What is the pixel pitch of the Sony RX100 III?

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III provides 20 megapixels from an one-inch sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 2.41µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Sony RX100 III measures 13.2mm in width and 8.8mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 116 mm². Moreover, the RX100 III has 5 472 horizontal pixels and 3 648 vertical pixels, for a total of 20 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (116 mm²) to the MP count (19 961 856).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Sony RX100 III to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
2.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
3.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
4.		Panasonic FZ1000	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	11.7	517	64
5.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
6.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
7.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
8.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
9.		Sony RX100 VII	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.8	12.4	418	63
10.		Sony ZV-1	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.6	669	66
11.		Sony ZV-1 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.3	12.9	965	67
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Sony RX100 III and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the RX100 III was initially launched in May 2014 at a price of $799.

Check RX100 III offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  Sony RX100 III Review  »  Sony RX100 III Pixel Size