Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 Pro Reviews

The Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 offers a great combination of still and video quality, thanks to its 1" sensor and 24-200 F2.8 lens. Its focus is as much about video as stills, and the RX10 offers more controls in that respect than virtually any other camera. Its hefty price may put it out of reach for many enthusiasts, though.

We began this review with the conundrum every DSLR owner confronts – dealing with myriad lenses and shoulder-breaking gear bags – and whether there is a high-quality, portable solution for these issues. The Sony Cyber-shot RX10 is it and it deserves our Editor’s Choice designation. Still and video quality is excellent while the Zeiss glass is outstanding. Granted it is expensive and there are a few negatives, but we’d be hard pressed to believe anyone would squawk about the tradeoffs. If you’re looking for a fine camera for your next vacation, this is it.

Outstanding photos and videos and a pleasure to use: the RX10 is a class act

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 is a bridge-style camera that gets just about everything right, and its steep asking price reflects its impeccable quality.

We've come a long way since the Sony Cyber-shot R1 was released in 2005, and while the R1 may seem quite dated compared to the RX10, lacking even a video mode, it is still possible to get good results from the older camera. Thanks to advances made in RAW image processing, you can even use it at its highest ISO setting of ISO3200. However, for most people the benefits of having a modern digital camera, such as the Sony Cyber-shot RX10, with 10fps continuous shooting, excellent JPEG output, fullHD video recording, a higher resolution sensor as well as a brighter zoom lens, will be preferable.

There's no doubting that the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 has a huge list of positives under its belt - that sharp, bright lens and constant f/2.8 aperture; the large sensor; the physical aperture ring; speedy autofocus; and a great LCD and viewfinder combination. It's a camera with stacks going for it, but it's not a camera that's going to suit all on account of its price point and physical size. That zoom also needs to travel faster, while there could be some refinements for in-camera crop, pinpoint autofocus options and a touchscreen wouldn't go amiss either. But as much as we didn't quite get the camera at first, and irrelevant of how many pros and cons we can throw its way, it all came down to experiencing the RX10 in the real world for it to embed itself in our consciousness. And over the days that we delved deep into RX10 land, the more we wanted to stay there. Everything rapidly fell into place and we were snapping some great images with minimal effort. There was never a moment where we were left wondering "ah, if only I had that other camera with me." The RX10 is the sort of camera that blows any long-zoom compact out of the water, while bringing high-end DSLR level features without the even-more-absurd price association. It sits in a category all of its own, will have some videographers' attention based on its spec alone, and delivers genuinely decent image quality. Indeed the RX10 turned our initial expectations on their head and got us wondering why such a camera hadn't made it to market before. It's niche, but it's nifty - it's definitely caught our attention, even if it won't convince everyone. Now where's that spare £1,000?

The RX10 feels extremely well built, with a solid body and ample rubber grip, making it feel comfortable to hold in hand. The large number of manual controls on the camera, such as aperture and exposure compensation makes the camera feel like a real camera, rather than just an electronic gadget, and the build quality and large high quality lens goes a long way to justify the price of the camera. The RX10 features the same excellent sensor and image quality to match the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II, and performance is excellent whether using the useful 24mm wide-angle equivalent, or using the full 8.3x optical zoom. The bright f/2.8 constant aperture makes it possible to create pleasing background blur, and noise performance is excellent. The camera is quite large for a bridge camera, but considerably smaller than the DSLR equivalent, and certainly delivers outstanding image quality. The Sony Cyber-shot RX10 is expensive for a compact camera, although could be considered somewhat unique, featuring a bright zoom lens, and a larger sensor, which makes the value for money rating difficult, and if you compare the price you'd pay for a f/2.8 lens for a DSLR then it makes it seem like very good value for money, and for many the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 will be just the camera they've been looking for.

Offering excellent image quality, great build, speedy performance, and slick ease-of-use, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 is the best super-zoom camera currently on the market. Only you can decide if all of that is worth the the admittedly substantial investment - we'd strongly suggest that it is...