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Behind the scenes of ‘PARALLAX’ – shot with the Sony Cyber-shot RX0

26 Dec

PARALLAX was directed by Philip Edsel. Director of Photography: Peter Longno. Producer & BTS: Moyo Oyelola. Choreography: Jacob Jonas. Dancers: Nick Walton & Joy Isabella Brown of Jacob Jonas The Company. Music: “Into” by Aten Rays.

Sony’s new Cyber-shot RX0 is a tiny, rugged action camera capable of full HD slow-motion capture and external 4K recording. Unlike most cameras in its class, the RX0 offers a large 1 inch sensor and an option to record video in the S-Log profile, making it more versatile when imported into professional editing suites, and more easily compatible with professional video workflows.

Filmmaker Philip Edsel has been working with the RX0 (or rather, with a lot of RX0s…) for a while. His new piece, PARALLAX, was shot entirely using RX0 cameras alongside a variety of different peripherals, including a ‘bullet time’ rig. We spoke to him recently about the challenges – and unique opportunities – he encountered when shooting with the RX0.

What kind of challenges do you face when filming athletes?

When working with athletes for a film like this, our number one concern is safety. Having athletes perform crazy flips and jumps repetitively can most certainly be dangerous if you’re not taking the proper precautions. Thankfully our athletes were super talented and always landed their movements with ease. After that, the challenge was just capturing those movements in a way that did them justice.

What kind of gear would normally be considered appropriate or industry standard for a piece like PARALLAX?

This type of film would normally be shot on a cinema camera – something like an Arri Alexa or RED. If it was a personal project of mine, I would shoot it on my Sony A7S II or A7R III. Cine cameras come with a lot of baggage though – cages, rigging, external batteries, monitors, hard drives, etc.

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What is your most important criteria when it comes to choosing the gear to shoot a piece like this?

The two most important criteria for shooting this film were quality and versatility. The quality of footage from the Cyber-shot RX0 was surprising. We shot 4K externally and when we were just handheld or shooting slow-motion, we shot HD. Always in S-Log, which really made the most of the dynamic range of its sensor.

As far as versatility goes, we needed a camera that could be nimble enough to take on any of the crazy ideas I threw at it.

We had 10 cameras running pretty much non-stop, and no extra batteries

What limitations did shooting with the Cyber-shot RX0 place on you?

We weren’t really limited by the RX0. If anything, it was the opposite – we were enabled to pursue all sorts of non-traditional angles and shot ideas. The only challenge that was specific to this production was battery life. We had ten cameras running pretty much non-stop, and no extra batteries. The batteries in the RX0 are small because the camera itself if so compact, which presented a bit of an issue at first.

Our solution was just to rig up a small external USB battery, and shoot while the camera was charging. We didn’t have a problem at all after that.

What did the RX0 allow you to do that a more conventional rig wouldn’t?

For this project we used the camera in just about every way I could think of. It was handheld, stabilized on a gimbal, crammed into tight corners and small spaces, used underwater in the ocean, and in an 8-camera ‘Bullet Time’ rig.

I don’t know of any other camera that would have allowed us to do all of that. We would have needed different cameras for different scenarios, or been restricted to more traditional angles and shot ideas. This camera’s size allowed us to be as versatile and creative as our athletes.

Behind the scenes of PARALLAX

Can you describe your shooting and editing workflow?

All of this footage was shot in S-Log. My Director of Photography Peter Longno did most of the organizing and sorting of the footage, which with ten cameras, was a lot of work. The bullet time footage had to be lined up and synced. I had a camera shooting time-lapse stills using an external intervalometer, and those timelapses had to be sequenced.

I wanted the edits to reflect the wildly versatile uses of the camera

The edit took quite a while because we had a ton of footage, and we wanted to make sure the pacing of the film not only matched the soundtrack, but also created an energy that did justice to the talent and the product. I wanted the edits to reflect the wildly versatile uses of the camera.

Once the edit was finished, Peter brought the project into DaVinci Resolve, where we graded the Log footage. After it was graded, Peter brought the footage back into Adobe Premiere to add some of the glitching and composite effects.

What is the biggest technical advancement that you’ve seen during your career as a filmmaker?

If you told anyone even five years ago about the Sony RX0 or A9, they would have laughed at you. If I always use a brand new camera in the same way I could have used a camera five, ten, or twenty years ago, then I’m not really taking advantage of the innovation that’s happened in the meantime.

It’s inspiring to me because I try to use the advancements in technology as motivation to advance the art I create.

This is sponsored content, supported by Sony. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV review

14 Nov

Introduction

The Sony DSC-RX10 IV is premium superzoom bridge-camera (DSLR-like form factor) with a 24-600mm F2.4-4 equivalent zoom lens and a 20MP 1″-type stacked BSI-CMOS sensor: the same used by the Sony RX100 V. This new sensor brings phase detect autofocus to the RX10 series for the first time, adding the depth-awareness that is important for focusing long lenses. The camera is also faster than its predecessor and can shoot at 24 fps with AF and auto exposure (compared to 5 fps).

The processor is borrowed from the flagship Sony a9, which should mean excellent subject tracking. In short, this camera packs speed, AF ability and lens reach into a convenient package, not to mention 4K video. So is it the most capable all-in-one camera on the market? Read on…

Key specs:

20MP 1″-type stacked BSI-CMOS sensor
24-600mm equivalent F2.4-4 stabilized zoom lens
24 fps burst shooting in JPEG + Raw, with full AF and AE
315-point phase-detection autofocus system covers 65% of frame
Detailed 4K video capture with well-controlled rolling shutter
High frame rate video capture
Touchscreen
Bluetooth connectivity
Updated menus

We feel like this camera will appeal to a variety of users including those seeking an all-in-one camera with serious reach for casual shooting, travel or vacationing. But advanced videographers may also find this camera tempting thanks to a laundry list of video features and good quality UHD capture.

Key features compared

The body is almost identical to that of its predecessor, using the same outstanding lens. However the RX10 IV offers a touchscreen that can be used as a touchpad for placing AF points with your eye to the finder or for selecting a point of focus in still or video mode. There are a few other minor differences between the two cameras as well:

	Sony RX10 IV	Sony RX10 III	Sony RX10 II	Panasonic FZ1000	Panasonic FZ2500
MSRP	$ 1699	$ 1499	$ 1199	$ 899	$ 1199
Sensor	20MP 1″-type stacked CMOS sensor	20MP 1″-type stacked CMOS	20MP 1″-type stacked CMOS	20MP 1″-type BSI-CMOS	20MP 1″-type BSI-CMOS
ISO range (native)	100-12800	100-12800	100-12800	125-12800	125-12800
Lens (35mm equivalent)	24-600mm F2.4-4	24-600mm F2.4-4	24-200mm F2.8	25-400mm F2.8-4	24-480mm F2.8-4.5
Built-in ND filter	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
AF system	Phase detect	Contrast detect	Contrast detect	Contrast detect	Contrast detect
AF points	315-point	25-pt	25-pt	49-pt	49-pt
Fastest shutter speed	1/32,000 sec (e-shutter), 1/2000 (mechanical)	1/32,000 sec (e-shutter), 1/2000 (mechanical)	1/32000 sec (e-shutter), 1/2000 (mechanical)	1/16000 sec (e-shutter), 1/4000 (mechanical)	1/16000 sec (e-shutter), 1/4000 (mechanical)
EVF resolution	2.36m-dot	2.36m-dot	2.36m-dot	2.36m-dot	2.36m-dot
LCD	3″ 1.44M-dot tilting	3″ 1.23M-dot tilting	3″ 1.23M-dot tilting	3″ 921k-dot fully articulated	3″ 1.04M-dot fully articulating
Touscreen	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Burst rate	24 fps	14 fps	14 fps	12 fps	12 fps
Video	4K/30p	4K/30p	4K/30p	4K/30p	4K/30p
High-speed video	Up to 960 fps @ 800 x 270	Up to 960 fps @ 800 x 270	Up to 960 fps @ 800 x 270	120 fps @ 1920 x 1080	120 fps @ 1920 x 1080
Wi-Fi	Yes, with NFC and Bluetooth	Yes, with NFC	Yes, with NFC	Yes	Yes
Battery life (CIPA)	400 shots	420 shots	400 shots	360 shots	350 shots
Weather sealing	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Dimensions	133 x 94 x 145mm	133 x 94 x 127mm	129 x 88 x 102mm	137 x 99 x 131mm	138 x 102 x 135 mm
Weight	1095 g	1051 g	813 g	831 g	915 g

As you can see, the RX10 IV stacks up nicely next to its siblings and direct competitors. For someone primarily concerned with stills, the RX10 IV seems like the obvious choice, especially if you plan on shooting action: it’s got the fastest burst rate of the bunch and is the only camera in its class with phase detection.

But for videographers, the FZ2500 with its fully-articulating touchscreen, built-in variable ND filter and similar zoom range might make it the more sensible choice, especially given its lower price point (though we found its lens performance inferior to its Sony counterparts). You don’t get the cool, super-high-speed frame rate options offered by the Sony cameras, but 1080/120p is not too shabby.

Availability

The RX10 IV is available now for an MSRP of $ 1699.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon G1 X III vs. Sony Cybershot RX100 V

22 Oct

Canon G1 X Mark III vs Sony RX100 V

The year is 2017. Smartphones have rendered the $ 200 compact obsolete, and they’re creeping up on $ 500 interchangeable lens cameras. Things look bleak. But lo! Camera manufacturers have stumbled upon a niche market that can soften the blow they’ve been dealt by mobile devices: the ultra-pricey premium compact.

Sony is five generations deep in the category. Canon offers a variety of large sensor compacts, but none have looked quite as promising as the G1 X Mark III. If you’re set on investing in a seriously capable compact, no doubt these two cameras will be on your list. Here’s how they square up.

Sensor

In the Canon G1 X III you get a very familiar 24MP APS-C sensor with Canon’s modern Dual Pixel design. The RX100 V offers a much smaller 1″ chip with 20MP and an evolved stacked CMOS design, with impressive tricks like slow motion video and 24 fps bursts.

They’re both very capable sensors, but there’s just no avoiding that the G1 X III’s chip is much bigger. This means it can tolerate more light, which will provide a little more flexibility in brighter light and high contrast scenes. But beware: even though larger sensors typically perform better in low light and blurry background applications, that won’t necessarily be the case in this comparison… because of the…

Lens

The G1 X III and RX100 V are both built around a useful 24-70mm equivalent zoom.

The Sony offers an F1.8-2.8 aperture to the Canon’s F2.8-5.6, and you might be tempted to think that the RX100 V offers more flexibility for separating subjects from backgrounds. Or collects more light in low light. Or you might be tempted to think that the Canon is better in both these departments because of its larger sensor. Resist the temptation. Repeat after me: equivalence is our friend.

Because of their size difference, the RX100 V’s lens is equivalent to a F4.9-7.6 on full-frame; the Canon is equivalent to F4.5-9. So it’s really likely to be a wash in both the subject isolation and low light departments: the Sony is a little better on the long end, and the Canon is a tiny fraction better on the wide end. Either way you’re getting a zoom range that’s handy for plenty of shooting situations, with a built-in ND filter to boot.

Autofocus

Canon’s 24MP chip offers depth-aware Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus, a feature we’ve come to know and appreciate in its DSLRs and EOS-M cameras. Sony in turn offers phase detection autofocus with a total of 315 points; both cameras essentially offer autofocus across most of the frame.

We’ve generally found the RX100 V to focus better and faster in continuous drive than most Dual Pixel cameras we’ve tested, impressively even at the RX100 V’s 24 fps top burst rate. They’re both quite capable in single shot mode – Sony’s Eye AF mode is handy, though the G1 X III offers a usability advantage in its touch screen. Each system has its pros and cons, but they’re both way ahead of the contrast-detection systems used by cheaper compacts and many smartphones.

Screen/viewfinder

Great news: either way you go, you’ll have a built-in electronic viewfinder at your disposal, and you should for such a handsome price. But there are significant differences in rear screen specs. Canon gives you a fully articulated 3″ 1.04M-dot touch screen. Sony offers a higher-res 3″ 1.23M-dot tilting-only non-touch screen. For Pete’s sake Sony, put a touch screen in this thousand-dollar compact!

If you’re, say, a vlogger, the Canon’s fully articulating touch screen is clearly going to work better for you. Not everyone needs or wants a touch screen, but it does help you get the most out of a super fast autofocus system.

Video

In terms of sheer video capabilities, the RX100 V comes out way ahead with 4K/30p oversampled from 5K footage, 1080/60p, 1080/120p slow motion, SLog2 for wide dynamic range capture and helpful tools like zebra and focus peaking.

The G1 X III’s mere 1080/60p looks paltry in comparison, but don’t rule it out on that spec alone. Its Dual Pixel/touchscreen combination is incredibly useful for creating smooth shifts in focus or quickly choosing the subject you want the camera to track.

If you’re an advanced videographer and you need all of the bells and whistles, or a casual user that wants highly detailed video (and you’re OK with leaving focus in complete auto mode, where it performs really well) then the RX100 V is for you. But if you’re a novice looking to create good-looking video without much effort, then you should give the G1 X III a good look.

Battery

There’s no real good news here – battery life stinks on both of these cameras. The RX100 V is CIPA-rated to 220 shots per charge; the G1 X III is rated for 200 shots. Actual results are usually better than that, but if you intend to shoot lots of bursts, plan on getting a backup battery too. A fancy compact camera with a dead battery is just a very expensive paperweight.

Form factor

Let’s give credit where credit is due: these cameras are incredible feats of engineering. They each pack cutting edge technology into a body that seems way too small for its spec list. But you can’t cheat the laws of physics: the G1 X III’s much bigger sensor makes for a bigger camera. The RX100 V has “just a 1-inch sensor,” but it’s also truly pocketable. With its chunkier grip, viewfinder and protruding dials, the G1 X III is more of a “honey I shrunk the DSLR” shape and size.

We can offer some guidance around the other points of comparison, but this one’s on you. If small cameras seem too fiddly, you probably won’t like the RX100 V. If you want to slip your camera into a coat pocket when you’re not using it, the G1 X III might be a bit too big.

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Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV sample gallery updated

10 Oct

Where better to take a 24-600mm equivalent superzoom than on a trip to the mountains? With a zoom range ideal for travel, our Sony RX10 IV review unit headed north to Whistler, BC almost as soon as it arrived. Take a look at our expanded sample gallery.

See our updated Sony RX10 IV gallery

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Not your typical superzoom: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV gallery and impressions

14 Sep

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Immediately after its announcement in New York, we got a chance to shoot with the latest addition to Sony’s RX series, the long zoom, fast shooting, 4K-capable RX10 IV.

The first thing that becomes apparent is that the addition of phase detection immediately sets right the biggest limitation we experienced with its predecessor. Even across a range of shooting subjects, the autofocus was fast and exhibited vey little in the way of hunting.

Shooting at 24 frames per second you get used to going a little easy on the shutter button

Shooting at 24 frames per second you get used to going a little easy on the shutter button: hold it down for too long and, especially if you’re shooting Raw, you can expect to be locked out of the menu for a considerable period of time. Like recent Sony models, you can now enter playback mode while waiting for the buffer to clear, and the camera will show you the images it’s had time to process.

Intelligently, the camera groups all the shots from a burst together, meaning your card doesn’t become impossible to navigate, even if it’s full of groups of >30 image bursts. As you scroll through, you can hit the center button to expand the group and see the individual images.

Shooting sports

Overall, the camera is extremely responsive. The viewfinder doesn’t give you updates quite as immediately as looking through an optical viewfinder but it’s fast enough that, with a bit of practice, I was able to follow the relatively unpredictable action of a football (soccer) game, even when fairly zoomed-in.

The touchscreen isn’t the most responsive we’ve encountered but felt quicker than the one on the a6500. Tap quickly around the screen and you’ll notice the AF point will sometimes noticeably lag behind your current location, but this lag is much less apparent in touchpad mode. Touching the active region of the rear screen causes the AF point to light up and it follows your finger’s movement around the scene quickly enough.

We totally forgot we weren’t shooting with a high-end sports camera

Focus tracking also seemed pretty effective and, between the ability to easily register a default AF point (with a different one selected for each camera orientation) and use the touchpad to move it, it proved to be pretty quick and easy to get the AF point where it was needed before hammering on a button assigned to be AF-On.

There wasn’t time to completely familiarize ourselves with the full capability of the autofocus system but we’ll be testing it more thoroughly as soon as we get a camera into the office. We’ll also try to post some video samples in the coming days.

First impressions

Our first impressions, though, were that anyone getting outraged by the camera’s not inconsiderable price should try shooting with the camera for a while. Even in an initial phase of getting to know the camera, we’d find we totally forgot we weren’t shooting with a high-end sports camera, only to occasionally be surprised when we took it away from our eye and realized it doesn’t have pro-DSLR levels of direct settings control. This isn’t something that tends to happen with a typical superzoom.

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Hands-on with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV

13 Sep

Introduction

The RX10 IV, as the name suggests, is the fourth in Sony’s series of 1″-type sensor, long zoom compacts. The Mark IV is the first to offer phase detection autofocus alongside a series of changes designed to boost the speed and capability of the camera, for both stills and video shooting.

Sony is adamant that the camera is much more than an RX10 III with an RX100 V sensor in it. Let’s take a look at what the latest version brings.

Autofocus

One of the biggest changes in the Mark IV is the addition of on-sensor phase detection autofocus. There are a total of 315 phase-detect points, which cover 65% of the total sensor area. This is a significant update as it should eliminate the RX10 III’s need to hunt for focus, which was a particular problem at the long end of the zoom.

In addition, we’re told the camera has “exactly the same” processor as used in the company’s flagship sports camera: the a9. This means the RX10 IV has the same autofocus algorithms for subject tracking and the improved Eye AF mode we saw on the a9.

Touchscreen

The RX10 IV also becomes the first camera in the RX series to gain a touchscreen. This can be used for tap-to-focus in both stills and video mode. In video mode it is designed to offer a smooth focus transition between subjects which, combined with on-sensor PDAF, should make it relatively easy to shoot good-looking video without having to worry about manual focus.

The screen can also act as an AF touchpad when the camera is held to your eye, with the option of limiting the active area of the screen to one of nine regions of the rear panel, including the top (or bottom) right or left quadrants. There’s also a choice as to whether the AF movement is absolute (pressing on the left of the screen places the AF point on the left of the image) or relative (swiping left anywhere on the screen moves the AF point left from its current position), as different photographers prefer different methods. These are all welcome improvements over previous touchscreen implementations from Sony.

Continuous shooting

Continuous shooting speeds have been dramatically improved since the RX10 III, with the max frame rate increase from 14 to 24 fps, with continuous AF. The buffer is substantial, to say the least, topping out at 112 Raw and 249 Fine JPEGs.

If that’s too fast for you, middle (10 fps) and low (3.5 fps) options are also available.

Speaking of (very) quick, the camera’s electronic shutter allows for bullet-stopping 1/32000 sec shutter speeds. The RX10 IV uses the e-shutter in order to shoot at 24 fps, by the way.

4K and proxy shooting

The RX10 IV can shoot 4K video from the full width of its sensor, which is rendered and downscaled to give very detailed, “oversampled” footage. This can be shot at 30, 25 or 24p in either 100Mbps or 60Mbps using the XAVC S codec. Dropping down to Full HD (1920 x 1080) you’ll find 120p, 60p, 30p and 24p frame rates. If you’re so inclined, a 60i option is available if you switch to AVCHD. (The PAL equivalents for these are also available, of course.)

As mentioned earlier, the new touchscreen display allows for tap focusing. You can use this to “rack focus” with zero effort, and there are three transition speeds to choose from. Unfortunately, ‘Spot Focus’ continues to confuse, and there’s still no easy way to ‘tap to track’ a subject, as all Lock-on AF options are greyed out in 4K video mode. It is available in 1080p video, but only via the rather clunky (and old) ‘Center Lock-on AF’ method.

The Mark IV also gains a ‘Proxy’ shooting mode, where it captures a 720p stream of video alongside the main 4K stream, meaning you can edit using the proxies and then apply the edits to the full-res footage at the end of the process. This greatly speeds up the workflow, especially when using slower computers.

High frame rate shooting

In addition to 4K capture, the RX10 IV is able to shoot 1080 at up to 120p, which can either be saved as 100Mbps or 60Mbps clips or slowed down, in-camera, to 60, 30 or 24p.

The camera has the ability to capture at 240, 480 or 960 fps, with footage taken from increasingly low-res crops from the sensor (250, 500 or 1000 fps in PAL modes), which can then be output as 60, 30 or 24p super slow-mo footage (50 or 25p in PAL).

Other improvements

The RX10’s focus peaking has also been improved, with three intensity settings designed to make the peaking easier to see and distinguish between, as you shoot.

A new focus limiter button, found on the left side of the camera, lets you choose between the whole focus range or 3m to infinity. Sony has also added a new “AF-A” mode, which will choose between AF-S and AF-C depending on subject movement.

Fans of back-button focus will be pleased to hear that you can now activate autofocus with any of the custom buttons (we figure most folks will use the AE-lock button).

Another new feature is Bluetooth connectivity, which can be used to share location data with the camera. We’ll see what else it can do when we spend more time with the camera.

Something that’s a slight step backward is battery life, which drops from 420 to 400 shots per charge (CIPA standard).

Lens

The Mark IV uses the same 24-600mm equivalent, F2.4-4 zoom lens as its predecessor. As, no doubt, people will be highlighting in the comments, this is an equivalent aperture range of F6.5-10.9, which is not significantly slower than an F4.5-6.3 tele zoom on an APS-C camera. Even with that, the lens quality is superb, especially considering its long reach.

As one would expect, the lens is stabilized, and Sony claims 4.5 stops of shake reduction using CIPA’s testing methods. The company says that it has improved the IS system at the long end of the focal range, which should framing subjects easier.

Those who were hoping for the return of an ND filter (found on the RX10 II) will be sorely disappointed, as the RX10 IV lacks one as well. The lens is threaded for 72mm filters, however.

Wrap-up

$ 1700 is a lot of money, but Sony believes the combination of capabilities: high speed shooting, autofocus performance and 4K video capture, together with a 24-600mm equiv. zoom, is what makes the Mark IV a compelling offering.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Sony announces new Cyber-shot RX10 IV with phase-detect AF and 24 fps bursts

12 Sep

Sony has announced the RX10 Mark IV, a high-speed addition to its long-zoom 1″ sensor compact lineup. It can shoot at 24 fps with AF and AE and can shoot for up to 112 Raw images. Its 0.03 sec AF-lock speed is claimed to be the World’s fastest.

It features the same 24-600mm equiv. lens as its predecessor and is the first RX10 camera to include on-sensor phase detection, with 315 AF points covering 65% of the frame. It’s also the first Cyber-shot to include Sony’s “High Density” AF Tracking system, and the company says that Eye AF has been improved.

Naturally the lens has optical image stabilization built-in, with an estimated 4.5 stops of shake reduction. A focus range limited has been added to the Mark IV.

The RX10 IV also has a tilting, 1.44M-dot touchscreen LCD with “touchpad AF” as well as a 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. Sony claims that the increase in processing power has dramatically reduced EVF display lag.

It also captures UHD 4K 24p/30p video with phase detection autofocus, taken from oversampled capture for high detail levels. It can also shoot 1080p footage at up to 120 fps. Video enthusiasts will also appreciate support for S-Log3/S-Gamut3, Gamma Display Assist, and Proxy recording.

Battery life has dropped slightly, from an estimated 420 shots per charge on the Mark III to 400 on the Mark IV, using the same NP-FW50 pack as before.

It will cost around $ 1699 and will be available from October.

Press Release

Sony’s New RX10 IV Combines Lightning Fast AF and 24 fps Continuous Shooting with Versatile 24-600mm F2.4-F4 Zoom Lens

World’s Fastest¹ AF Speed, 24 fps² Continuous Shooting with full AF/AE tracking
315 focal-plane phase-detection AF points covering approx. 65% of the frame
ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm³ F2.4-F4 Large Aperture, High Magnification Zoom Lens
4K⁴ Movie Recording with full pixel readout without pixel binning

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2017 – Sony – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer – has today announced the new flagship model in its acclaimed Cyber-shot® RX10 series, the RX10 IV(model DSC-RX10M4).

Featuring the world’s fastest¹ AF acquisition time of 0.03 seconds⁵ and up to 24 fps continuous shooting² with full AF/AE tracking, 315 phase-detection AF points that rivals those the fastest professional interchangeable lens cameras and an exceptionally versatile 24-600mm³ F2.4-F4 ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* lens, the new RX10 IV model delivers an unmatched combination of mobility and speed for imaging enthusiasts and professionals looking for the ultimate ‘all-in-one’ solution.

The impressive RX10 IV camera is equipped with a latest 1.0-type 20.1 MP⁶ Exmor RS CMOS stacked image sensor with DRAM chip along with a powerful BIONZ X™ image processor and front-end LSI. These key components all work together to maximize overall speed of operation and performance, ultimately ensuring the highest possible image and video quality throughout the entire range of the 24-600mm³lens.

“Our customers have been asking for an RX10 series camera with Sony’s latest innovations in AF performance, and we’ve delivered with the RX10 IV model,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics. “With its unmatched combination of AF speed and tracking, continuous shooting performance, extensive range of up to 600mm and outstanding video quality, the RX10 IV delivers more flexibility in a singular package than anything else in market. It is perhaps the most versatile ‘all in one’ camera that Sony has ever created, offering a seemingly endless amount of creative possibilities for photographers and videographers.”

Fast Focusing, Fast Shooting

A first for Sony’s RX10 series of cameras, the new RX10 IV model features a Fast Hybrid AF system that combines the respective advantages of 315 phase-detection AF points covering approximately 65% of the sensor and contrast-detection AF to ultimately enable the camera to lock focus in as little as 0.03 seconds⁵. This high speed focusing complements the extensive 24-600mm³ range of the lens, ensuring all subjects can be captured with precise detail and clarity.

Additionally, for the first time in a Cyber-shot camera, the RX10 IV model employs High-density Tracking AF technology. This advanced technology, which had only been previously available in a select few of Sony’s acclaimed line of ? interchangeable lens cameras, concentrates AF points around a subject to improve tracking and focus accuracy, allowing even the most unpredictable subjects including fast-moving athletes and birds in flight to be captured with ease.

Other AF improvements in the new RX10 IV camera include an enhanced version of the popular Eye AF, Touch Focus and Focus Range Limiter⁷. AF-ON setting is also assignable, as well as multiple AF modes including AF-S, AF-C and AF-A, which can be easily adjusted based on user preferences and shooting situations.

An ideal complement to the AF system, the RX10 IV offers continuous high-speed shooting at up to 24 fps² with full AF/AE tracking, with an impressive buffer limit of up to 249 images⁸. With the significant improvements in processing power for the new camera, EVF display lag during continuous shooting has been substantially reduced, allowing shooters to capture the decisive moment with ultimate confidence. Also, for convenience during image playback, continuously shot images can be displayed in groups instead of individual shots.

The RX10 IV also has a high speed Anti-Distortion Shutter (maximum shutter speed of up to 1/32000 second) that reduces the “rolling shutter” effect commonly experienced with fast moving subjects, and can shoot completely silently in all modes, including continuous high speed shooting, when electronic shutter is engaged. A mechanical shutter mode is also available as well if required by the user.

ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm F2.4-F4 Lens

The 24-600mm³ ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* lens on the Cyber-shot RX10 IV camera features a large maximum aperture of F2.4-F4.0, helping it achieve outstanding image quality throughout the entire zoom range, all the way up to ultra-telephoto. It includes a super ED (extra-low dispersion) glass element and ED aspherical lenses to minimize chromatic aberration, and ZEISS® T* Coating to minimize flare and ghosting.

The lens also has built-in Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization that helps to reduce camera shake and image blur. When the feature is activated, it is equivalent to an approximate 4.5 steps shutter speed improvement.

Additionally, with a minimum focusing distance of 72 cm (2.36 ft) and 0.49x maximum magnification at a fully extended 600mm, the lens is capable of producing amazingly detailed tele-macro images.

Professional Video Capture

The new RX10 IV model becomes the latest Cyber-shot RX camera to offer the advantages of 4K (QFHD 3840 x 2160) movie recording, with its Fast Hybrid AF system realizing about 2x faster focusing speed compared to the RX10 III.

In 4K mode, the new RX10 IV utilizes full pixel readout without pixel binning, capturing approximately 1.7x more information than is required for 4K movie output to ensure that all the finest details are captured accurately. The camera utilizes the XAVC S™⁹ codec, recording video at a high data rate of up to 100 Mbps depending on shooting mode. Users have the option of shooting at either 24p or 30p in 4K mode (100 Mbps), or in frame rates of up to 120p in Full HD mode.

The new camera also has a variety of other professional caliber video features including Picture Profile, S-Log3/S-Gamut3, Gamma Display Assist, Proxy recording, Time Code / User Bit and more, as well as input for external microphone and output for headphone monitoring.

Super slow motion¹⁰ video recording is also available, with an extended duration of about 4 seconds (in quality priority mode) and 7 seconds (in shoot time priority). This unique feature gives users the ability to choose among 960fps, 480fps and 240 fps frame rates and among 60p, 30p and 24p playback formats¹¹.

Upgraded Operation and Customization

The new RX10 IV features Sony’s latest 3.0-type 1.44M dot tiltable LCD screen with Touch Focus and Touch Pad function – another first for Cyber-shot RX series – for quick and smooth focusing operation, and WhiteMagic™ technology, ensuring that LCD viewing is bright and clear in even the harshest outdoor lighting conditions. Additionally, it is equipped with an approx. 2.35M dot high-contrast XGA OLED Tru-Finder™, ensuring true-to-life image preview and playback functionality. Triple lens rings for aperture, zoom and focus are also available, with a completely quiet, smooth option for the aperture ring that is ideal for video shooters.

To enhance customization, “My Menu” functionality has been added, allowing up to 30 frequently used menu items to be custom registered. Menus are color coded for easier recognition and navigation, and a new Movie Settings menu has been introduced to improve the overall video shooting experience.

The RX10 IV is also dust and moisture resistant¹², and Wi-Fi^®, NFC™ and Bluetooth® compatible.

Pricing and Availability

The new Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV camera will ship in October for about $ 1,700 US and $ 2,200 CA.

The new cameras and all compatible accessories will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout North America. More product information can be found HERE.

A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new RX10 IV cameras and other high-end Sony imaging products can also be found at www.alphauniverse.com , Sony’s community site built to educate, inspire and showcase all fans and customers of Sony imaging products. A full gallery of images from the camera can also be found HERE.

Among fixed lens digital cameras with 1.0-type sensor. As of September 2017 press release, based on Sony research.
With “Continuous shooting mode: Hi”.
35mm equivalent
3,840 x 2,160 pixels
CIPA standard, internal measurement, at f=8.8mm (wide-end), EV6.8, Program Auto, Focus mode: AF-A, AF area: Center
Approx. effective MP
Only when 35mm-equivalent focal length is within 150-600mm range
With “Continuous shooting mode: Hi” and “Image quality: Fine
A Class 10 or higher SDHC/SDXC memory card is required to record movies in the XAVC S format. UHS-I (U3) SDHC/SDXC card is required for 100Mbps.
Sound cannot be recorded. A class 10 or higher SDHC/SDXC memory card is required.
In NSTC mode. Switch between NTSC and PAL using the menu.
Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Light-painting technique with the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V

05 Jun

The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V is a powerful compact camera which packs a lot of technology into its pocketable body. For this video, we take the RX100 V out into the night, to shoot light-painting with LA-based photography duo ‘Nightcrawlers’.

We’ll show you how to prepare for a light-painting shoot, and sharing some tips for getting great shots using a variety of techniques.

Read our full Sony RX100 V review

See more videos at our YouTube Channel

This is sponsored content, created in partnership with Sony. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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It’s a photo album… and a camera: the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N1

01 Jun

In the mid-2000s camera manufacturers had to find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. Kodak brought Wi-Fi to the camera world with its EasyShare One, Panasonic released the DMC-LX1 that had a 16:9 sensor and Samsung put selfie mirrors on the front of its compacts. Not to be outdone, Sony released its Cyber-shot DSC-N1 in October 2005, which was a compact camera and a 500-shot photo album in one.

On the front panel, the N1 had an 8.1MP, 1/1.8″ CCD with a top ISO of 800, a 38-114mm equivalent lens, 5-area AF system and a battery that lasted for roughly 300 shots (which is quite respectable). Images and VGA video could be saved to internal memory or a Memory Stick Pro Duo slot.

Photo quality was typical for 2005, which is to say, good until about ISO 400 or so.

The real action takes place on the back of the DSC-N1, where you’ll find a 3″, 230k-dot RGBW LCD. The display was touch-enabled and offered features that we take for granted today, like touch AF, menu operation and image playback.

Enough beating around the bush: here’s what made the DSC-N1 unique. Every time you took a photo, a VGA-sized version would be saved to the camera’s internal memory bank. Album photos are saved ‘first in first out’, which means that older photos will be automatically deleted from the album if you don’t protect or copy them first.

Images were organized by date and time and you could view slideshows of images from that date or the whole album. Slideshows were accompanied by fancy transitions and generic background music. One nice thing was that you could replace the built-in music with your own, drawing from CDs or MP3s.

As the photo above says, you could ‘paint’ on top of a photo using an included stylus. You could pick a color and a line size and draw away or add ‘stamps’. Thankfully, an eraser was also available.

Sony offered an optional dock, known as the Cyber-shot Station, which let you charge the battery or display your slideshows on a TV.

Read DCResource DSC-N1 review

Sample Gallery

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Did you have a Cyber-shot DSC-N1 or the DSC-N2 that followed it? Share your memories in the comments! As always, suggestions for future tbt’s are appreciated.

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We shot the Boeing 737 Max 9’s first flight with a Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III

14 May

The Boeing 737 Max 9, shortly after landing. There’s enough latitude in the RX10 III’s Raw files to allow for moderate shadow and highlight adjustment.

28mm (equiv) F4.5, ISO 100

As has been amply demonstrated in the past, I’m an aeroplane nerd. So when Boeing offered us the chance to shoot the first flight of its brand new Boeing 737 Max 9 last month, I jumped at the chance. I might even have pushed a couple of my colleagues out of the way.

In the end, three of us headed over to Boeing Field in Seattle for the first flight – Dan, (who couldn’t care less about aeroplanes), with a Panasonic FZ2500; me, the super-nerd with the Sony RX10 III, and Carey, an impartial observer, with a Panasonic GH5 (to film me and Dan arguing). We’ll be publishing a longer article comparing our results soon, but in the meantime, with the 737 Max 9 just (temporarily, hopefully) grounded, we thought you might like a sneak preview.

The 737 Max 9 at the end of the runway at Boeing’s Renton assembly plant, seconds before starting its takeoff roll.

400mm (equiv) F4, ISO 100

I am on record as having described the Sony RX10 III’s lens as being ‘made of magic’. I just don’t understand how a 24-600mm lens built into a compact (ish) camera can be as sharp as it is. Since as Arthur C. Clarke so memorably said, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic anyway, and bearing in mind that I’m no expert in advanced optical technology, magic is the explanation I’m sticking with.

It was for that reason that when the question came up of which cameras we should bring, I grabbed the RX10 III from our stockroom. I might even have pushed Dan out of the way…

As well as 20MP stills, the RX10 III also shoots 4K video. Because we were trying to compare two cameras, and Boeing didn’t seem too keen on our suggestion that the Max 9 take off at least five times for accurate side-by-side tests (sorry Rishi, we did ask), we decided not to worry about shooting any video. The RX10 III takes nice-looking video, and if you’re curious you can see several examples of its footage in our full review.

Grant Hindsley is too tall. It’s an unfair advantage.

24mm (equiv) F4, ISO 100

First flights are always a bit of a lottery in terms of timing. I’ve shot a couple of them, and things rarely go exactly according to schedule. The 737 Max 9 takeoff was delayed by a couple of hours, which we spent standing around, stamping our feet to stay warm and teasing Grant Hindsley from the Seattle PI (above) about his great height. When the plane started to taxi, things happened very quickly. No time for comparing how mode x compared to mode y – we just had to start shooting.

In high speed capture mode, the RX10 III can shoot at up to 14 fps, in Raw + JPEG, with focus locked. Since we were shooting a large airplane, pretty much at infinity, moving from infinity to infinity by way of infinity, having focus locked (at infinity) was fine.

What I hadn’t anticipated is that when focus is locked, so is the RX10 III’s zoom. It makes complete sense when you think about it, but the lens won’t zoom with the shutter button half pressed. For this reason, I had to zoom and recompose a couple of times during the Max 9’s takeoff run, but even with this interruption, I still captured a lengthy sequence of sharp images of the plane rocketing past our position, and into the sky.

The 737 Max 9 lifts off from the runway at Renton, for its first flight.

400mm (equiv) F4, ISO 100

While the RX10 III can be a somewhat frustrating camera to use (I really dislike its fussy user interface and I can’t wait for the inevitable Mark IV to finally clean it up) that lens really is something. From 24mm right through to 600mm, I took home images that are sharp and contrasty from edge to edge, and free from noticeable distortion. Having such a wide (and usable) zoom range in a single camera allows for incredible versatility.

Zooming out to a medium focal length of 50mm let me capture one of the members of the assembled press taking a quick shot on his iPhone as the 737 Max 9 was towed to its gate after the flight…

50mm (equiv) F4 ISO 100

Dan and I we were shooting alongside photographers from various news outlets and picture agencies (and of course slightly beneath Grant, from the PI) and while they juggled with huge telephoto primes, swapping for wides for crowd shots and then back again, I just nudged the RX10 III’s zoom rocker switch in the desired direction.

The 737 is on final approach? Nudge.. nudge… to 600mm. It’s taxiing into the gate below our balcony? No problem. Nudge… nudge… back to 50mm. And then out again to 600mm for a shot of the pilot waving from her window. Done.

… and moments later, zooming in let me capture Boeing’s chief deputy test pilot Captain Christine Walsh waving from the window of the 737 Max 9 as it taxis to the gate after the first flight.

600mm (equiv) F5, ISO 100

We’ll be publishing Dan’s images from the Panasonic FZ2500, and a short video from the day very soon. For now, take a look at the gallery, which includes out of camera JPEGs and converted Raw files, as well as Raw files for download.

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III sample gallery

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