Sony RX1R III Review Roundup: YouTubers Weigh In on the $5,100 Compact

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by Darryl Lara

posted Monday, July 21, 2025 at 11:03 AM EDT

Sony RX1R III review roundup.

Sony surprised the photo world last week with the release of the RX1R III, the long-awaited follow-up to its beloved full-frame compact series. But while the announcement stirred up plenty of buzz, the initial reactions from YouTube reviewers have been… complicated.

Even though many creators haven’t yet gone hands-on with the camera, that hasn’t stopped them from sharing some strong early opinions. And the general sentiment? For a camera with such a steep $5,100 price tag, expectations were sky high—and Sony may not have met them.

FroKnows Photo - SONY RANT: SOMEONE HAS TO SAY IT…

FStoppers - Sony Releases The Most Overpriced Camera Ever RX1R III

Jason Morris - My Unapologetic Opinion on the SONY RX1RIII

Pierre T. Lambert - Watch this before ordering a Sony RX1R III !

Mark Galer’ s Alpha Creative Skills - Sony RX1RIII Preview

Three Blind Men and an Elephant - Sony RX1R III Three Days Later: RX1+a7CR+FX3A+Q3+X-E5 Wrapped in a New, Tiny, $5,100 Body

Terry Warfield - 24 HOURS LATER with the Sony RX1R III | The $5100 DILEMMA

Our Editor’s Take: A Love Rekindled, Then Crushed

Our own Editor-in-Chief, David Schloss, also weighed in on the RX1R III release. As a former RX1R II owner and fan, Schloss had been waiting years for Sony to revisit the series. When the RX1R III dropped, he was genuinely excited—especially since it once seemed unlikely that Sony would ever return to this compact full-frame concept.

However, his enthusiasm faded quickly. In his video commentary, Schloss discusses how Sony’s design decisions—and what the RX1R III lacks—are reflective of a broader industry trend: expensive cameras with fewer standout features. For him, this release highlights a concerning shift toward premium pricing without matching value, leaving even long-time RX1R fans questioning the upgrade.

The Compact Conundrum

The RX1R III is an undeniably fascinating camera—a full-frame sensor packed into a jacket pocket-sized body with a sharp fixed 35mm f/2 lens. But that formula hasn’t changed much since the RX1R II launched nearly a decade ago, and many feel Sony hasn’t done enough to justify the updated price.

Jared Polin summed it up: if you’re looking for compact full-frame performance, the a7C R paired with a 35mm f/2 lens still comes out cheaper—and arguably more versatile. The RX1R III feels like a niche luxury piece, rather than a tool built with working photographers in mind.

Whether the RX1R III can justify its existence in 2025 remains to be seen. Hopefully, we will get to review the camera in the near future and we will surely be updating our opinion on this camera if we some hands on time with it.

We also have a buyer's guide on where you can pre-order the Sony RX1R III if you are interested in getting one for yourself.

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