We’ve long known that compact cameras like the Sony RX1R require immense levels of precision manufacturing, but in an interview with DPReview at CP+, a Sony executive shared a detail that illustrates it perfectly.
Speaking about the different considerations when making a compact and an interchangeable lens camera, Yasufumi Machitani, General Manager of the Camera Business Department of Sony’s Imaging Entertainment unit, said: “Each lens and image sensor position is precisely adjusted with micron-level precision. That’s why the RX1R series is very sharp, even in this very small form factor.”
It’s no surprise that micro-adjustments are required on a camera-by-camera basis to ensure that each sensor and lens pair is achieving maximum possible image quality. At the launch for a previous generation of the RX1R, we were told that the rear element of the lens is so close to the sensor that you might have difficulty fitting a single sheet of paper in between the two.
We’ll be conducting more interviews with manufacturers throughout the week, so stay tuned. We’re also looking forward to publishing our full interview with Sony, covering a wide range of topics about the company’s cameras, lenses and the camera market as a whole.