When the original Sony RX100 hit the scene a few years ago, it blew the doors off of the point-and-shoot category. With a big, 1-inch sensor, compact body, and roughly $650 price tag, it hit the sweet spot between size and image quality in a way no other camera had before. The Sony RX1 further defined the lineup, adding a wickedly sharp lens and a massive full-frame image sensor. Our enthusiasm for the RX1 was dampened, however, by a jaw-dropping $2,800 price tag.
Logic dictated that there was room between the RX100 and RX1. Enter the Cyber-shot RX10 (MSRP $1,299.99). Is Sony really justified in charging high-end DSLR money for, essentially, a souped-up bridge camera? With less zoom than a true superzoom, and a higher price tag than dozens of high-quality interchangeable lens cameras, the RX10 has to really prove its mettle to make sense. Luckily, the RX10 is one of the highest-performing point-and-shoots we’ve ever tested, thanks to its superb lens.
With a non-interchangeable lens and a price tag just a few cents below $1,300, the RX10 had better begin making its case as soon as it’s taken out of the box. Thankfully, with its premium build quality and collection of top-notch hardware, Sony’s flagship bridge camera makes a pleasant first impression.
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Even though it’s smaller than most DSLRs, the RX10 manages to strike a great balance between form and function. The minute your hand wraps around its slightly toothy grip, it just feels great to hold. Its heft is just enough to feel “serious,” yet it’s light enough to not be overly fatiguing to carry all day long, even with the massive lens. And boy, is the lens big. The fact that it can maintain an f/2.8 aperture throughout the 8.3x zoom is an engineering triumph, but it also accounts for the heft.
The RX10 absolutely provides near-DSLR quality from its 1-inch sensor, and that goes for video and stills. It’s a true rock star in the point-and-shoot category, backing up its high price tag with very pleasing results.
Video performance was excellent, as well, making the most of its 1080/60p frame rate even in very dim light. The RX10 provides just about everything a budget-conscious video shooter could hope for. For close to the body-only price of the Canon EOS 70D, you could grab an RX10, which includes the flexibility that its zoom lens affords (and you also get a headphone jack).
Let’s just be clear: In terms of pure potential performance, there are better cameras for the money. And you can easily get something such as the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and a better (albeit, prime) lens for less than $1,300. But either as a dedicated still camera or a hybrid solution, the RX10 provides an original blend of features that few other cameras can truly match, and it does it right out of the box.
RELATED: Read the comparable Olympus OM-D E-M1 review
The best thing that the RX10 has going for it is that it requires no additional investments. You won’t get bogged down with lens choices, and you won’t have to carry around extra optics for a variety of use cases. It is what it is — and we think that’s more than enough for some videographers and still shooters.
If you’re a minimalist, the RX10 is your one-stop shop — it’s a superzoom, it’s a DSLR-replacement, and it’s a camcorder in a confidence-inspiring enclosure. If you want a camera that can do everything well that you don’t have to think about, the RX10 is a fine choice. It’s stout enough to travel anywhere, more than sharp enough for posting to the Web or making very large prints, and it transforms into a quality video solution at the push of a button. It doesn’t have any performance weak spots, other than the existential crisis that always comes with investing so much in a camera that you’ll never put a better lens on.
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