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Sony's RX10 camera now shoots higher-quality video at a lower price
Sony's Cyber-shot RX10 is a pretty capable camera, but it still has weaknesses: it doesn't shoot super high-quality XAVC-S video, and that steep $1,300 price is bound to steer some people toward DSLRs and mirrorless cams. Well, consider both of those problems licked. Sony has just put out new firmware (installable through Macs and Windows PCs) that lets it record in XAVC-S and preserve more detail in your movies. At the same time, the RX10's price has dropped to $1,000; that's still a lot of money to shell out for a camera with a non-replaceable lens, but it's definitely more accessible. If you've been holding out for a few more reasons to try this superzoom, you may want to take another look.
Sony announces Long GOP 4K codec for pros, XAVC-S for consumers
If you were chomping at the bit to create content for the oncoming 4K revolution, Sony has just announced a couple of enhancements to its XAVC video format to help you on your way. Long GOP is a high-efficiency codec designed to meet the requirements of the professional market, while XAVC-S is aimed squarely at consumers with its MP4 wrapping. Of course, both codecs should play nice with Sony's series of CineAlta cameras (the PMW-F5 is pictured above), which is set to reach over 2,000 units shipped by the end of the month. Sony's not the only one making XAVC-compatible devices however; over 60 manufacturers have applied for XAVC licenses while 31 others have pledged to support it in their products. Seeing as 4K hardware is finally dipping into affordability, we can't fault Sony for getting the ball rolling, at least from the creation side of things.
