Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
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Now in its fourth
generation, the mighty RX100 is as much an engineering marvel as it is
one of the most desirable compact cameras around. Previous generations
have won numerous accolades and Sony has stuck to the same recipe. The
recipe? It's simple: take a large sensor (1-inch in this case, slightly
smaller than a traditional DSLR but vastly larger than the average
compact cam), a high-quality all-metal body, add a phenomenal Carl Zeiss
lens with a f1.8 aperture, throw in some of the best image processing
hardware & software and finally , impossibly include numerous extras
in the pocketable form factor (a customisable lens ring, pop up flash,
NFC, WiFi, a high-res screen that tilts up & down) and an excellent
electronic viewfinder. From the mark 2 to 3 was a big jump in terms
of performance.In our review of the mark 3, we had said: “it is small,
attractive, delivers high-quality results and suits almost anyone with a
penchant for photography.“ The mark IV builds on the same concept and
gives you some improvements. Visually , they are nearly identical, but
the mark 4 now includes 4k video recording (up to 5 minutes of recording
in 4k at a time), a higher resolution LCD monitor, higher resolution
EVF (electronic viewfinder), faster continuous shooting (because of
improvements at how the sensor handles data), faster shutter speeds and
faster & more accurate autofocus.
When you first pick up the camera, you realise that it's different because of the considerable heft. Sony has packed in a lot of technology into a fairly small body and it feels `dense'. There's a power toggle, zoom levershutter, mode dial and flash release on top. There's a collection of 5 buttons and a rotating D-pad on the back and a small trigger to pop up the electronic viewfinder on the left side. The control lens around the lens controls a combination of shutter speed & aperture as pre-configured. But you can change it to control overall exposure, ISO, white balance, switch between creative styles or picture effects, zoom, shutter speed, aperture or disable it completely . The display is not touch, but it does articulate -moving down to allow you to take overhead shots or perpendicular, to allow waist-level shooting. Handily, the screen also flips up completely for selfies (and shooting this way also enables a 3-second timer). Three more things to note: popping up the EVF starts the camera as well -and it auto matically turns off the primary dis play when you hold it your the flash will nev eye. Second, the flash will never pop up and auto-fire, even in full auto mode -this prevents the less-than-flattering, harshly lit flash photos in the hands of a novice. And finally, 4k video requires that you use a class 10 micro SD card or better. If you use a slower card, those options will not be visible in the menu. Coming to the performance, it is spectacular, to say the least.Sony's recipe works efficiently and precisely to deliver the sort of results that will consistently wow you. The wide f1.8 aperture combined with the amazing sensor and optical stabilisation can deliver super shallow depth of field, sharp low light photos and accurate colours. We tested it out under a variety of conditions and even at ISO 6400, the results are very impressive -surpassing most mid-range DSLRs in noise levels, accuracy and speed. The 4k video and 1000 fps slow motion video is just icing on the cake.
The execution and brilliance of the RX100 series has to be experienced to be believed. The price is most obvious deterrent for most people. Sure, it's as expensive as two mid-range DSLRs, but this is not a camera for someone who is looking to buy a bulky DSLR (or even a fiddly micro four thirds, interchangeable lens camera). It all boils down to this: whether you're a complete novice, a photography enthusiast, prosumer or an experienced professional, the camera steps up to meet your skill levels and rewards you with exceptional results, every time. In fact, the mark 4 is the world's best compact camera in our opinion.
When you first pick up the camera, you realise that it's different because of the considerable heft. Sony has packed in a lot of technology into a fairly small body and it feels `dense'. There's a power toggle, zoom levershutter, mode dial and flash release on top. There's a collection of 5 buttons and a rotating D-pad on the back and a small trigger to pop up the electronic viewfinder on the left side. The control lens around the lens controls a combination of shutter speed & aperture as pre-configured. But you can change it to control overall exposure, ISO, white balance, switch between creative styles or picture effects, zoom, shutter speed, aperture or disable it completely . The display is not touch, but it does articulate -moving down to allow you to take overhead shots or perpendicular, to allow waist-level shooting. Handily, the screen also flips up completely for selfies (and shooting this way also enables a 3-second timer). Three more things to note: popping up the EVF starts the camera as well -and it auto matically turns off the primary dis play when you hold it your the flash will nev eye. Second, the flash will never pop up and auto-fire, even in full auto mode -this prevents the less-than-flattering, harshly lit flash photos in the hands of a novice. And finally, 4k video requires that you use a class 10 micro SD card or better. If you use a slower card, those options will not be visible in the menu. Coming to the performance, it is spectacular, to say the least.Sony's recipe works efficiently and precisely to deliver the sort of results that will consistently wow you. The wide f1.8 aperture combined with the amazing sensor and optical stabilisation can deliver super shallow depth of field, sharp low light photos and accurate colours. We tested it out under a variety of conditions and even at ISO 6400, the results are very impressive -surpassing most mid-range DSLRs in noise levels, accuracy and speed. The 4k video and 1000 fps slow motion video is just icing on the cake.
The execution and brilliance of the RX100 series has to be experienced to be believed. The price is most obvious deterrent for most people. Sure, it's as expensive as two mid-range DSLRs, but this is not a camera for someone who is looking to buy a bulky DSLR (or even a fiddly micro four thirds, interchangeable lens camera). It all boils down to this: whether you're a complete novice, a photography enthusiast, prosumer or an experienced professional, the camera steps up to meet your skill levels and rewards you with exceptional results, every time. In fact, the mark 4 is the world's best compact camera in our opinion.
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