Bridge cameras are the cockroaches of the camera world. No matter how much mirrorless cameras dominate the conversation, they simply refuse to disappear. And I’m sure many avid photographers out there are glad that they haven’t. There is still something wonderfully liberating about having a 24-600 mm zoom lens permanently attached to your camera. No lens swapping. No dust on the sensor. Just point, zoom, and shoot.
After nearly nine years, Sony has finally given the RX10 series some love with the new RX10 V. Before you get too excited, though, this isn’t a complete reinvention. Instead, Sony did what made the most sense: it kept the proven 20.1 MP 1-inch sensor and excellent ZEISS 24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 lens, then sprinkled in plenty of goodies from its Alpha mirrorless lineup.
The biggest upgrade is the AI processing unit, bringing Sony’s latest Real-time Recognition AF that can now identify people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, and airplanes. Pair that with the BIONZ XR processor, 30 fps blackout-free continuous shooting, and 60 AF/AE calculations per second, and the RX10 V is more than ready to keep up with birds in flight or your kid who refuses to stand still.
Sony also gave the camera a larger grip, a joystick, a higher-resolution electronic viewfinder, and the NP-FZ100 battery—the same one found in many Alpha cameras—which boosts battery life to around 630 shots.
Video shooters are not left out either, with 4K 60p, 4K 120p, USB-C livestreaming, plus microphone and headphone jacks.
The Sony RX10 V will be available this August for US$2,299.99. It is available for pre-order, as we speak, from electronics.sony.com, if anyone’s eager to secure a unit.
Images: Sony Electronics.
