We may earn income from products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. More information ›

Sony released the latest version of its all-in-one camera, the RX10 IV, in 2017. Released today, the new Sony RX10 V combines the series’ ZEISS 24-600mm equivalent zoom with Alpha-grade AI autofocus for $2,299.99 and will ship in August.

There isn’t much competition left in the bridge camera category, which is made up of cameras with built-in zoom lenses that mimic the experience of a DSLR or mirrorless model. That’s a lot of lenses and a lot of features in a relatively compact package.

The Sony RX10 V covers 24mm wide-angle to 600mm super-telephoto via a single ZEISS F2.4-4.0 zoom, backed by AI subject recognition and seamless shooting at 30fps. It will ship in August for $2,299.99 and pre-orders are open at B&H and Adorama. We are working on getting one for a full review.

What nine years changed inside the RX10

The ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* lens on the RX10 V maintains the formula the series established in 2016: 24-600mm equivalent coverage at F2.4-4.0 with built-in optical stabilization. That ranges from wide landscapes to close-ups of a heron across the pond, and focuses down to about 3cm on the wide end for macro work.

Inside, a stacked 1-inch, 20.1-megapixel Exmor RS sensor now powers a BIONZ XR processor, the same engine that powers Sony’s current Alpha bodies, plus a dedicated AI processing unit for subject recognition. While the 1-inch sensor is still smaller than a full-frame sensor, or even an APS-C sensor, it is large considering the wide zoom range the lens offers.

Handle loans from the Alpha side as well. The button and grip layout mimic Sony’s mirrorless bodies, and the RX10 V uses the same NP-FZ100 battery as the A7 series, rated for about 630 shots per charge. Sony says that’s about 50 percent more than the RX10 IV achieved.

Recognition autofocus aimed at birds and ball fields.

Real-time recognition AF identifies people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and planes, and an automatic mode determines which one you’re aiming at so you don’t have to search through menus at the exact moment a hawk appears. It’s equally clever with human subjects to help differentiate between athletes and fans in the stands.

The electronic shutter fires blackout-free bursts at up to 30fps while the camera runs up to 60 autofocus and autoexposure calculations per second, so the viewfinder never freezes while panning with a bird emerging from a branch. A continuous shooting speed boost function increases the burst speed mid-sequence when the action reaches its peak.

4K 120p video and a larger viewfinder

This is an area of ​​great improvement. The RX10 V records 4K up to 120p, which is good for 5x slow motion after processing, and active mode stabilization stabilizes handheld footage at the long end of the zoom. S-Cinetone color works straight out of the camera, while S-Log3 and support for 16 user LUTs leave room for anyone scaling their own footage.

The 0.5-inch OLED viewfinder includes approximately 3.68 million dots at 0.78x magnification, sharp enough to confirm focus on a distant subject under bright sun. A dust- and moisture-resistant body, dual-band Wi-Fi, and 4K 30p live streaming over USB-C round out the handy upgrades.

Prices and where the RX10 V lands

The RX10 V costs $2,299.99 in the US and $2,899.99 in Canada when it arrives in August. That’s about $600 more than the RX10 IV’s roughly $1,700 introductory price, although nearly a decade of inflation in the camera market absorbs some of the impact.

Direct competition is scarce. Nikon’s Coolpix P1100 achieves an absurd 3,000mm equivalent for around $1,100, but it relies on a much smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor that struggles once the light drops. Panasonic’s FZ1000 II is the closest 1-inch rival for under $900, maxing out at 400mm and dating back to 2019. Outside of Sony’s lineup, there’s currently nothing that combines a 1-inch sensor with 600mm of reach.

2025 PopSci Best of what’s new

The 50 most important innovations of the year