Sony RX10 Review

Although it is common knowledge that the market for small cameras is declining, the need for bridge cameras is one sector that appears to continue to operate relatively well.

The RX100 and its successor, the RX100 II, have propelled Sony to the top of the sales charts in the premium compact market segment, yet another fruitful part of the market that Sony has successfully cornered.

Now, the firm has installed the same sensor inside a bridge camera that takes the form of the RX10. Not only does it feature that outstanding sensor, but Sony has also created a new CPU. They call it the Bionz X, and they promise that it will give processing rates that are three times quicker than the speeds offered by its predecessor.

Other bridge cameras currently available on the market often use a sensor that is the conventional size for tiny cameras, measuring 1/1.7 inches. This should make the RX10 a considerably better performer, both in terms of shooting in low-light environments and contributing to creating appealing shallow depth-of-focus effects.

Sony RX10 Build Quality

The RX10 has several characteristics reminiscent of DSLR cameras, particularly entry-level models like the Nikon D5200. It features a wide, hefty grip with a rough rubberized covering, lending it an air of quality and making it appear of high grade.

There are several dials and buttons on top of the camera that experienced photographers will undoubtedly find helpful. These include a mode dial allowing the user to switch between different exposure modes, such as aperture and shutter priority, and an exposure compensation dial.

Anyone who has ever used a Sony camera before will be familiar with the extensive range of buttons and dials that can be customized. A few are available on the RX10, too, including a small “c” button on top of the camera, which is helpful if you’re frequently looking to change one particular setting, such as sensitivity.

Sony RX10 Performance

It was good to have that verified by the complete production sample of the RX10, even though we knew from the beginning that the image quality of the RX10 would be excellent because it employs the same superb sensor as the RX100 II.

The colors are reproduced well, appearing vivid and punchy while avoiding an overly saturated appearance.

Both the skies and the skin tones are shown accurately.

Changing the Picture Styles allows you to modify the colors captured by the camera; for instance, you may make the colors more vibrant or neutral, depending on your preference.

The advantage of these is that they may be captured in raw format, which means that you will always have a ‘clean’ version of the image to work with if you find that you require it later.

As we were previously aware from the RX100 II, the sensor’s resolution of 20.2 million pixels allows for superb reproduction of fine detail.

Sony RX10 Image Quality

During this evaluation, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 captured photographs of exceptionally high quality. In addition, this camera did a fantastic job of handling noise, which did not become noticeable until the ISO 3200 level. Then it progressively worsened at the higher settings of ISO 6400, 12800, and 25600. This performance was remarkable for such a tiny image sensor with a high pixel count.

Chromatic aberrations were present but extremely well controlled, and a tiny amount of purple fringing was seen in high-contrast conditions.

The photographs were a touch soft right out of the camera when the default setting was used, requiring further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop. Alternatively, in-camera sharpening can be increased to compensate for the images’ lack of sharpness.

Thanks to the camera’s excellent macro capability, you can concentrate on the subject from as little as three centimeters away. In addition, the built-in flash did a fantastic indoor job, producing images free of red-eye and with enough overall exposure.

The cameras have a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds, enabling them to catch sufficient light for most after-dark scenarios. Moreover, when using the camera in a hand-held position at slower shutter speeds, the Steadyshot anti-shake feature performs quite well.

A practical Dynamic Range Optimizer function will extract additional data from an image’s shadow and highlight sections without adding any noise or other artifacts that aren’t intended.

The High Dynamic Range mode combines the results of two separate images taken at various exposures into a single image. The result is an image that has a higher dynamic range than what would be produced by a single photograph. However, it does yield some excellent effects even though it can only function with JPEGs and stationary subjects.

Even after all these years, they are using Sony’s Sweep Panorama, which is still a delightful experience. In addition, picture Effects allow you to create unique looks quickly, which would otherwise require you to spend a significant amount of time in the digital darkroom. On the other hand, Creative Styles give a quick and simple method to adjust the JPEG photographs captured by the camera.

Sony RX10 Specs

Body type	SLR-like (bridge)
Body material	Magnesium alloy, composite
Sensor
Max resolution	5472 x 3648
Other resolutions	4864 x 3648, 5472 x 3080, 3648 x 3648, 3648 x 2736, 3648 x 2592, 3648 x 2056, 2544 x 2544, 2736 x 1824, 2592 x 1944, 2720 x 1528, 1920 x 1920, 640 x 480
Image ratio w h	1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	20 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	21 megapixels
Sensor size	1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)
Sensor type	BSI-CMOS
Processor	Bionz X
Color space	sRGB, AdobeRGB
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto (125 – 12800), manual (125- 12800)
Boosted ISO (minimum)	80
Boosted ISO (maximum)	25600
White balance presets	9
Custom white balance	Yes
Image stabilization	Optical
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Standard, fine
File format	JPEG (DCF 2.0, EXIF 2.3)Raw (Sony ARW 2.3)
Optics & Focus
Focal length (equiv.)	24–200 mm
Optical zoom	8.3×
Maximum aperture	F2.8
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor)Multi-areaCenterSelective single-pointSingleContinuousFace DetectionLive View.
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Digital zoom	Yes (6.6x)
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	25
Screen/viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Tilting
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	1,228,800
Touch screen	No
Screen type	WhiteMagic
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	0.7×
Viewfinder resolution	1,440,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	30 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/3200 sec
Exposure modes	AutoProgram autoAperture priorityShutter priorityManual
Scene modes	Portrait, Anti Motion Blur, Sports Action, Macro, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Hand-held Twilight, Night Portrait
Built-in flash	Yes
Flash Range	10.20 m
External flash	Yes (Multi-interface shoe)
Flash modes	Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
Drive modes	Single-shotContinuousSpeed priority continuously-timerSelf-portraitBracketing
Continuous drive	10.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Metering modes	MultiCenter-weighted spot
Exposure compensation	±3 (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing	±3 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	No
Videography features
Resolutions	1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Format	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone	Stereo
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Connectivity
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI	Yes (micro-HDMI with 4K still and uncompressed HDMI output)
Microphone port	Yes
Headphone port	Yes
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	with NFC and remote control using the PlayMemories Mobile app
Remote control	No
Physical
Environmentally sealed	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	420
Weight (inc. batteries)	813 g (1.79 lb / 28.68 oz)
Dimensions	129 x 88 x 102 mm (5.08 x 3.46 x 4.02″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
Timelapse recording	No
GPS	None

Sony RX10 Final Verdict

In a market that is getting increasingly competitive, this camera stands out by providing a unique feature set. The fact that it employs the same high-quality sensor as the RX100 II ought to endow it with a further air of desirability.

This sensor has already demonstrated its usefulness in the past and continues to impress in this regard. The brand-new Bionz X processor is another factor that contributes to this camera’s status as an outstanding all-around model. This model crams a lot of features into a single body, not the least of which is its constant aperture of f/2.8.

Sony RX10 Review FAQs