Sony RX1R Bests the RX1 in Sharpness by Ditching the Anti-Aliasing Filter

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Sony now has two full frame compact cameras in its lineup—kinda. The company today announced the RX1R, a souped up (or perhaps stripped down?) version of the RX1 that shoots sharper photographs by ditching the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor. Aside from the lack of an AA filter, the RX1R and its sibling are virtually identical cameras.

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The RX1R is not a new camera that succeeds the RX1, but rather a “special edition” of the original groundbreaking camera that was announced last September.

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The “R” suffix found in the model name stands for “resolution.” Sony says that it has released the “multi-segment optical low-pass filter” in front of the sensor to exchange artifacts for sharpness. You’ll see more resolution in your shots, but you may also find more moire patterns and color artifacts.

This design change can “bring new levels of realism to landscapes and other finely-detailed subjects,” the company says.

Inside the camera are the same guts as the RX1: a 24-megapixel full frame CMOS sensor, 1080p/60p video recording, an ISO range of 10-25600, 5fps continuous shooting, and 14-bit RAW files.

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On the outside is the same Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens and 3-inch LCD.

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You’ll be able to pick up the RX1R for a retail price of $2,800 (yup, the same as the RX1) starting in July 2013.

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