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Sony Point and Shoot Camera Review

If you’re looking for a point & shoot camera that takes AWESOME pictures (like a DSLR) but is as small and portable as your phone, let me show you some pictures I’ve been getting with the Sony DSC RX100M III.

Update July 2018

I have updated to the newest version of this camera, the Sony DSC-RX100 VI. You can click on any image on this website to see what camera I used.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Beautiful Background Blur

Here’s what I love about this little camera. It’s got great focal length — you can zoom in really far to get close-up shots, but you can also zoom out really wide to fit a whole lot into the picture. It’s got a 24-70mm f/1.8 lens. Yes, this point and shoot camera goes all the way down to 1.8!! That means INCREDIBLE background blur. Seriously. Just scroll down and check out some of these pictures. If you want a better understanding of what those lens numbers mean, check out this post.

Send Photos Straight from Camera to Phone (No Wifi Needed!)

Also my favorite feature of this camera is the WiFi function!! You can send photos straight from the camera to your phone, immediately after you take them. No more waiting to get back home to a computer! The camera creates its own WiFi, so you do not have to be on a WiFi network to get the pictures on your phone!! So cool. You can share them immediately to Instagram, Facebook, email or whatever!

Full Manual Mode (If you want that!)

You can use this camera in full manual mode if you want. Or you can shoot in Aperture priority, Shutter priority, or it’s got great preset scenes like action, macro, and food. Ninety-nine percent of the time, though, I shoot in Superior Auto. On the dial it looks like a camera with a plus. The only other setting I use is, sometimes, rarely, I’ll change it to the food preset scene. Everything else (and most of the time food too) is shot in Superior Auto. So it’s super easy to just literally point and shoot!

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Here is a link to this exact camera on Amazon.

Which camera did I use? Point & Shoot or DSLR?

If you ever wonder what camera I used to take a photo here on Kevin & Amanda, you can click on any picture to see the camera, lens, and settings I used.

 


Photos Straight from the Camera (No Editing)

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

This photo was taken outside on a sunny day in Superior Auto mode. LOVE the background blur here!!

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

With Flash

Here’s a photo that was taken with the flash on. The french toast was a little dark, so I decided to see what it looked like if I popped the flash up. Not bad!

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Low Light

This camera performs AWESOME in low-light. This was taken in a dark restaurant at night.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Another nighttime food photo. Gorgeous bokeh.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

This restaurant was super, super dark, and I still managed to get a decent picture of the mini chocolate tart. Another bonus is the background blur here. The table was not super pretty, but you can’t tell thanks to this amazing 1.8 lens!

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Landscape Photos in Auto Mode

Here are some scenery shots in Deer Valley, Utah. Again, this was shot in Superior Auto mode. From the close-up, low-light, awesome bokeh photo above, to this wide-angle, sunny day, everything-in-focus landscape shot, Superior Auto can detect and perfectly capture every situation.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Another view of the mountains and fall colors at Deer Valley Resort.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Here’s a nighttime shot on the football field in Auburn.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

And here’s a photo I snapped of our house.


Photos with light editing in Lightroom / Photoshop

This next set of photos were taken by Stephanie Parker of PlainChicken.com. Stephanie introduced me to this amazing little camera. We traveled together this summer to Sweden, Amsterdam, Budapest, Austria, and Germany. She got some AMAZING photos with this tiny point & shoot camera while I lugged around my huge Canon 70D DSLR and 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. I love this big camera and lens when I’m at home, but when you’re traveling, it’s so nice to be able to get great, fast photos without having to carry around a huge camera. I always travel with this little Sony camera now!

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

How I Edit My Photos

Here’s how I edit my photos in Lightroom. Most of the time I just add a little Fill Light and Vibrance.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

I adjusted the Fill Light slider here to make that reflection pop!! Also adding Vibrance will make those blues so, so blue.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Wide Angle

Here’s an example of how wide this lens will zoom out. I could not fit this entire monument in the frame with either my Canon + 24-70 lens OR my iPhone 5S.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

RAW or JPG

You can shoot in RAW or JPG with this camera. Stephanie always shoots in RAW, and you can get some AWESOME sunset photos with slight editing in Lightroom. This photo was taken in Superior Auto, and all I did was bump up the Fill Light and Vibrance in Lightroom here.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Same for this photo. Again, for more information on Fill Light and Vibrance, check out my Lightroom tutorial.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Super Sharp Focus

I have been super impressed with the clarity of this camera. Every shot is razor-sharp, no matter the subject – people, food, or landscape. Here’s one token “people picture” to give you an idea. :) This is Stephanie and me at Oktoberfest in Munich this year.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

Here are a few more food shots. My only “dislike” about this camera is that you can’t get the camera really close to the subject. The camera just won’t focus if you try to get too close. To get as close as possible, you have to have the camera all the way zoomed out. I only really notice it when taking pictures of food. But obviously you can still get some awesome shots with this camera! Check out the next two photos below.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

This was taken inside with no natural light.

This camera takes pictures as good as a DSLR but is as small and portable as your phone. Check out the AMAZING bokeh on this tiny point & shoot camera! Plus instantly send photos to your phone, no WiFi needed!! Click the pin for more info on this camera.

And this was taken in a dark restaurant at night.

So those are just a few examples! If you’re looking for a new camera to get some great holiday photos this year, check out the Sony DSC RX100M III.


Accessories You’ll Definitely Want

  • Memory Cards
  • Extra Batteries — If you’re traveling, you’ll definitely want to have a couple extra backup batteries with you, just in case!
  • Attachment Grip — Makes the camera so much easier to hold!
  • Screen Protector — The best thing about this camera is that you can just throw it in your purse or backpack. But protect that back screen!

Here is a link to the exact camera model I have.

Update April 2018:

I have updated to the newest version of this camera, the Sony DSC-RX100 V. I still love it! You can click on any image on this website to see what camera I used.

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30 Responses
  1. MMcClung

    Thank you for the review and update. If I’m reading the details correctly from your Egypt trip, you used the V and VI.  Do you have a strong preference of one over the other?  I’m looking at purchasing a point and shoot, so would like to make a good choice on one.  Thanks so much.

    1. Amanda

      I used the VI in Egypt. I LOVE it!! I think it is a huge upgrade from the V because it zooms over twice as far!! I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

  2. Monica

    Hi Amanda!  I’m also thinking of getting one.  Would love to hear if you are still happy with this camera.
    Also, LOVE the new font on your website.  What is it?

    Thanks for sharing all of your learning and best practices.  

  3. gretchen mckinney

    Hi Amanda…are you still happy with this camera?   We are traveling out west  camping for 5 weeks and was going to purchase a new lens however I thought…I wonder what Amanda uses and then read this.   It would be amazing to have something light with hiking etc.   

    Any feedback would be so appreciated…thanks so much!!  ~gretchen

  4. Leslie Fleck

    Hi Amanda, I purchased this camera after reading your review ( and doing lots of other research) and was disappointed when I started using it on vacation in FL last week. I got some beautiful shots in dark areas, but on auto mode outside in the sun all my photos are very washed out and over exposed.
    I’m frustrated because the conditions seem ideal and I don’t really feel I should have to shoot in manual to correct this. Any thoughts?

  5. Anna

    Hi Amanda! I have been wanting this camera for months. Question for you: what is the zoom like from far distances? For example, if you were at the zoo, how well could you zoom in an animal from a far distance? That is my only concern with this camera. Thanks for your review!

  6. Lorie

    Thank you for all the info! I’ve been looking into getting a new DSLR and now you’ve given me more to think about before purchasing my next camera. Love your pictures!!!

  7. Jenn

    Impressive! I too am growing tired of lugging around the DSLR all the time, but am too much of a perfectionist to be happy with phone photos while on-the-go. This seems like the solution! Thanks for the in-depth review.

  8. janey

    wow. where to begin? thanks so much for all the info….hard to get such clear, concise information from camera companies. Definitely going to get this camera….walking thru the streets of Italy for 6 weeks with my 7D certainly played tricks on my back and shoulder. and lightroom? been in photoshop for so long and I’m so bored with it…..definitely going to print out your instructions for lightroom. so many times I’ve oooohed and aaaahed over the editing of your images…..now I know!!
    Question for you plz?? when you have your 7D set to large images…..is your resolution only at 72? I cannot find how to up the resolution on my images and I’m set to large. My last camera, canon 20D, would be set on large with a 300 resolution. I cannot figure out how to up the resolution setting on this 7D.
    Would have emailed but didn’t see your addy anywhere. Thanks for your help!! I have huge shoot planned for day before Turkey Day and do not want to use a new camera that I’m not familiar with…..

  9. Melanie T

    I have the DSC RX100, how is this camera different? I really like it, it takes beautiful pictures. But I have had a hard time finding out what pixels are on what settings, (ex. 1600 x 1200, 750 x 300, etc) I use my old camera to do mystery shops that require a certain picture settings, because I can adjust my camera to know exactly what the setting is. On this camera it just has a name, but does not show me the number setting it is on.

  10. haley @Cupcakes and Sunshine.com

    Holy MOLY! This is incredibe!! Sometimes I don’t even want to take pictures because I don’t want to drag my giant camera around. This product is fantastic!

  11. Pam

    Hey I love this camera but can’t spend that much right now (just bought video camera!) What would you suggest for a step (or even TWO) down from this one? Without sacrificing too much of course! Love love your pictures!
    Thank you!

  12. aimee

    Sigh… I have been dreaming of this camera for months now, but it’s just not in my budget right now. Maybe Sony will have one for a giveaway soon??? One can hope!

  13. Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

    So impressive! I have a Nikon D800, but it’s too heavy for me to carry around when a have a bulky lens on it! This would be the perfect fix if I want to take it around exploring :)

  14. Jenny U

    These look great! What about pictures of people? I’ve heard that DSLR cameras are so much better for that, but I really want something that is easier to carry.

    My Nikon D40 won’t change focus points anymore. Any ideas of why that would be? Thanks!

    1. Amanda

      Hi Jenny! I have been super impressed with the clarity of this camera. It takes razor-sharp photos no matter the subject – people, food, or landscape. I’ve updated the post to include a “people picture” to give you an idea. :) Hope this helps! :)

  15. Natalie @ Budget and the Bees

    I’m really impressed that some of those photos came from a point and shoot! Does it allow you to adjust many settings manually? The 1.8 aperture is impressive, but does it always select for you, or do you have the ability to set it for the effect you want?

    1. Amanda

      Hi Natalie! As I said in the post: “You can use this camera in full manual mode if you want.” Hope this helps! :)

  16. Bonnie Morgan

    Extremely helpful post. I am dreaming about buying this camera because I am weary of traveling with a heavy bulky camera. Thank you for detailed information and examples of what the camera can do.
    Having traveled quite a bit the last few years ( but not as much as you!!!!!) I would enjoy traveling without the heavy gear as well as the WiFi sounds incredible.
    What was your major in college? Just curious.

  17. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh

    I bookmarking this in case our current P&S doesn’t work out. It’s one of the newest Sony Cybershots too but I’m not real pleased with it. I have to have it in shutter mode to get clear pictures otherwise everything isn’t very crisp even with the stabilizer on. This is our 2nd new one in 2 months, the other was a Canon I think. Video is super important to us so you can go through a few before finding the right one. For anyone looking for P&S, I can say the processor is super important so the thinner the camera is, the less quality you’re going to get. Glad you’re happy with yours!

  18. Suz

    Hey Amanda, I clicked on the link to take me to the camera on Amazon, but was directed to Cabela’s Duck Hunting section. Just thought you’d want to know!! Off to look at Amazon now.

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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