Sony RX100 IV
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 125 - 12800 (Boost to 25600)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
- 298g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
- Introduced June 2015
- Older Model is Sony RX100 III
- Updated by Sony RX100 V
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
89 Imaging
52 Features
79 Overall
62
Sony RX100 IV summary
Sony RX100 IV is Sony's Large Sensor Compact digital camera first released on June of 2015. It has a 20 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1" sized sensor and has a full resolution of 5472 x 3648.
Sony brought out this model in order to replace the older Sony RX100 III (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards launched the fresher Sony RX100 V (Read Full Comparison) to update this camera.
The RX100 IV ranks at #27 out of 65 in Large Sensor Compact cameras & over all #275 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please test our Advanced camera finder to find camera results based on your customized criteria.
The following is a chart of various factors used in the rating system.
Sony RX100 IV history
The Sony RX100 IV is part of a family of products. You can see the full range below.
F1.8-2.820MP1"2015
Sony RX100 IV Gallery
You can check the RX100 IV from different angles in the gallery here.
Sony RX100 IV Pros and Cons
Below is a shortlist of positives and negatives of the Sony RX100 IV based on factors that are normally regarded as important in a digital camera.
Sony RX100 IV Sensor details
The Sony RX100 IV houses the Bionz X processor chip. The sensor dimension in the Sony RX100 IV is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor is able to capture 5472 x 3648 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization as the latter might produce cropping.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe BSI-CMOS sensor has 20MP and has a standard ISO range of 125 - 12800. This ISO can be expanded electronically to 80 - 25600. RAW photos are supported therefore the user has wider margin for error.
The graphic below displays the RX100 IV's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The RX100 IV sensor has a crop factor of 2.7 and is showcased in green.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneTo get a sense of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.
Sony RX100 IV dimensions
Sony RX100 IV weighs in at 0.66 lb (298g or 10.51 ounces) & the volume of the camera is 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6"). The weight of average Large Sensor Compact camera is 396g so the Sony RX100 IV is less heavy in comparison with various competitors.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe following is a pic of the Sony RX100 IV with a softdrink so you can get a sense of its scale.
The top view here will show you the button layout on the RX100 IV.
Sony RX100 IV Lens specs
The RX100 IV features a built-in lens and it has a focal range of 24-70mm giving it a 2.9 x zoom which isn't very good however it will surely be useful in certain cases.
At the widest 24mm, the lens comes with an aperture of f1.8 which will be wonderful for low light events and getting good bokeh. It is going to also allow you to set a much lower ISO in order to get crisper images. On the tele end, 70mm comes with f2.8 which is pretty decent and will allow you to keep high shutter speeds.
Sony RX100 IV Connectivity
The RX100 IV has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- NFC Yes
- HDMI Yes
Digital cameras that come with NFC or Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to copy files and at times change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.
Many applications even give a Liveview and release the shutter whenever you are not near the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can easily be connected to an external display. Most cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB port.
Sony RX100 IV Video specs
The highest possible video resolution in the Sony RX100 IV is 3840 x 2160 and you can shoot in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S file format. 2160p is an excellent resolution for video. You are able to crop to 1080p in order to get better video. Beware of the massive file sizes and ensure you have got high quality SD cards that have fast write speeds. The camera does not offer a microphone or headphone port which means that you have got little control over the sound. It is perhaps a better idea to find another camera should you want better sound for your videos.
Sony RX100 IV Weather Sealing
Sony RX100 IV does not include environment sealing so rainy conditions can easily ruin the camera.
Sony RX100 IV Screen and Viewfinder
The Sony RX100 IV has a 3" tilting display screen supporting a resolution of 1,229k dots.
It has got a selfie friendly screen for self portraits and group shots when needed. Sadly the display screen isn't a touch screen.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe View Finder specifications for Sony RX100 IV are below:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- Resolution 2,359k dots
- Coverage 100 percent
- Magnification 0.59x
For bright outdoor situations which make the camera displays washed out and tough to see, viewfinders can be quite useful.
Sony RX100 IV Shutter specs
Sony RX100 IV continuous shooting speed is 16.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000s. The camera also offers silent electronic shutter of 1/32000s. Beware that the electronic shutter might produce "rolling shutter" under certain lighting conditions.
Sony RX100 IV Flash and Hot shoe specs
Sony RX100 IV comes with only integrated flash without external flash support. The highest flash sync speed is 1/2000s.
Sony RX100 IV Autofocusing specs
Sony RX100 IV comes with just Contrast Based Auto Focus & lacks Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more quicker and exact in comparison with Contrast Based focusing. The camera has Face detection which is valuable for portrait photography.
It has 25 focus points to select from. It also comes with Tracking Auto Focus for moving subjects. Sony RX100 IV has got manual focusing in case it is needed for low light conditions or you need more accurate control on focusing.
Sony RX100 IV Battery life
The battery life (NP-BX1) in the Sony RX100 IV is made to last for 280 shutters with respect to the CIPA measurements making it similar to it's competition. The average Large Sensor Compact camera battery life is 301. Leica X-U has got the best (450) battery life for this type of cameras.
Underneath is a listing of Large Sensor Compact cameras which have the highest battery life:
Sony RX100 IV for various styles of photography
The following chart provides a outline of the Sony RX100 IV for various styles of photography. To look at more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.
Sony RX100 IV Portrait photography details
The Sony RX100 IV has a rating of 65 which is nice, and means the camera is a good fit to use for portrait photos. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor size, RAW support along with the potential to work with external flash.
Sony RX100 IV Street photography highlights
With a great score of 85, the Sony RX100 IV is a outstanding fit to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.
Sony RX100 IV Sports photography details
A above average sports photography points total of 68 suggests the Sony RX100 IV is a very decent choice for shooting sports. A camera needs to have excellent tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.
Travel photography with Sony RX100 IV
Weight is really crucial in getting a camera for travel. In general, the Sony RX100 IV gets a fantastic 86 for a travel camera which makes it a outstanding option to buy for your holidays.
Sony RX100 IV Landscape photography advice
For anybody who is looking to purchase a camera for landscape photos, the most essential aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Sony RX100 IV at it's nice rating of 74 as a landscape camera is a fine option in the current market.
Sony RX100 IV Vlogging highlights
A camera for vlogging should really posses a articulating display screen, microphone input and if possible IBIS. Taking all things in to account, the Sony RX100 IV is a superb option as a vlog camera as it delivers a wonderful score of 81.
Sony RX100 IV Alternatives
If you are searching for replacements to the RX100 IV, below is a range of the top ranked cameras that fall within the class of Large Sensor Compact.
The graph here provides you a summary of the RX100 IV vs it's top ranked competitors mentioned earlier.
Following are additional cameras you may view as alternatives. To read through a thorough comparison, visit the "compare" link.