to prepare your wallet, it still makes sense for this price point. Which leads to a dilemma for most camera hunters — settle for a “complete” compact camera, or shell out some more cash to be a proud owner of one of them big, flaunt-worthy snappers?

THE LAUNCHPAD HTC Desire 310 — I had the HTC Desire S before and used it for almost three years. And I reckon this iteration is better with BlinkFeed and Video Highlights. It’s also way cheaper than it once was. (Single-SIM: Dh599; Dual-SIM: Dh649) Hisense X1 — You want big? Here’s one for you; this 6.8” gizmo claims to be the “only smartphone to combine the features of a handset, tablet and TV remote into one device”. And it comes with Android 4.4 KitKat. (Dh1,899) Fujifilm Finepix XP70 — This rugged, IP68-compliant shooter is waterproof up to 10m, shockproof and can withstand as low as -10°C. And it’s a good bargain. (Dh999)