SONY RX10 IV as back up?

[RichardN]

Hi folks- I’m shooting primarily with my A9 II but am considering the RX10 II as a back up - you know, just in case…
Does anyone have any experience using this camera for wildlife? Thanks, Richard

 

[Nimi]

Hi folks- I’m shooting primarily with my A9 II but am considering the RX10 II as a back up - you know, just in case…
Does anyone have any experience using this camera for wildlife? Thanks, Richard

You'll be very disappointed; it's a toy camera. 1in sensor, cheap lens. You can probably get better photos on your iPhone.

 

[jeffnles1]

You'll be very disappointed; it's a toy camera. 1in sensor, cheap lens. You can probably get better photos on your iPhone.

I respectfully disagree. For a Bridge camera it is really good. My wife shoots one and her results are stunning. The lens is Zeiss. No iPhone, including my iPhone 15 can compare. She has had numerous photos published and won several contests with images from it. It is all about the creative eye of the photographer.

Is it comparable to a Z9 with an S lens? No but it is a whole lot better camera than your post suggests.

I used my Rx10iV for video for years before going mirrorless and still use it for some Broll stuff. I used it exclusively for stills and video on a recent trip and, honestly, the photos are quite good.

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[Ian]

Couldn't agree more Jeff. It is quite remarkable. I shoot Sony A1 & A7Riii my wife uses Fuji ( also a great system) we carry the RX10 as a back up. So I would concur it's a good camera for a backup and I think you will be pleased with it's results.

 

[GrandNagus50]

You'll be very disappointed; it's a toy camera. 1in sensor, cheap lens. You can probably get better photos on your iPhone.

Well, everyone has an opinion, I guess. I have used the RX10 iii and then iv as my general travel camera for six years now and I think it's a very good bridge camera. If you can accept its limitations, which include limited high ISO performance and slow response (e.g., focusing) compared to a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can get some terrific photos with it. It's also relatively delicate, i.e., you do NOT want to subject it to rough usage. A short drop in Africa in 2019 ended the useful life of my RX10iii, which I then replaced with the RX10iv.

I will add that the RX10iv is now a bit long of tooth (released in fall 2017) and Sony appears to have no plans for a version V. It appears that the era of the top-tier bridge camera mighy be coming to an end.

 

[Nimi]

Respectfully, relative to the OP's other camera, and presumably expectations, it's a toy. Lookup the MTF, noise and DR info, it's somewhere south of a 3 year old iPhone, probably half or worse than the A9ii with a GM lens.

My crash cam has a modern 1in Sony sensor, and I use it professionally. Up to maybe 2 seconds of video, the viewer can't discern a difference from my legit cine full-frame body. And only when I shoot fast action in log. The stills are unusable.

It's a great bridge camera for a complete novice. There are far better options in the APS-C universe.

 

[jeffnles1]

Well, everyone has an opinion, I guess. I have used the RX10 iii and then iv as my general travel camera for six years now and I think it's a very good bridge camera. If you can accept its limitations, which include limited high ISO performance and slow response (e.g., focusing) compared to a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can get some terrific photos with it. It's also relatively delicate, i.e., you do NOT want to subject it to rough usage. A short drop in Africa in 2019 ended the useful life of my RX10iii, which I then replaced with the RX10iv.

I will add that the RX10iv is now a bit long of tooth (released in fall 2017) and Sony appears to have no plans for a version V. It appears that the era of the top-tier bridge camera mighy be coming to an end.

I do find that last sentence to both be true and sad. For example, my wife is by no means a "novice" photographer and especially not a "complete novice". However, she has no interest in carrying around a host of lenses or getting deep into technical specs. She wants to capture beautiful images of beautiful subjects.

Moving from a high end bridge to a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera will reduce some of her joy in photography and that will be a real shame. She has no interest in carrying around multiple lenses or diving into menus or buttons. She said whatever she gets when her Sony breaks, she wants it to be the same as what I'm shooting so she doesn't have to learn new stuff. Les is not a 'tech girl' but she is a far better photographer than I. Nothing novice about her, she has an incredible eye and a very artistic touch, just not interested in the specs or tech, give her a camera she can use and turn her loose.

I think, given the compression for the website, most here would be hard pressed to say if the photos I posted above were shot with the RX10-iv, D500, A6600, A6700, Fuji or my R7.

 

[jeffnles1]

Respectfully, relative to the OP's other camera, and presumably expectations, it's a toy. Lookup the MTF, noise and DR info, it's somewhere south of a 3 year old iPhone, probably half or worse than the A9ii with a GM lens.

My crash cam has a modern 1in Sony sensor, and I use it professionally. Up to maybe 2 seconds of video, the viewer can't discern a difference from my legit cine full-frame body. And only when I shoot fast action in log. The stills are unusable.

It's a great bridge camera for a complete novice. There are far better options in the APS-C universe.

Everyone has decisions to make and options to consider. All I wanted to do was present my point of view on the camera along with some photos taken with it to share with the OP and to counter the "it's a toy" comment.

I have no interest in debating MTF charts or DR scores. I wanted to share some photos and suggest perhaps "toy" was an overstatement. I stand by my comments. I'm sure you stand by yours. It's all good and no hard feelings here.
Jeff

 

[Ian]

Nothing novice about her, she has an incredible eye and a very artistic touch,

And that is the real important thing, far more important than MTF, noise and DR.

 

[jeffnles1]

And that is the real important thing, far more important than MTF, noise and DR.

I agree. Here are a couple photos of hers that ended up on my computer. The bee on the red flower (Day lily) was on the cover of a local nature center's annual report letter.

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[Woody Meristem]

You'll be very disappointed; it's a toy camera. 1in sensor, cheap lens. You can probably get better photos on your iPhone.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! For a bridge camera it's outstanding, superior to my Canon SX70 which has had some of its photos published
in magazines. If I didn't have a number of ILC cameras (and that old SX70), an RX10 would be an excellent second camera.

 

[jeffnles1]

Wrong, wrong, wrong! For a bridge camera it's outstanding, superior to my Canon SX70 which has had some of its photos published
in magazines. If I didn't have a number of ILC cameras (and that old SX70), an RX10 would be an excellent second camera.

I don't think it is really a matter of wrong vs. right. It is more a matter of we all have different needs and wants. What works for me may be an abomination for you. I think Nimi was speaking from his perspective, his photography and his needs/wants. I am speaking from mine and those of my wife. I don't think either of us is right or wrong, we just differ in our opinion. It's not a big deal at al. I certainly wasn't angry or hurt in the least.

Jeff

 

[bgwilliams47]

The RX10 Mark 4 (aka M4, IV etc) would be better than the Mark 2. It has phase-detect auto-focus, comparable to DSLRs and mirrorless. It makes a big difference for birds and other wildlife, and I don't know of any other point and shoot with this.

The RX10 M4 was my only camera for a few years. I now use an Alpha-1 + 200-600mm for birds with the RX10 for:-

• backup
• candid street photography
• travel camera

If you don't want to invest in (and carry) multiple bodies and multiple lenses this strategy might suit you.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/4174708@N22/pool/with/53830358578/ shows what's possible.

 

[sh1209]

For what it's worth, I shoot Sony and have the A1 and A7RV. I contemplated a small travel body for a long time and purchased the A6700. This is a truly great little camera with tons of features. You can easily stick it in a jacket pocket with a small lens on it..

 

[Calson]

The RX10 is not a small camera and so might as well buy a camera that provides the same relative performance of your primary camera. The A7 III sells new for $1800 and is excellent in terms of subject detection, and some owners consider it to be better in this respect than the A1 camera.