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Rugged, small and waterproof - these are the characteristics you usually would associate with an Action Cam, but the RX0 (both mark 1 and mark 2) is not a camera of this type. In the following article I will explain what the differences are.
As you will probably notice from the introductory sentence, it's important for me to point out that the RX0m2 is not an Action Cam and you shouldn't compare it with Action Cams from Sony or other manufacturers, because it's intended for a different purpose.
Don't get me wrong, of course there are overlaps of use cases - these overlaps are areas where until now Action Cams were only used, because all other video-capable cameras on the market were either too big, you couldn't or didn't want to take a camcorder or a photo camera with you e.g. because of environmental conditions or simply due to little space in your backpack when travelling isolated parts of the world. To put it plainly - Action Cams were sometimes used simply because the RX0 didn't exist yet.
Innovations in comparison to the predecessor:
Swivelling display
Those who know the predecessor will notice that the RX0m2 is a bit thicker than the RX0m1. These additional millimeters were necessary to make room for the new display.
Technically, this seems to be the same display as the predecessor, so don't expect higher resolution, brightness or color saturation. However, this time the display is located on a flat "arm", which allows to freely move the display and even make use of the so called "selfie mode", so you can film yourself and check the framing at the same time.
Further possibilities to orient the display are e.g. upwards or downwards to be able to check the framing when the camera is mounted close to the ground or above the operator.
Since I'm mainly on my own and often don't stand behind the camera when I shoot videos, the "selfie mode" is a real blessing, because otherwise it's difficult to see if the camera is correctly aligned or not.
Internal 4K recording
With the RX0m2 it is finally - and there's no other way to say it - possible to record 4K videos without an external recorder. Of course there is also no recording limitation after 29:59 minutes, instead it is unlimited or the camera switches off to protect the processor from overheating.
The pictures are brilliant and clear as long as you provide the camera with enough light. Surely the camera has its limits due to the small optics, nevertheless I was surprised how well it can keep up with my FDR AX700, which is why I could imagine the RX0m2 as an extension of my camera stock.
Proxy recording
In my opinion, this feature is largely underestimated or doesn't receive the attention it deserves (both by potential customers and in Sony's own marketing).
What is proxy recording anyway?
Proxy files are created during recording in parallel to the higher quality 1080p or 4K files and are simply identical video files with lower resolution and bitrate, which can be used in video editing programs for a less performance-intensive workflow while editing.
Until now, it was only possible to create such files in the video editing program, which required a one-time processing of all imported video files and therefore you had to wait a few minutes or hours before you could start with the video editing. With proxy files, which are already created in the camera, one saves valuable time.
When it comes to exporting the finished video, simply replace the proxy files in the selected directory with the high quality 1080p or 4K video files and click "render". Only now the video editing program processes the files, which require a lot of computing power and thus time. But since the rendering takes an incredibly small percentage of the time compared to the video editing, this doesn't cause any inconvenience anymore, as said time was saved in advance.
In the semi-professional or professional field you even send video editors which are located in a different location the proxy files so that they can start editing before the upload/download of the much larger source files is finished.
Additional features:
No wide-angle lens with image distortion
As mentioned at the beginning, the RX0m2 is not an action cam and therefore has no wide-angle lens. Action Cams use such lenses and because of the small lens and the wide angle (field of view) you get noticeable lens distortion.
Said lens distortion causes objects close to the edge of the frame to bend. Trees, street signs or even building suddenly have a curvature. If you want to get rid of the distortion you can rectify it in your editing program/camera, yet it causes blurring close to the edge of the frame (if you use a so called "defisher) or a decrease in resolution (if you zoom in to the undistrorted center of the frame) . So if you try to achieve a curvature-free look with an Action Cam, you won't even get close to the native result you get out of the RX0, where the whole frame is sharp von edge to edge.
Focus control
Furthermore, the lenses of Action Cams are also so-called "fixed focus" lenses. This means that there is a certain "minimum focus distance". Everything that is closer to the lens and thus to the camera is therefore out of focus, everything that is further away is in focus (for Action Cams this distance is between 25 and 40 centimeters).
Anyone who values a bokeh and likes to play with depth of field should rather buy the RX0. Here you can focus and thus achieve a more interesting visual impression.
Log recordings
I had already mentioned above that I would have loved to continue to use the RX0m2 with my FDR AX700 and it was a pity when I had to return the loan unit. One of the reasons I had a lot of fun during my test was the possibility to choose image profiles and to shoot video in the log color space (e.g. S-Log2), which can later be color graded. Thus you can adjust the video material of the cameras to match much better then you could if you were shooting in the default color space.
Connectors
I've already written a lot about the display on the back of the camera above. Now its time to talk about the connectors which are right next to it.
From top to bottom, the completely removable door (see above) covers a Micro-HDMI, MULTI-/USB- port and a 3.5mm audio jack for microphones or external audio sources.
Via a micro HDMI cable, one can either connect an external monitor or, for example, a video capture card to use the RX0 as a webcam. External video recorders are of course also an option, just like with its predecessor.
The MULTI-/USB-connection allows charging as well as the connection of different remote control solutions.
With the 3.5mm audio jack I particularly liked to see that the "kink protection" which can be attached to the rear of the camera instead of the back door features a notch for angled audio-plugs. This was already the case with the RX0m1, but I found this detail worth mentioning.
All in all I found the RX0m1 very interesting, but was glad that I didn't buy it before the RX0m2 came out. For me personally the new features - mainly the swivelling display as well as the internal 4K recording - are big enough improvements compared to the predecessor that I would rather buy the mark 2 at the current point in time.
- Nic
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