Sony revives RX10 superzoom after nine years at $2,299
The RX10 V keeps the long Zeiss zoom lens but adds a stacked 1-inch sensor, faster bursts, Alpha-style controls and stronger video specs.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Sony is returning to its RX10 superzoom line with the RX10 V, a high-end fixed-lens camera aimed at photographers who want long reach without changing lenses. The Verge reports that the new model arrives nearly nine years after the RX10 IV and will cost $2,299.99 when it ships in early August.
The camera keeps a central piece of the older design: a 24-600mm equivalent f/2.4-4 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 25x zoom lens. According to The Verge, that lens is the same one used in the two previous RX10 models, dating back to the 2016 RX10 III.
The main update is inside the camera. The RX10 V uses a 20.1-megapixel, 1-inch-type stacked sensor, which The Verge says enables blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second. The RX10 IV topped out at 24 frames per second.
That speed keeps the RX10 V positioned for action, sports and wildlife work, according to The Verge. The camera’s long fixed zoom is the main draw for those uses, though the new price is well above the RX10 IV’s $1,700 launch price in 2017.
Alpha features in a fixed-lens body
The Verge reports that Sony has also reworked the RX10 V’s body so it more closely resembles the company’s larger Alpha mirrorless cameras. The new model uses Sony’s NP-FZ100 battery, the same battery found in many current A-series cameras, with more than 50 percent additional battery capacity, according to The Verge.
The camera includes an OLED electronic viewfinder and a 3-inch rear touchscreen LCD with 1.62 million dots, The Verge reports. It weighs 2.45 pounds, or about 1.1 kilograms, and remains far lighter than carrying a full-size 600mm lens setup.
The redesigned controls include multiple customizable buttons, including two near the shutter button, according to The Verge. The top plate also borrows from Sony’s Alpha line with a locking dial for functions such as exposure compensation.
Video and autofocus upgrades
Video features also move closer to Sony’s mirrorless cameras. The Verge reports that the RX10 V can record full-width 4K video at 60p, as well as cropped 4K video at 120p, with S-Log3 and S-Cinetone color options.
The autofocus system is another major upgrade. According to The Verge, the RX10 V has Sony’s real-time autofocus tracking, 575 autofocus points and subject detection that can identify the human form, helping the camera find faces and eyes during fast movement.
Some design choices remain focused on still photography. The Verge reports that the rear display tilts rather than fully articulates, and the camera does not include a built-in flash. The SD card slot sits behind the same door as the battery.
The RX10 V is therefore a return to a niche Sony had left untouched for years: a premium all-in-one camera with a long zoom, faster sensor readout and modern autofocus, priced close to interchangeable-lens territory.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.