Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV Review

August 24, 2015 | Amy Davies | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The latest version of Sony’s popular RX100 range of compact cameras, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV, features a brand new sensor design. It retains the same pixel count as its predecessor, at 20.1 million, but a new stacked Exmor RS design sees a DRAM memory chip attached to the sensor itself for better readout speeds and increased speed when using the camera. A Bionz X processor - Sony’s most recent - is also included to work in conjunction with the sensor design for what is promised to be super quick speeds. For shooting in bright light with wide apertures, you can use Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV’s new electronic (anti-distortion) shutter, which is capable of up to 1/32000. The lens offers an equivalent of 24-70mm, and has a maximum aperture of f/1.8-f/2.8. An electronic viewfinder was a new feature of the Mark III, and it remains here but with a notable increase in resolution - it’s now 2.35 million dots, while the old version had 1.44 million. For the first time in an RX100 model, 4K video recording is included, but it is limited to just five minutes of shooting. Another interesting new feature is 40x super slow motion video. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV retails for £919 / $949.

Ease of Use

To look at the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV and compare it with the Mark III, you’ll be hard pushed to find much of a difference. Sony has stuck with a sleek and small design here which should easily fit into most pockets, and certainly into your bag with ease. There’s not much in the way of grip on the front of the camera, but perhaps thanks to its reasonable weight, it still feels fairly safe in the hands - attaching a wrist strap can be of benefit though if you’re worried.

The electronic viewfinder is hidden away inside the camera, which helps the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV keep its slick appearance when you don’t want to use it. On the side of the camera you’ll find a switch for popping up the viewfinder. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to pull the back of it away from itself, otherwise the image inside the viewfinder will be blurry. Performing this action of popping up the viewfinder switches on the camera automatically, and placing it back inside its housing will switch off the camera. This is a function you can switch off if you prefer, but it makes for quite a quick start up process. Alternatively, there’s an on/off button on the top of the camera. It would be nice if the whole process of using the viewfinder was fully automatic, but Sony’s engineers don’t seem to have found a way to do that just yet.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

A sensor on the viewfinder itself makes for a seamless transition between using the screen on the finder - it will switch on as you bring it up to your eye. The viewfinder isn’t as large as something you’ll find on a DSLR or CSC, while there’s no eyecup to block out the distracting scene in front of you. That said, the increase in resolution makes it much more usable than its predecessor, and if you’re a fan of viewfinders you’ll be pleased to see it here.

Around the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV's lens is a customisable control ring. By default it will control different parameters depending on the shooting mode you’re in. So, for instance, in aperture priority, twisting it will alter aperture. However, you can change it to something else if you prefer - such as ISO, Creative Style, White Balance or Exposure Compensation. A small custom button on the back of the camera can also be assigned to a number of different functions including all of those just mentioned and more.

A mode dial can be found on top of the RX100 IV. Here you’ll find a variety of modes including manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and automatic modes. There’s also a handy space for a group of custom settings should you find yourself wanting to shoot a particular type of scene with frequency. A new addition here is HFR, or high frame rate, which is what you need to turn to when you want to capture super slow motion videos.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV’s screen is tiltable. It’s not fully articulated which isn’t quite so handy for awkwardly positioned portrait shots, but you can point it all the way forwards for taking selfies. Should you put it in this position, selfie mode will be activated, switching on face detection and a self-timer. If you have the viewfinder raised, you’ll need to get rid of it to see all of the screen… which of course turns the camera off and you’ll need to switch it back on.

Sadly, this screen is not touch sensitive as this would make setting the autofocus point much easier. If you have Flexible Spot AF mode selected, it’s not a complicated process to set the AF point - you simply press the central button of the navigation pad, and then use the scrolling dial or directional keys to choose the point you want. However, if you’re travelling from one side of the scene to the other, it can feel like a long time to be faffing about with AF points when a simple tap of a screen would get the job done almost instantly.

Speaking of these navigational keys, these keys can be customised to different functions as well. The down key accesses exposure compensation by default though, while the right key is for flash modes, and the left for self-timer and drive modes. The up key changes the way the display looks. Pressing the display key switches on the RX100 IV’s inbuilt level, which is useful when shooting landscapes and you want to get the horizon straight. You can also see the level in the viewfinder if you wish.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Tilting LCD Screen

Wi-Fi and NFC is very quick and easy to use with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV and once you’ve set it up once for Wi-Fi with the password, that process becomes even quicker. You can send across individual or sets of photos for sharing across social networks. To control the camera remotely, you use one of the PlayMemories apps under the main menu, and you’ve got a good range of different controls here (including aperture, ISO, exposure compensation and so on), which is nice to see and makes it actually genuinely useful.

The menu button accesses the camera’s main menu, and here there’s a little bit of an overwhelming amount of options to navigate through - so it can be worth sitting down with the camera and the instruction manual to really get to grips with everything the RX100 IV has to offer. A quick menu can be accessed by pressing the function (Fn) button. This menu is customisable which is good for only including the settings you tend to change most often.

In order to use some of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV’s functions, such as Picture Effects, you’ll need to switch to JPEG only shooting. It’s a bit of a faff having to switch this on and off, so it would be nice if Sony could make it possible to shoot more in raw format - or come up with an automated on/off process for file quality if that’s not possible.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Pop-up Viewfinder

The introduction of the new sensor design does indeed seem to translate into a very quick shooting experience. Moving through the menus and so on is speedy, while autofocus speeds are very snappy. If the light drops, the lens will hunt a little more to acquire focus, but a false positive being presented is very rare.

There’s no supplied separate battery charger with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV meaning you have to charge it in body. On the one hand, this can be handy when you don’t have access to a spare plug socket as you can charge it directly from a computer, but it also means that you can’t be charging one battery while using another. As something which appeals to travelling photographers, this seems a bit of an oversight, and it may be worth investing in a second battery and charger if you’re planning to use it extensively on your travels as the quoted battery life may not last a full day.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.

As usual for the RX100 range, Sony has created something which is capable of producing some stunning images, and it’s fair to say that the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV is the best to date. A satisfying amount of punch and vibrance can be seen in JPEG images, while the ability to use different Creative Styles gives you some good options for different types of scene. Detail is well reproduced throughout the sensitivity range and you can get usable images all the way up to ISO 6400. It’s even true to say that ISO 12800 is pretty impressive, too, if you don’t mind a bit of noise in your images.

Automatic white balance performs well under a range of different lighting conditions, including artificial lighting. As usual, a variety of more specific white balance options are available should you need them. Leaving the camera on multi-purpose metering usually results in good exposures most of the time, and the RX100 IV is not easily fooled by high contrast situations. You can use the DRO Optimiser too to help balance out images, but be careful of using at its highest (Level 5) setting as it tends to create slightly HDR like images.

Both 4K and 1080p HD video recording results in good quality images, while the slow motion video is fun to experiment with. It’s worth noting that if you use the 1000fps setting though, quality is reduced and you won’t be able to use the video at a large size.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and Raw formats.

JPEG Raw

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

iso80.jpg iso80raw.jpg
   

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg

Focal Range

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV's 3x zoom lens offers a fairly versatile focal range, as illustrated by these examples:

24mm

70mm

focal_range1.jpg focal_range2.jpg

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are just a little soft and ideally benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Alternatively you can change the in-camera sharpening level.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

File Quality

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV has 3 different image quality settings available, with Extra Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

Extra Fine (8.32Mb) (100% Crop) Fine (3.98Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_extrafine.jpg quality_fine.jpg
   
Standard (2.54Mb) (100% Crop) RAW (19.7Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_standard.jpg quality_raw.jpg

Macro

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV allows you to focus on a subject that is 5cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro

Macro (100% Crop)

macro1.jpg macro1a.jpg

Flash

The flash settings on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV are Auto, Forced Flash, Slow Syncro, No Flash, with a Red-eye Reduction option in the Main menu. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Suppressed Flash - Wide Angle (24mm)

Forced Flash - Wide Angle (24mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Suppressed Flash - Telephoto (70mm)

Forced Flash - Telephoto (70mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Forced Flash setting or the Red-Eye Correction option caused any amount of red-eye.

Forced Flash

Forced Flash (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Manual mode, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 30 seconds at ISO 100.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Dynamic Range Optimizer

D-Range Optimiser (DRO) is Sony's solution to improve shadow detail in photos taken in contrasty light.

Off

LV1
dro_01.jpg dro_02.jpg
   
LV2 LV3
dro_03.jpg dro_04.jpg
   

LV4

LV5
dro_05.jpg dro_06.jpg

Picture Effects

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV offers an extensive range of thirteen creative Picture Effects.

Off

Toy Camera

pictureeffectoff.jpg pictureeffecttoynorm.JPG
   

Pop Color

Posterization

pictureeffectpopcolor.JPG pictureeffectposterizationbw.JPG
   

Retro

Soft High-key

pictureeffectretrophoto.JPG pictureeffectsofthighkey.JPG
   

Partial Color (Green

High Contrast Mono

pictureeffectpartialcolorgreen.JPG pictureeffecthighcontrastmono.JPG
   

Soft Focus

HDR Painting

pictureeffectsoftfocusmid.JPG pictureeffecthdrpaintingmid.JPG
   

Rich-tone Mono

Miniature

pictureeffectrichtonemono.JPG pictureeffectminiatureauto.JPG
   

Watercolor

Illustration

pictureeffectwatercolor.JPG pictureeffectillustration.JPG

Sweep Panorama

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV allows you to take panoramic images very easily, by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed. The camera does all the processing and stitching and even successfully compensates for moving subjects.

Standard
panorama.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sony RAW (ARW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample video from the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV camera at the highest quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 16 second movie is 112Mb in size.

Product Images

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Lens Extended

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Flash Raised

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Image Displayed

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Function Menu

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Creative Style Menu

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Main Menu

 

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Main Menu

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Turned On

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV / Viewfinder

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Top of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Bottom of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Memory Card Slot / Battery Compartment

Conclusion

Sony has made some good improvements to what is already an excellently performing camera, but there are still a few small problems with the RX100 IV which make it just slightly less than perfect. Even if you can put the extremely high price aside (especially as that will drop as time goes on), it remains disappointing not to see a touch sensitive screen on a Sony RX100 - if for no other reason than setting the AF point would be much easier and quicker with one. It’s also frustrating that you have to switch off raw format shooting to make full use of some of the functions on offer here, too.

On the plus side, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV’s viewfinder is a good improvement on its predecessor, making it much more likely to be used often, and not just when super bright light prevents you from working with the screen. As before, the RX100 IV’s lens is great. Although 24-70mm isn’t much for a compact camera, it has served many DSLR users well throughout the years and represents a classic focal length. The maximum apertures of f/1.8 - f/2.8 allow you to get creative with shallow depth of field effects and are also useful when shooting in lower light conditions.

Hopefully the asking price of the RX100 IV will drop fairly quickly. At the moment it represents quite a big investment - but on the other hand that means there are some good deals to be had on its predecessors, all of which are still great cameras. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV makes for a very appealing back-up camera for everybody who craves high quality images even when they don’t have the ability or inclination to carry around heavy and cumbersome kit. It performs well in all areas, with excellent images in a variety of different shooting conditions. The fact that you can slip it into your pocket to carry with you at all times is likely to have a positive impact on your photography too.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 5
Value for money 3

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV.

Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is a serious compact camera with a large 1.5-inch image sensor and fast 5x zoom lens. The G1 X Mk II also offers built-in wi-fi/NFC connectivity, 1080p HD video at 30fps with stereo sound, a 3 inch tilting touchscreen LCD, dual lens control rings, RAW files and a full range of manual shooting modes. Read our Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II review to find out if it's worth the £799 / €949 / $799.99 asking price...

Canon PowerShot G7 X

The Canon PowerShot G7 X is a prosumer compact camera with a 1-inch image sensor and fast 4.2x zoom lens. The G7 X also offers built-in wi-fi/NFC connectivity, 1080p HD video at 60fps with stereo sound, a 3 inch tilting touchscreen LCD, lens control ring, RAW files and a full range of manual shooting modes. Read our Canon PowerShot G7 X review to find out if it can beat the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III...

Fujifilm X30

The Fujifilm X30 is a brand new premium compact camera with a large 2/3-type 12 megapixel sensor, fast 4x optical zoom lens, electronic viewfinder, tilting LCD screen, built-in wi-fi and a 60p movie mode. Read our Fujifilm X30 review, complete with full-size sample JPEG and raw images, videos and more...

Leica V-Lux (Typ 114)

The Leica V-Lux (Typ 114) is is a new super-zoom compact camera, offering a large 1-inch image sensor with 20 megapixels, 4K video recording and a 16x zoom lens with a 25-400mm focal range. Priced at £925 / $1350, read our expert Leica V-Lux (Typ 114) review to find out if it can justify its price-tag...

Olympus XZ-2

The new Olympus XZ-2 is a serious compact that's aimed at the enthusiast and professional user looking for a small yet capable camera. A 12 megapixel 1/1.7 inch CMOS sensor, fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, high-res 3-inch tilting touch-screen LCD, and a full range of manual shooting modes should be enough to grab your attention. Read our expert Olympus XZ-2 review, complete with full-size JPEG, RAW and movie samples.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 is a premium compact camera like no other. The LX100 features a large Micro Four Thirds sensor, 4K video recording, fast 24-75mm lens, class-leading electronic viewfinder, all in a camera that you can fit in a jacket pocket. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 review with sample JPEG, RAW and video files to find out just what this exciting new camera is capable of...

Ricoh GR II

The new Ricoh GR II is a discreet compact camera with a fixed focal length 28mm wide-angle lens, 16 megapixel APS-C sensor, high-res 3 inch LCD screen, flash hotshoe and pop-up flash, built-in wifi/NFC connectivity, a wealth of customisable controls and a fast auto-focus system. Read our in-depth Ricoh GR II review complete with full-size image samples (JPEG and Raw) to find out if it can improve on its popular predecessor...

Samsung EX2F

The Samsung EX2F is a new pocket camera for serious photographers, sporting a super-bright f/1.4, 3.3x zoom lens, sensible 12 megapixel sensor and a swivelling 3 inch AMOLED screen. 1080p video, RAW shooting, ISO 80-12800, 10fps burst shooting, image stabilisation and full manual controls complete the EX2F's star attractions. Read our Samsung EX2F review to find out if this is the advanced compact camera for you...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV from around the web.

dpreview.com »

Sony rejuvenated the premium compact market in 2012 when it introduced the Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The RX100 took a 1"-type sensor and relatively fast zoom lens and put it into a body that can slip into your pocket. Every year since has seen the arrival of a new RX100 model. The RX100 II added a new BSI CMOS sensor and hot shoe. Last year's RX100 III lost the hot shoe but gained a faster (but shorter) lens and clever pop-up EVF. The latest model inherits all of those things but adds a new stacked CMOS sensor that, according to Sony, is literally years ahead of the competition.
Read the full review »

cnet.com »

The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV (M4) is less of an clear upgraade over its predecessor the RX100 III (M3) than a forked alternative; for a variety of reasons, I'd classify it as an advanced compact for video enthusiasts rather than a straight-up advanced compact, at least until the price drops a bit. Though it's more expensive and adds a plethora of video capabilities, it's pretty much delivers the same photo quality in the same body.
Read the full review »

pcmag.com »

Sony has updated its RX100 model every year, and with every update the price has inched higher. The latest model, the Cyber-shot RX100 IV ($949.99), is dangerously close to the $1,000 price point, a pretty extreme figure for a pocket-friendly compact camera. It doesn't offer any improvements in image quality when compared with the RX100 III, but its pop-up viewfinder is sharper and its video capabilities are vastly improved. We're sticking with the RX100 III as our Editors' Choice for premium compacts—but if you don't mind the price tag, and video recording is a priority, you may find the RX100 IV to be a better fit.
Read the full review »

amateurphotographer.co.uk »

Back in 2012 Sony redefined expectations for small cameras by fitting a large, high resolution 20.1-million-pixel 1-in sensor into the pocket-sized RX100. Every year since then, it has taken its advanced point-and-shoot compact and improved it for the better. The arrival of the RX100 II back in 2013 was a step up from the original RX100 and introduced a new backside illuminated CMOS sensor, tiltable LCD screen and Wi-fi connectivity.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Size & Weight

Dimensions (W x H x D) (CIPA)
101.6 x 58.1 x 41.0 mm
Weight (CIPA)
271 g (Body only), 298 g (With battery and media)

Sensor

Sensor Type
1.0-type (13.2mm x 8.8mm) Exmor RS CMOS sensor, aspect ratio 3:2
Effective pixels
Quality Priority: 240fps/250fps (1824 x 1026), 480fps/500fps (1676 x 566), 960fps/1000fps (1136 x 384)/ Shoot Time Priority: 240fps/250fps (1676 x 566), 480fps/500fps (1136 x 384), 960fps/1000fps (800 x 270)

Lens

Lens type
ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
F-number
F1.8 (W) - 2.8 (T)
Focal length
Focal Length (f=) 35mm format equivalent [Still Image 3:2] f= 24-70 mm [Still Image 16:9] f= 26-76 mm [Still Image 4:3] f= 25-73 mm [Still Image 1:1] f= 30.5-89 mm [Movie 16:9] f = 25.5-74 mm (SteadyShot Standard), f = 30-86 mm (SteadyShot Active), f = 33.5-95 mm (SteadyShot Intelligent Active) [Movie 4K 16:9] f = 28-80 mm (SteadyShot Standard), [HFR 960 fps] f = 42-118 mm (Quality Priority), f = 60-170 mm (Shoot Time Priority) [HFR 480fps] f=28-80 mm (Quality Priority), f=42-118 mm (Shoot Time Priority) [HFR 240 fps] f = 26-75 mm (Quality Priority), f = 28-80 mm (Shoot Time Priority)
ND Filter
Auto / On (3 steps) / Off

Zoom

Optical Zoom
2.9x
Digital Zoom (Still Image)
Up to 11x
Digital Zoom (Movie)
11x
Clear Image Zoom
Still Image: 20M Approx. 5.8x / 10M Approx. 8.2x / 5.0M Approx. 11x / VGA Approx. 44x

Stabilization

Steadyshot
[Still Image] Optical [Movie] Intelligent Active Mode, Optical type with electronic compensation (Anti Rolling type)

Focus

Focus Type
Contrast detection AF
LOCK ON AF
Yes
Focus Mode
Single-shot AF, Continuous AF, DMF, Manual Focus

LCD

Screen Type
7.5cm (3.0type) (4:3) / 1,228,800 dots / Xtra Fine / TFT LCD
Adjustable Angle
Up: approx. 180 degrees, down: approx. 45 degrees
Brightness Control
Manual (5 steps)/Sunny Weather

Shutter

Shutter Speed
iAuto(4" - 1/2000) / Program Auto(30" - 1/2000) / Manual(Bulb, 30" - 1/2000) / Aperture Priority(30" - 1/2000) / Shutter Priority(30" - 1/2000)
Electronic Shutter
iAuto (4" - 1/32000) / Program Auto(30" - 1/32000) / Manual (30" - 1/32000) / Aperture Priority (30" - 1/32000) / Shutter Priority (30" - 1/32000)

White Balance

White Balance Modes
Auto;Daylight;Shade;Cloudy;Incandescent;Fluor.: Warm White;Fluor.: Cool White;Fluor.: Day White;Fluor.: Daylight;Flash;C.Temp./Filter;Custom
Bracketing
Yes

Noise reduction

Noise Reduction
Long exposure NR: On / Off, available of shutter speeds longer than 1/3 sec. High ISO NR: Normal / Low / Off

Storage Media

Compatible Recording Media
Memory Stick Duo;Memory Stick PRO Duo;Memory Stick PRO Duo(High Speed);Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo;Memory Stick Micro ;Memory Stick XC-HG Duo;Memory Stick Micro (Mark2);SD Memory Card;SDHC Memory Card(UHS-I);SDXC Memory Card(UHS-I);microSD Memory Card ;microSDHC Memory Card ;microSDXC Memory Card

Recording

Recording Format
Still Image: JPEG ( DCF Ver 2.0, Exif Ver 2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format);Movie: XAVG S, AVCHD format Ver.2.0 compatible MP4
Still Image Resolution
3:2mode:20M(5,472×3,648) / 10M(3,888×2,592) / 5M(2,736×1,824),4:3mode:18M(4,864×3,648) / 10M(3,648×2,736) / 5M(2,592×1,944) / VGA,16:9mode:17M(5,472×3,080) / 7.5M(3,648×2,056) / 4.2M(2,720×1,528),1:1mode:13M(3,648×3,648) / 6.5M(2,544×2,544) / 3.7M(1,920×1,920) ,Sweep Panorama:Wide(12,416×1,856/5,536×2,160),Standard(8,192×1,856/3,872×2,160)
Still Image Number of Recording Pixels (Image Size) During Movie
[16:9] 17M (5,472x3,080) / 7.5M (3,648x2,056) / 4.2M (2,720x1,528)
Movie Recording Mode
NTSC/PAL Selector: [PAL] mode AVCHD: 28M PS (1920 x 1080/50p) / 24M FX (1920 x 1080/50i) / 17M FH (1920 x 1080/50i) / 24M FX (1920 x 1080/25p) / 17M FH (1920 x 1080/25p), XAVC S 4K: 25p 100M (3840 x 2160/25p) / 25p 60M (3840 x 2160/25p), XAVC S HD:50p 50M (1920 x 1080/50p) / 25p 50M (1920 x 1080/25p) / 100p 100M (1920 x 1080/100p) / 100p 60M (1920 x 1080/100p), MP4: 28M (1920 x 1080/50p) / 16M (1920 x 1080/25p) / 6M (1280 x 720/25p) [NTSC] mode AVCHD: 28M PS (1920 x 1080/60p) / 24M FX (1920 x 1080/60i) / 17M FH (1920 x 1080/60i) / 24M FX (1920 x 1080/24p) / 17M FH (1920 x 1080/24p), XAVC S 4K: 30p 100M (3840 x 2160/30p) / 30p 60M (3840 x 2160/30p) / 24p 100M (3840 x 2160/24p) / 24p 60M (3840 x 2160/24p), XAVC S HD:60p 50M (1920 x 1080/60p) / 30p 50M (1920 x 1080/30p) / 24p 50M (1920 x 1080/24p) / 120p 100M (1920 x 1080/120p) / 120p 60M (1920 x 1080/120p), MP4: 28M (1920 x 1080/60p) / 16M (1920 x 1080/30p) / 6M (1280 x 720/30p) Sensor Readout Number of effective pixels: Quality Priority: 240fps/250fps (1824 x 1026), 480fps/500fps (1676 x 566), 960fps/1000fps (1136 x 384)/ Shoot Time Priority: 240fps/250fps (1676 x 566), 480fps/500fps (1136 x 384), 960fps/1000fps (800 x 270)
HFR
NTSC/PAL Selector: [NTSC] mode XAVC S HD: 60p 50M (1920 x 1080/240 fps), 60p 50M (1920 x 1080/480 fps), 60p 50M (1920 x 1080/960 fps) / 30p 50M (1920 x 1080/240 fps), 30p 50M (1920 x 1080/480 fps), 30p 50M (1920 x 1080/960 fps) / 24p 50M (1920 x 1080/240 fps), 24p 50M (1920 x 1080/480 fps), 24p 50M (1920 x 1080/960 fps), NTSC/PAL Selector: [PAL] mode XAVC S HD: 50p 50M (1920 x 1080/250 fps), 50p 50M (1920 x 1080/500 fps), 50p 50M (1920 x 1080/1000 fps) / 25p 50M (1920 x 1080/250 fps), 25p 50M (1920 x 1080/500 fps), 25p 50M (1920 x 1080/1000 fps)

Built-in Flash

Built-in Flash Mode
Auto / Flash On / Slow Synchro / Rear Sync / Flash Off
Flash Type
Built-in, manual pop-up
Built-in Flash Range
ISO Auto: Approx.0.4m to 10.2m (W) / Approx. 0.4m to 6.5m (T), ISO12800: up to Approx. 20.4m (W) / Approx. 13.0m (T)

Shooting

Image Processor
BIONZ X™
Shooting Mode
Intelligent Auto/Superior Auto;Program Auto;Aperture Priority;Shutter Speed Priority;Manual Exposure;MR(Memory Recall) 1,2,3;Movie Mode(Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, Manual Exposure);HFR Mode(Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, Manual Exposure);Panorama;Scene Selection
Continuous Shooting Speed (maximum)
Speed Priority Continuous Shooting: approx. 16 fps, Continuous Shooting: approx. 5.5 fps
Self-Timer
10sec. / 5sec. / 2sec. / 3 or 5 consecutive shots with 10sec. 5sec. or 2sec. delay selectable / Bracketing shots with 10sec. 5sec. or 2sec. delay selectable
Scene Selection
Portrait;Sports Action;Macro;Landscape;Sunset;Night Scene;Handheld Twilight;Night Portrait;Anti Motion Blur;Pet Mode;Gourmet;Fireworks;High Sensitivity
Photo Creativity
Yes
Picture Effect
[Still Image] Toy Camera, Pop Colour, Posterisation, Retro Photo, Soft High-key, Partial Colour, High Contrast Mono., Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature, Watercolour, Illustration [Movie] Toy camera, Pop Colour, Posterisation, Retro Photo, Soft High-key, Partial Colour, High Contrast Mono.
Panorama (Shooting)
Sweep Panorama
Shooting Functions
Eye AF;Face Detection;Face Registration;Still Image Recording (during movie recording);Smile shutter;Grid Line;Quick Navi;Digital Level Gauge (pitch and roll);WB Bracket;DRO Bracketing;MF Assist;Peaking;Zebra;Marker Display;Micref Level;Step Zoom / Quick Zoom;Self-portrait timer;TC/UB;Photographer Name & Copyright;ISO Auto Minimum Shutter Speed;PC Remote Controll
Picture Profile
Off/PP1-PP7 (Black Level, Gamma (Movie, Still, Cine1-2, ITU709, ITU709 [800%], S-Log2), Black Gamma, Knee, Color Mode, Color Level, Color Phase, Color Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset)

Playback

Playback Modes
BRAVIA Sync(Control for HDMI);9/25-frame index view;Auto Orientation;Slide Show;Forward/Rewind (Movie);Delete;Protect;Motion Shot Video;Beatuty Effect;TRILUMINOS Colour;4K image output

Exposure

Exposure Control
Yes
Minimum Illumination (Movie)
Auto: 1.2 lux (Shutter Speed 1/30")
Exposure Compensation
+/- 3.0EV, 1/3EV step
Light Metering Mode
Multi Pattern;Center Weighted;Spot
ISO Sensitivity (Still Image)
Auto (ISO 125-12800, selectable with upper/ lower limit), 125 / 160 / 200 / 250 / 320 / 400 / 500 / 640 / 800 / 1000 / 1250 / 1600 / 2000 / 2500 / 3200 / 4000 / 5000 / 6400 / 8000 / 10000 / 12800 (Extendable to ISO80/100), Multi Frame NR: Auto (ISO 125-12800), 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 / 12800 / 25600
ISO Sensitivity (Movie)
Auto (ISO 125-ISO 12800, selectable with upper/lower limit), 125 / 160 / 200 / 250 / 320 / 400 / 500 / 640 / 800 / 1000 / 1250 / 1600 / 2000 / 2500 / 3200 / 4000 / 5000 / 6400 / 8000 / 10000 / 12800

Power

USB Charge/USB Power Supply
Yes (Shooting, Playback)
Battery System
NP-BX1
Power Consumption (Camera Mode)
Approx. 1.9W with LCD monitor and approx. 2.3W with viewfinder(CIPA standard)
Battery Life
Still Images (CIPA) :Monitor: Approx. 280 / Approx. 140 min. Viewfinder: Approx. 230 / Approx. 115min; Movies (actual shooting) : Monitor: Approx. 45 min., Viewfinder: Approx. 45 min. (In [MP4 28M] mode, max. continuous shooting time is approx. 20 min. and max. file size is 4 GB); Movies (continuous shooting) Monitor: Approx. 80 min. Viewfinder: Approx. 85 min. (In [MP4 28M] mode, max. continuous shooting time is approx. 20 min. and max. file size is 4 GB)

Interface

Input and Output Terminals
Hi-Speed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI, Multi/Micro USB Terminal
Wireless Capabilities
[NFC] NFC forum Type 3 Tag compatible, One-touch remote, One-touch sharing, [Wi-Fi] Yes (IEEE802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz band)

What's In The Box

  • Rechargeable Battery Pack NP-BX1
  • AC AdaptorAC-UB10C/UB10D
  • Micro USB cable
  • Wrist Strap
  • Strap adapter
  • Instruction Manual

Your Comments

Loading comments…