Sony Cyber-shot RX10 Mark IV – Photo Review

Photo Review

8.9

In summary

Sony’s new RX10 Mark IV is the first in its line of fixed-lens long-zoom cameras to include a touch screen plus phase-detection AF capabilities.

Other features include excellent build quality, 4K capability,  fast autofocusing, and above-average responsiveness and buffer memory.  

The  RX10 Mark IV can  cover an extremely wide variety of subjects and operates in virtually all shooting conditions.

Sony’s provision of some worthwhile ‘professional’ features put it ahead of most competing fixed-lens cameras.  

 

Full review

Announced on 12 September, Sony’s   RX10 Mark IV represents a small ““ but for some readers significant ““ upgrade to the RX10 Mark III, which we reviewed in October 2016. Equipped with the same Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 8.8-220mm f/2.4-4 lens as the Mark III model, it’s the first to feature the latest BIONZ X processor, which  is also used in the α9. The RX10 IV is also dust and moisture resistant and includes Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth capabilities as well as being the heaviest model to date.  

Angled view of the RX10 Mark IV with power switched on and the lens in the wide angle position. (Source: Sony.)

In common with previous models in the series, the sensor has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, with 4:3, 16:9 and 1:1 options available through cropping.Still frame recording hasn’t changed substantially since the original RX10 model which, itself, used the same 20-megapixel sensor as the RX100 we reviewed in July 2012.

Both JPEG and ARW.RAW file formats are supported with three compression ratios available for JPEGs and RAW+JPEG capture available. The table below shows the   approximate number of images that can be recorded on a memory card formatted with this camera.

Quality setting

8GB

32GB

64GB

128GB

RAW

355

1400

2850

5500

RAW+JPEG

235

950

1900

3750

JPEG Extra Fine

510

2050

4150

8000

JPEG Fine

690

2800

5500

11000

JPEG Standard

1150

4800

9600

18750

The RX10 IV’s   20-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS stacked image sensor with DRAM chip is described by Sony as the ‘latest’ of its type, even though its resolution is the same as the previous models. However, the updated BIONZ X processor and front-end LSI have increased the camera’s overall responsiveness.

Build and Ergonomics
 Physically, the RX10 MIV is very similar to its predecessor, as the product images below show. The main visible difference is the monitor screen.

While not fully-articulated, the monitor can be tilted up through approximately 84 degrees up and 43 degrees down, while being pulled out on its hinge to about 20 mm from the camera body. Fortunately, it is now equipped with touchscreen capabilities that support Touch Focus and Touch Pad functions for the first time in the RX   series.

Front view of the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 Mark IV. (Source: Sony.)
 
 

Rear view of the RX10 Mark IV. (Source: Sony.)
 
 

Top  views of the RX10 Mark IV showing the lens in the off and fully extended positions. (Source: Sony.)

One feature to show the results of the updated processor is the EVF (electronic viewfinder) which, while being essentially unchanged from the  previous two models, benefits from a noticeable reduction in its display lag, particularly during continuous shooting. There has also been a slight increase in the resolution of the monitor, which includes WhiteMagic technology to improve visibility in outdoor lighting.

The mechanical and electronic shutter mechanisms are essentially unchanged since the Mark II model and include the Anti-Distortion technology associated with the stacked image sensor. It’s designed to minimise the  ‘rolling shutter’ effect that can produce distortions  with fast moving subjects, particularly in movie clips. The electronic shutter can also operate silently in all modes, including for   continuous high speed shooting.

A customisable My Menu section in the menu allows up to 30 frequently-used functions to be saved for quick access. Menus have also been colour coded to make them easier to navigate and the Movie Settings menu has been given a separate page to enable faster and easier access.

The separate SD card slot and NP-FW50 battery carry over unchanged from the previous model. The camera is designed for UHS-1 cards but can use UHS-II cards, which should support its highest data transfer speeds. However, the battery’s capacity has been reduced from 420 shots/charge on the Mark III to 400 on the Mark IV.

What’s New?
 Although the three latest models feature 13.2 x 8.8 mm, stacked  CMOS sensors with effective resolution of 20-megapixels, the Mark 4 is the first with on-sensor phase detection pixels, which cover roughly 65% of the frame.  The resulting hybrid AF system combines 315 phase-detection AF points with 25 points devoted to contrast detection.

Thanks to the High Density AF Tracking system, imported from the α9, which concentrates AF points around a subject, Sony claims the RX10 Mark IV can acquire focus within 0.03 seconds full AF/AE tracking, while also supporting continuous shooting at 24 fps. Eye AF speeds and functionality have also been improved, while the monitor’s touch-screen supports touch focus.

Four settings are available for touch operations: Touch Panel+Pad,  Touch Panel only, Touch Pad only and Off. Touch Pad operations can be restricted to one of nine sections of the screen to cater for photographers with different eye preferences and different orientations of the camera. The menu also provides absolute and relative modes to delineate how the AF point is selected.  

Side view of the camera showing the new focus hold button and focal range limiter on the lens. (Source: Sony.)

Further improvements to subject acquisition come in the form of the new focus range limiter switch that has been added to the left hand side of the 24-600mm (35mm equivalent)  f/2.4 to f/4 lens barrel. It has two positions, one encompassing the Full focusing range and the other covering three metres to infinity.

The latter setting is designed to enable the camera to focus more quickly on distant subjects by stopping it from focusing on closer subjects. It is useful in some situations but only reduces hunting for longer focal lengths; for close-ups, we found hunting for focus was a frequent occurrence, even in bright lighting.

Interestingly, the online Help Guide includes a note that ‘the shortest shooting distance may be slightly smaller or greater than 3 m’. It also states that when the 35mm equivalent focal length is less than 150 mm, the camera will switch automatically to the Full setting and focus anywhere within the available distance range. In practice, we found you could only gain about 50 cm at full optical zoom but it’s worth testing the camera’s close focusing limits when you want super close-up shots.

A new Auto setting has been added to the focus mode switch on the front panel.   When selected, it enables the camera to switch between single-shot and continuous AF, depending on whether the camera detects subject movement when the shutter button is half-pressed.

There’s also a new, customisable focus hold   button on the left hand side of the lens barrel.  The AF-ON setting is also customisable.

Using the electronic shutter enables continuous high-speed shooting at up to 24 fps  with full AF/AE tracking, with an impressive buffer limit of up to 249 images. The maximum continuous shooting speed with the mechanical shutter is 10 fps and, when the lens aperture is greater than f/8 focus is locked on the first shot. The table below shows the RX10 IV’s   maximum continuous shooting capabilities with respect to each shutter type.

 

Mechanical shutter

Electronic shutter

Continuous High

Not supported

24 frames/second

Continuous Medium

10 frames/second

10 frames/second

Continuous Low

3.5 frames/second

3.5 frames/second

Low-power Bluetooth has been added to the existing Wi-Fi and NFC communications facilities. In addition, a new My Menu function allows up to 30 frequently used menu items to be custom registered for quick recall. Menus are also colour coded for easier navigation

Video Recording
 Like the earlier models in the RX10   series, the RX10 IV supports 4K movie recording at the consumer-level resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and with frame rates of 24p or 30p, each with a bit rate of  100 Mbps. The camera supports two recording codecs: Sony’s proprietary XAVC S and the more widely-used AVCHD.

As in previous models, when recording 4K movies, the entire 5472-pixel wide sensor is read out at 50 frames/second and then downsampled to 4K resolution.  This records roughly 1.7x more information than is actually required. When frames are downsampled it is done without pixel binning (an algorithm that yields average quality results) to ensure they contain the maximum available detail.  

Compared with the previous model, Sony has cut back on the number of recording options the Mark IV offers but photographers in Australia, which uses the PAL system, can set the camera for the following file formats, frame sizes and recording rates.

File Format

Frame size

Frame rate

XAVC S 4K

3840 x 2160

25p 100M

25p 60M

XAVC S HD

1920 x 1080

100p 100M

100p 60M

50p 50M

50p 25M

25p 50M

25p 16M

AVCHD

1920 x 1080

50i 24M

50i 17M

Recordable times for movies will vary because the camera uses VBR (Variable Bit-Rate) recording, which automatically adjusts image quality depending on the scene being recorded. If the subject is moving quickly, the recordable time will be reduced because more memory is required to ensure optimal image clarity.

Video enthusiasts will appreciate the ability to access professional video profiles like Picture Profile and S-Log3/S-Gamut3. Gamma Display Assist, a common feature on recent Sony cameras, lets you display the image in the viewfinder or on the monitor with an accurate representation of what recorded image will look like it’s been colour graded, a useful function for anyone shooting in Log.

Proxy recording will capture a 720p low-bit-rate video file with the same time code as the XAVC format to allow quick previewing for faster editing or easier sharing of clips across low-bandwidth networks. The  proxy files can be swapped out with the high bit-rate file during the editing phase.

Time coding is also available, with the option to record data like the date/time/scene number as the User Bit. The camera also includes an input jack for external microphone and output for headphone monitoring.

Frame rates of up to 120p are available in Full HD mode, along with super slow motion with a choice of 1000 fps, 500 fps and 250 fps frame rates and    50p, 25p and 24p playback formats. Recording times range from about four seconds in quality priority mode to seven seconds in shoot time priority mode.

Recordable movie times will vary, depending on the shooting conditions and the type of memory card used. However, the maximum clip length is 29 minutes with the camera’s default settings and an ambient temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius.

Playback and Software
 Nothing much has changed since the RX10 III  we reviewed.  As usual, neither a comprehensive user manual nor bundled software was supplied with the review camera. Instead there’s a very basic printed guide, which is supplied in four booklets covering five languages.

You have to go online for the complete user manual, which is neither well designed nor comprehensive.   In line with Sony’s current practice, users can download the recommended editor/raw coversion software, Capture One Express for Sony at the same time. At the time of our review, the RX10 IV was also supported by Adobe Camera Raw.

Performance
Not unexpectedly, the performance of the review camera in our standard Imatest tests was quite similar to the results we obtained from the Mark III model. We obtained the highest resolution at the 18.2mm focal length (~50mm equivalent in 35mm format).

Large, Extra-fine JPEGs just exceeded expectations for the sensor’s resolution around the centre of the frame but fell a little short towards the edges. ARW.RAW files recorded at the same time exceeded expectations by a comfortable margin across the frame. We compared raw files converted with the bundled Capture One for Sony software with those converted using Adobe Camera Raw, our preferred file converter and found the resulting 16-bit TIFF files to be very similar.

Resolution from both sets of   files in our Imatest tests yielded similar results.   Both converters delivered good colour accuracy in the converted TIFFs and yielded similar results from the raw files to those the camera’s image processor   produced from JPEGs.

Resolution remained high across most of the camera’s ISO range, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results below. However, noise could be seen in shots taken at higher ISO settings, although they remained relatively sharp.

   
 We were unable to test the full zoom range of the lens due to limitations in our testing set-up. However, with our tests covering from 8.8mm to 75.6mm (24-204mm in 35mm format) the results were similar to those we obtained from the RX10 III. Edge softening was present at all focal length settings and diffraction took effect from about f/8 on, with a steep plunge between f/11 and f/16, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results below.

 
 We found the lens to be relatively free of aberrations. Although slight vignetting could be seen at the widest aperture settings across the zoom range, one stop down from maximum aperture this issue was resolved. Distortion was effectively negligible.

Bokeh in close-ups was similar to the previous model’s and highly dependent on the lens focal length, aperture setting and lighting conditions. Slight outlining occurred if bright highlights were present in the backgrounds of shots but otherwise, bokeh was remarkably smooth, given the small size of the sensor chip.

As expected, lateral chromatic aberration remained within the negligible band for all aperture and focal length settings, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results below.

 

We found no evidence of coloured fringing in test shots, even when raw files were examined. Presumably it’s corrected automatically since no manual corrections are present in the camera’s menu.

We were unable to quantify the improvements in the AF system that can be largely attributed to the phase-detection pixels on the sensor. However, like its predecessor, the RX10 IV can focus very quickly under optimal conditions. It can also maintain focus on a subject when something passes between the subject and the camera as well as when tracking moving subject ““ unless they are moving really quickly.

However, there were still instances when the system would hunt, sometimes for around a second before finding focus. Situations   where this occurred included extreme close-ups with the maximum optical zoom and low-contrast subject in very dim lighting. In each case, the camera eventually found focus ““ as long as you waited for the required time.

Low light performance was similar to the RX10 III’s, with little noticeable noise up to ISO   3200, followed by a gradual increase in the visibility of noise came from ISO 6400 onwards.  The effects, mainly in the form of softening, increased progressively up to ISO 12800, although colour saturation was not reduced to the degree we found with the Mark II camera and image quality was generally slightly better than we obtained from the Mark III camera.

The highest sensitivity is only achievable via the Multi Frame NR setting, which combines a sequence of rapidly-captured continuous shots   to reduce noise. However, this setting is only available for JPEGs. For both available light shots at night and flash shots, the resulting images had noticeably less noise than the lower ISO 12800 setting.

The built-in pop-up flash tended to under-expose subjects at the lowest ISO settings at fairly modest focal lengths (roughly a third of the maximum optical zoom extension), although the correct exposure balance was achieved by about ISO 800. By ISO 6400, the influence of ambient lighting had become obvious and became stronger by ISO 12800. Interestingly, shots taken at ISO 25600 with the Multi Frame NR setting had a much more natural colour balance and less apparent noise.  

Auto white balance performance was similar to the RX10 III’s. Shots taken under incandescent and warm LED lighting were partly corrected, while shots taken with fluorescent lighting and flash were virtually cast-free.

The pre-sets over-corrected slightly for all but the flash settings but manual measurement delivered a neutral colour balance with all lighting types. In-camera adjustment on each colour axis (G/M and A/B) is provided for tweaking images as you shoot and white balance bracketing is available.

We noticed a big improvement in autofocusing performance while conducting our video tests, although the problems with pulling focus when shooting with longer focal lengths remained, albeit to a lesser degree.

The quality of the clips was as good as we had expected, although the usual issue of burnt-out highlights was relatively common. Aside from that, plenty of detail was recorded in most clips, with the   XAVC S Full HD clips recorded at 100p / 100Mbps having marginally lower quality that the others. Both 4K settings delivered excellent detail plus natural-looking colour rendition.

Soundtracks were generally clear and free from interference and the microphone was able to pick up and reproduce voices clearly.  Although we didn’t record in windy conditions we suspect you would need to use the wind-cut filter if there’s more than a gentle breeze. We found no signs of the ‘rolling shutter’ effect, even with slower frame rates.

For our timing tests we used the same 64GB Lexar Professional SDXC UHS-II card as we used when testing the RX10 III.  All measurements were taken after the camera had gone beyond the initial Image Database checking.

We measured an average start-up time   of just under two seconds, which includes the time taken to extend the lens to the 8.8mm (24mm) position. Extending the zoom to its fullest extent took a further 2.9 seconds.

Capture lag ranged between 0.05 seconds at the widest angle to 0.15 seconds at the telephoto position. It was effectively eliminated when shots were pre-focused. Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.3 seconds without flash and 2.5 seconds with.  It took approximately 0.3 seconds to process each image, regardless of whether it was a JPEG, ARW.RAW or RAW+JPEG file.

With Speed Priority continuous shooting mode and using the electronic shutter, the review camera recorded 98 Large/ExtraFine JPEGs in 5.6 seconds and showed no sign of pausing. This equates to a frame rate of 17.5 fps, which is a little short of the specified frame rate. It took 32.2 seconds to process this burst. The same frame rates applied for recordings in the ARW.RAW format and RAW+JPEG pairs and in each case we were able to record at least 100 frames without the camera showing any signs of slowing. The buffer memory took  36.7 seconds to process a burst of 104 raw files and more than 40 seconds for a burst of 103 RAW+JPEG pairs.

When we swapped to the mechanical shutter, the frame rate slowed. We were able to record 101 frames in 10.9 seconds with no signs of the camera slowing. This equates to a little over nine frames/second. We didn’t bother testing the slower continuous shooting modes.

Conclusion
 Integrated-lens cameras have an advantage for travellers because they eliminate the need to change lenses. But they won’t necessarily provide all the functions of an interchangeable-lens camera and they often over-simplify functions keen photographers like to control (in this instance controlling the auto ISO range).

If you’re in the market for an all-in-one camera for your next trip and can cope with its size and weight, you’ll probably find the RX10 IV does most of the things you want. The sample images provide a guide to its versatility.  

The improved autofocusing and faster continuous shooting performance might be enough to justify an upgrade from the previous model to the RX10 IV for some potential purchasers, although the price for those benefits is relatively high.  On the plus side are its superior build quality, fast autofocusing, above-average responsiveness and superior buffer memory.

We think it would be a particularly good choice for photographers who want to shoot 4K movies as well as stills.  Sony’s provision of some worthwhile ‘professional’ features put it ahead of most competing fixed-lens cameras and go some way towards justifying its relatively high price tag. Being able to cover an extremely wide variety of subjects and operate in virtually all shooting conditions are also substantial advantages.

On the down side, the13.2 x 8.8 mm sensor is small, even compared with the 17.3 x 13.0 mm sensors in M4/3 cameras. The RX10 IV is also a large and heavy camera and its battery capacity is much lower than an equivalent DSLR’s. It’s also more costly than many interchangeable-lens cameras with larger sensors, among them mirrorless models with EVFs.

If you shop around, you’ll find the RX10 IV selling for between AU$100 and AU $250 below Sony’s local RRP in a number Australian retail outlets. Most US-based re-sellers have it listed at around US$1698 which was equivalent to roughly AU$2232 at the time this review was published. But by the time you’ve added shipping,   insurance and tax to the US price, you’ll be paying more than the best local price (and losing the benefits of Australian consumer protection laws).  

 

SPECS

 Image sensor:  13.2 x 8.8 mm Exmor RS CMOS sensor with 21   million photosites (20.1 megapixels  effective), aspect ratio 3:2
 Image processor: BIONZ X
 A/D processing:  14-bit uncompressed raw/ 12-bit compressed raw
 Lens: ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 8.8-220mm, f/2.4-4.0
 Zoom ratio: 25x optical; digital zoom – 20M approx.100x / 10M approx.140x / 5M approx.200x / VGA approx.380x; approx. 100x   for movies
 Image Stabilisation: Optical SteadyShot    
 Image formats: Stills – JPEG  (DCF / Exif 2.0. Exif Ver.2.31,MPF Baseline compliant), ARW.RAW 2.3, RAW+JPEG; Movies – XAVC S, AVCHD (Ver. 2.0)
 Image Sizes: Stills – 3:2 aspect: 5472 x 3648, 3888 x 2592, 2736 x 1824; 4:3 aspect: 4864 x 3648, 3648 x 2736, 2592 x 1944, VGA; 16:9 aspect: 5472 x 3080, 3648 x 2056, 2720 x 1528; 1:1 aspect: 3648 x 3648 , 2544 x 2544, 1920 x 1920; Movies – 3840 x 2160 (30p/25p/24p),  1920 x 1080 (120p/100p/60p/60i/50p/50i/24p), 1280 x 720 (30p/25p), 1824 x 1026 (250p/240p), 1824 x 616 (500p/480p/250p/240p), 1244 x 420 (1000p/960p), 1292 x 436 (500p/480p), 912 x 308 (1000p/960p)  
 Shutter speed range: Mechanical shutter – 30 to 1/2000 seconds plus Bulb; Electronic shutter – 30 to 1/32000 seconds (both vary with shooting mode)
 Self-timer: 2, 5 or 10 seconds delay plus 3 or 5 consecutive shots with 10sec. 5sec. or 2sec. delay selectable
 Exposure Compensation: +/- 3EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
 Bracketing: AE, WB   and DRO
 Focus system/range: Fast Hybrid AF with 315 points (phase-detection), 25 points (contrast-detection;   AF-S, AF-C, DMF and manual modes; range: 3 cm to infinity (wide), 72 cm to infinity (tele); macro to 5 cm
 Focus area selection:   Wide, Centre. Flexible Spot (S/M/L), Expanded Flexible Spot, Lock on AF
 Exposure metering/control:   Multi Pattern, Centre Weighted   and Spot modes plus Entire Screen Average, Highlight mode
 Shooting modes: iAuto (f/2.4 to f/11), Program Auto (f/2.4 to f/16), Manual (f/2.4 to f/16), Shutter Priority (f/2.4 to f/11), Aperture Priority (f/2.4 to f/16);   MR(Memory Recall) [body 3 sets / memory card 4 sets], Movie Mode, HFR Mode (P, A, S, M), Panorama, Scene Selection
 Scene Selection modes: Portrait, Sports Action, Macro, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Handheld Twilight, Night Portrait, Anti Motion Blur
 In-camera adjustments: Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Creative Style (Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn Leaves, Black & White, Sepia, Style Box)
 Picture Effects: 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.
 ISO range: Auto (ISO 100-12800), Expansion to ISO 80 and ISO 25600 available  
 White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent (x3), Daylight, Flash, Colour Temperature, Filter, Custom; WB adjustments: G7 to M7 (57 steps), A7 to B7 (29 steps)
 Flash: Built-in, manual pop-up flash  
 Flash modes/range (ISO auto): Approx.1.0m to 10.8m (W) / Approx. 1.0m to 6.5m (T)
 Sequence shooting: Max. 24 frames/second
 Buffer memory depth (based on tests): JPEGs, raw files, RAW+JPEG
 Storage Media: Memory Stick Duo and SD Memory Cards (UHS-I compliant)
 Viewfinder:   XGA OLED EVF with 2,359,296 dots, 100% frame coverage, 0.70x magnification, approx. 23 mm eyepoint, -4.0 to +3.0 dioptre adjustment, 5 steps of brightness adjustment plus Sunny Weather setting
 LCD monitor: Tilting 3-inch   Xtra Fine TFT LCD with 1,440,000 dots; 4:3 aspect ratio  
 Interface terminals/communications: Multi/Micro USB Terminal, Hi-Speed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI, Microphone (3.5 mm Stereo mini jack), Multi Interface Shoe, Headphones
 Wi-Fi: IEEE802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz band); NFC forum Type 3 Tag compatible; Bluetooth Standard Ver. 4.1 (2.4GHz band)
 Power supply:   NP-FW50 rechargeable battery; CIPA rated for approx. 400 shots/charge with monitor; approx. 370  shots/charge with EVF
 Dimensions (wxhxd): 133 x 94 x 127 mm
 Weight: 1050 grams (without battery and memory card)

 Distributor:Sony Australia; 1300 720 071; www.sony.com.au.  

 

TESTS

 Based on JPEG files.

 
 Based on ARW.RAW files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.

 

SAMPLES

 

Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.  

Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
 
 

Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting.
 
 

Auto white balance with flash lighting.
 

 Vignetting at 8.8mm focal length, f/2.4.
 

 Vignetting at 220mm focal length, f/4.
 
 

Rectilinear distortion at 8.8mm focal length.
 

 Rectilinear distortion at 220mm focal length.  

ISO 64, 30-second exposure at f/4; 25mm focal length.
 
 

ISO 100, 20-second exposure at f/4.5; 25mm focal length.
 
 

ISO 400, 15-second exposure at f/5.6; 25mm focal length.
 
 

ISO 1600, 10-second exposure at f/8; 25mm focal length.
 
 

ISO 6400, 5-second exposure at f/9; 25mm focal length.
 
 

ISO 12800, 2-second exposure at f/8; 25mm focal length.
 
 

ISO 25600, 1-second exposure at f/8; 25mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 64; 1/60 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 100; 1/60 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 400; 1/60 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 1600; 1/60 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 6400; 1/60 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 12800; 1/60 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

Flash exposure at ISO 25600; 1/125 second at f/4; 34mm focal length.
 
 

8.8mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/5.6. (Note the blown-out highlights in the sky, a consequence of the relatively small sensor.)
 
 

220mm  focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/6.3.
 
 

Close-up at   175mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/4.
 
 

Close-up at   106mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/5.6.
 
 

Close-up at   220mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/4.
 

12mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/640 second at f/4.5.
 
 

Crop from the above image magnified to 100% , showing no obvious coloured fringing.
 
 

Ambient light exposure under warm LED lighting; 8.8mm focal length, ISO 1600, 1/13 second at f/5.6.
 
 

Portrait shot; 30mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/500 second at f/6.3.
 
 

220mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/125 second at f/5.6.
 
 

183mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/400 second at f/4.
 
 

84mm focal length, ISO 25600, 1/2 second at f/5.
 
 

Still frame from XAVC S 4K video clip; 25p 100Mbps.
 
 

Still frame from  XAVC S 4K video clip; 25p 60Mbps.
 
 

Still frame from  XAVC S HD  1080p video clip; 50p 50Mbps.
 
 

Still frame from  XAVC S HD 1080p video clip;  25p 50Mbps.
 
 

Still frame from  XAVC S HD 1080p video clip;  100p 100Mbps.
 
 

Still frame from AVCHD Full HD (1920 x 1080) video clip; 50i at 24Mbps.
 
 

Still frame from AVCHD Full HD (1920 x 1080) video clip; 50i at 17Mbps.
 
 

Rating

RRP: AU$2599; US$1699

• Build: 9.0
• Ease of use: 8.8
• Autofocusing: 9.0
• Image quality JPEG: 8.9
• Image quality RAW: 9.1
• Video quality: 9.0

 

 

 

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