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Sony RX10

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 front
 
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-200mm (F2.8) lens
  • 813g - 129 x 88 x 102mm
  • Revealed March 2014
  • New Model is Sony RX10 II
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
58
Imaging
51
Features
76
Overall
61

Sony RX10 overview

Sony RX10 is Sony's Large Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially launched on March of 2014. It features a 20 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1" size sensor with a peak resolution of 5472 x 3648.

Sony released the newer Sony RX10 II (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to upgrade this model.

The RX10 stands at #9 out of 9 in Large Sensor Superzoom cameras & all-around #296 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can try out our Smart camera filter to get camera rankings based on your customized criteria.

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Here is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony RX10 history

The Sony RX10 has a history of related cameras. Here, you can see all past and current models along with main features.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10-IV front thumbnailSony RX10 IV
RX10 vs RX10 IV
24-600mm
F2.4-4.0
20MP1"2017
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10-III front thumbnailSony RX10 III
RX10 vs RX10 III
24-600mm
F2.4-4.0
20MP1"2016
Photography Glossary
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10-II front thumbnailSony RX10 II
RX10 vs RX10 II
24-200mm
F2.8
20MP1"2015
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10 front thumbnailSony RX1024-200mm
F2.8
20MP1"2014

Sony RX10 Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of upsides and downsides of the Sony RX10 based on features which are usually seen as necessary in a digital camera.

better than average battery power (420 per charge)
comes with face detection focus
environment sealing
exports RAW files
focusing manually
good zoom range (24-200mm 8.3 x zoom)
has built in flash
has external microphone jack
has HDMI support
has headphone jack
has image stabilization (Optical)
has Top screen
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
high resolution screen (1,290 k dot)
MP count decent (20MP)
NFC connection
nice screen size (3 inches)
nice sensor size (1")
pretty wide (24mm)
screen tilts up and down
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
doesn't have Timelapse mode
lacks phase detect auto focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Sony RX10 Sensor information

The Sony RX10 is run by the Bionz X chip. The spec of the sensor in the Sony RX10 is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor is able to resolve 5472 x 3648 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization as the latter can lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 20MP and includes a standard ISO range of 125 - 12800. The ISO can be widened digitally to 80 - 25600. RAW format is supported so you have more margin for error.

The image underneath shows the RX10's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The RX10 sensor has a crop factor of 2.7 and is pointed out in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 sensor size Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony RX10 dimensions

Sony RX10 weighs 1.79 lb (813 gr or 28.68 ounces) & the overall size of the camera is 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0"). The weight of general Large Sensor Superzoom camera is 874 gr so the Sony RX10 is very similar when compared to its competitors.

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Here is a image of the Sony RX10 alongside a soft drink so you can get a feel for its size.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 dimensions scale

The top view under will show the button arrangement on the RX10.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 topview buttons dials

Sony RX10 Lens information

The RX10 is equipped with a built-in lens with a focal range of 24-200mm giving it a 8.3 x zoom which isn't really ideal however it will probably be helpful in certain circumstances.

At it's widest 24mm, the lens features an aperture of f2.8 which will be fairly sluggish and not great for low light conditions and you might find it hard to get good bokeh. You would also have to increase your ISO setting which results in noisy shots.

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Sony RX10 Connectivity

The RX10 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that include NFC and Bluetooth compatibility can easily be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to send images and in some cases change settings without connecting straight with the camera.

Certain apps also stream a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI port, it could be hooked up to an external screen. A good number of cameras enable you to charge the battery using the USB port.

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Sony RX10 Video information

The highest video resolution in the Sony RX10 is 1920 x 1080 and you can save in MPEG-4 and AVCHD file format. 1080p resolution provides a good balance between video quality and file size but FULL HD will not give you any room to downsample. The body does come with both headphone and microphone jack making it pretty valuable while recording audio.

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Sony RX10 Weather Sealing

Sony RX10 has environment sealing which makes it a fantastic candidate for use during tricky places. This is particularly handy whenever you are not sure about the elements you might encounter during outdoor photography.

Sony RX10 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony RX10 features a 3" tilting display screen with a resolution of 1,290k dots.

Sadly the display screen isn't a touch screen. The RX10 also comes with a Top screen so you're able to quickly view your settings.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 screen and viewfinder Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The View Finder details for Sony RX10 are below:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • Resolution 1,440k dots
  • Coverage 100 percent
  • Magnification 0.7x

For sunny outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and difficult to see, viewfinders can be quite valuable.

Sony RX10 Shutter information

Sony RX10 continuous shooting rate is 10.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/3200 seconds.

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Sony RX10 Flash and Hot shoe information

Sony RX10 features both integrated flash as well as external flash ability.

Sony RX10 Autofocusing information

Sony RX10 features only Contrast Detect AF & does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot faster and exact than Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera features Face detection which makes it useful for portrait photography.

The Sensor features 25 focus points to select from. Sony RX10 can use manual focus when needed during low light scenarios or you require more accurate focus control.

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Sony RX10 Battery life

The battery power (NP-FW50) for the Sony RX10 is designed to last for 420 shots with respect to the CIPA specifications making it higher than average for its class. The typical Large Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 373. Sony RX10 III has the highest (420) battery life within this class of cameras.

Underneath is a collection of Large Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10 front thumbnailSony RX10420 yesyesno
Photography Glossary

Sony RX10 for various categories of photography

The following bar chart presents a summation of the Sony RX10 for various categories of photography. To see more, scroll to the specific paragraph underneath.

Sony RX10 as a Portrait photography camera

The Sony RX10 has a rating of 70 which is very good, meaning that it is a respectable option to use for portrait photography. Taking portrait photos leans heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW photos plus the capability to utilize off-camera lighting.

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manual focus
resolution is good (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
supports face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats

Sony RX10 Street photography advice

Having a above average score of 72, the Sony RX10 is a very decent fit to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera gives a fine balance of image quality plus portability.

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screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Optical)
good sensor size (1")
saves RAW files
weather sealing

Sony RX10 Sports photography information

A nice sports photography rating of 67 means the Sony RX10 is a good pick for taking pictures of sports. A camera should have fantastic focusing and continuous shooting for sports photography.

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image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
weather proof
great battery power (420 CIPA)
no phase detect auto focus

Sony RX10 Travel photography highlights

Weight is super critical in selecting a camera for travel. Over-all, the Sony RX10 gets a reasonable 58 for a travel camera which makes it relatively adequate for your trips.

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good battery (420 shots)
weather proofing
decent MP (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
reasonably wide (24mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)

Landscape photography with Sony RX10

For those who are planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the most important factor is going to be image quality. The Sony RX10 with it's very good score of 63 for a landscape camera is a fine choice amongst it's competitors.

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focusing manually
really wide (24mm)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (20MP)
sensor size is decent (1")
saves RAW formats
environment proof
better than average battery (420 per charge)
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
lack of Time Lapse mode

Sony RX10 as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging preferably should posses a articulating screen, microphone input and preferably IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Sony RX10 is just not acceptable for vlogging as it delivers a horrible score of 30.

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decently wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
has external mic support
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display isn't selfie friendly

Sony RX10 Alternatives

If you want alternatives to the RX10, below is a number of the top scored cameras which fall within the category of Large Sensor Superzoom.

The line graph below provides you a bird's eye view of the RX10 versus it's top ranked competitors shown previously.

Following are several cameras you might look at as alternatives. To read a complete comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10
Class
Large Sensor Superzoom
Revealed
2014-03-20
Body design
SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Chip
Bionz X
Sensor size
1"
Sensor measurements
13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area
116.2mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
5472 x 3648
RAW photos
Max native ISO
12800
Max boosted ISO
25600
Min native ISO
125
Min boosted ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points
25
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
24-200mm (8.3x)
Maximum aperture
f/2.8
Focal length multiplier
2.7
Screen
Range of screen
Tilting
Screen sizing
3 inches
Resolution of screen
1,290k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech
WhiteMagic
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
1,440k dot
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.7x
DXO scores
DXO All around score
69
DXO Color Depth score
22.9
DXO Dynamic range score
12.6
DXO Low light score
474
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30 secs
Highest shutter speed
1/3200 secs
Continuous shooting speed
10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
10.20 m
Flash modes
Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
813 grams (1.79 pounds)
Dimensions
129 x 88 x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0")
Other
Battery life
420 photos
Battery format
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-FW50
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots
Single
Launch pricing
$698