After reading the review of the Sony RX1 full frame compact camera, I have even a further admiration for what Sony engineers have accomplished.
Aside from its outstanding image quality and depth of field control, the fit and finish of this camera achieves world class status, "...the feel of the controls is among the finest that I have ever encountered on any camera. Only an M Leica is comparable. Every knob, switch and dial on the RX1 is solid, has firm detents, and overall the whole camera feels like it would survive reentry from orbit, or at least six months in a pannier on a round-the-world bicycle trip." (Luminous Landscape review)
Quite frankly, if I owned the Sony RX1, I would shoot with it, and often. In fact, I would go as far to say, that if I were to invest in another full frame camera, the RX1 would get serious consideration.
Warning: This review could cost you $2,800...
$2800 plus another $500 for a viewfinder:)
I've been drooling over this since I first read about it, and it seems they really did come through. I decided to rent it and have the camera here for the next 15 days. Hopefully the quality of the images will convince the other "board member" that it's purchase is justified:)
In all seriousness, I think this camera tells us that in a few years we could very well have a compact full frame camera with a built in view finder and interchangeable lenses.
"So what we see is that the RX1 at $2,800 is substantially less than any other full-frame camera. A Canon 5D MKIII with a Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens will cost $4,600, while a Nikon D600 with that same lens would be $3,100. The Sony A99 won't take a Zeiss ZE or ZF mount lens, but even with an modestly priced 35mm lens will still be hundreds more than the RX1. And, of course, if you want to really talk expensive there's the 18MP Leica M9 with 35mm f/2 Summicron, which will set you back just shy of $10,000. "