Sony's latest high-end superzoom shoots in 4K
The new Sony Cyber-shot RX10 II has huge boots to fill, as the original RX10 superzoom is one of the best cameras we've ever seen. To up the ante, Sony has piled on a lot of new features, with the splashiest being 4k video. Like the flagship A7R II and compact RX100 IV, the RX10 II now captures 3,840 x 2,160 video by reading out the entire 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel sensor. It then oversamples at 4K or 1080p to maximize sharpness and minimize moire and anti-aliasing. To top it off, you can shoot in nearly full HD at a stellar 240fps, or up to 1,000fps at an effective resolution of 800 x 270. Sony points out that it would take about 80 seconds to play back just 2 seconds of video shot at that speed.
The "speed" theme continues with other aspects of the camera, as well. The new "stacked" 1.0 type sensor has a built in DRAM chip, allowing five times faster readout than the previous model. That gives it a crazy maximum 1/32,000 second shutter, combined with a 14fps continuous shooting speed. Sony says the new tech also eliminates a lot of rolling shutter on fast moving subjects. Speaking of which, the RX10 II is equipped with a new XGA OLED electronic viewfinder ("Tru-Finder," in Sony's nomenclature) and an updated contrast detection autofocus system that can lock on in 0.09 seconds.
The new model keeps the same Zeiss 24-200mm (35mm equivalent) constant F/2.8 zoom lens, which is a good thing, because it's superb. The body is nearly identical to the original with a decidedly DSLR look instead of the classic body of other mirrorless and fixed-lens models. If the RX10 II sounds like it's up your alley, brace yourself, though. It arrives in July at a gasp-worthy $1,300, the same price as the original RX10 at launch. Still, Sony has updated it with a lot of really nice features, and for now, no other superzoom can touch it.
