Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Review & Specification

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV couldn’t be better or more expensive. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV convinced in the test across the board.

Sony DSC-RX10 IV Review & Specification

The image quality is impressive in daylight as well as in low-light shots, autofocus and series shots are among the fastest and the equipment leaves little to be desired. In short: the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV is the best in the test. But also the most expensive.

Advantage:

• Great picture quality
• Very fast
• Excellent equipment

Disadvantage:

• Expensive

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV: Beefy housing, beefy price

When Christoph Giese raves about a camera, it means something. After all, as a measurement technician, he has literally taken apart pretty much every model for us for almost ten years.

Sentences like “She’s so great, she has to stay here” rarely tumble out of his mouth. With the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV it was time again. Best value for »equipment«, best value for »speed«, almost a best value for »image quality«. Are you crazy?

At least not better. The Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV is now number 1 on our list of the best. But just like the camera, the price is also quite exquisite.

Sony calls for almost 2,000 euros for the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV. This means that the best bridge camera in the test field is also the most expensive.

The correspondingly high expectations can be met by the opulent equipment: Optically image stabilized 25x zoom with 24-600 mm f / 2.4-4, large and high-resolution OLED viewfinder, almost shutter-effect-free Ultra HD Video and impressive 40x slow motion please.

There is also a foldable and sharp 3.0-inch touchscreen, connections for microphone, headphones and micro-HDMI as well as a practical shoulder LCD to display current settings. All of this is built into a non-slip, splash-proof housing that weighs around 1,110 grams. Sounds good, but familiar. So far, everything reads like the data sheet of the previous model. So where are the innovations?

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV: Modern as ever

They are, for example, in the somewhat nested system menu with the “My Menu” function, which is known from current Alpha cameras: Here lies the new proxy option, which transmits a reduced version to smartphones via WiFi in parallel to video recording in full resolution.

Also new: when using the viewfinder, the display remains touch-sensitive, which means that the focus area can be set on the screen with the thumb.

The integrated ND filter is no longer on board. A nuisance for some, but in view of the very short, minimum shutter speed of 1 / 32,000 of a second, it is bearable.

The series recording is also very fast: almost 23 images per second and 233 JPEGs per series convince even the most demanding sports and wildlife photographers. Especially in connection with the first-class autofocus, which with its 315 phase fields is not only good for subject tracking.

Because the automatic focus now works extremely quickly even in full telephoto. The difference between 0.14 seconds at wide angle and 0.24 seconds at 600 mm can actually only be seen in the laboratory. In practice: always fast and accurate! In addition, Sony has significantly shortened the switch-on time.

It only takes 1.31 seconds from switching on to the first photo. Great class and a welcome invitation in view of the relatively short battery life of a good 320 releases.

 

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV: 1-inch typically strong photos

Sony has also tweaked the image quality of the well-known 1-inch sensor with 20 megapixels. Particularly in telephoto there are significant improvements: an average of 1,200 line pairs per image height at 600 mm do not mark a too great loss compared to the wide angle with its 1,544 line pairs, anything but a matter of course with the very long focal length.

It is also sensible that Sony should reduce the soft focus from ISO 1,600. Photos appear to be more noisy, but a bit sharper and more detailed than the previous model.

Compared to version III, the RX10 IV appears much more attractive. At the current street price, they are over 600 euros apart. Is it worth the extra charge? If you absolutely need the higher speed: definitely.

Technical data for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Specification