Sony has launched its new advanced point and shoot camera in India, the Cyber-shot RX10, which the company is calling a bridge-style camera. It has been priced at Rs. 84,990, and will be available in the market at the end of December 2013.
The Sony Cyber-shot RX10 features a 20.2 effective megapixels (approximate) 1.0-type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor, which is found on the DSC-RX100 II, and according to Sony is around four times bigger than a standard compact camera's sensor.
The Cyber-shot RX10 features a fixed Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm (35mm equivalent) F2.8 lens, which according to the company features 'superb levels of clarity and resolving power'. The lens' ability to focus at distances as short as 3cm supposedly also make the RX10 ideal for detail-rich macro shots.
The wide F2.8 maximum aperture should be effective in low light, and the lens' 7-blade iris diaphragm should also assist in creating circular background defocus ('bokeh') effects. Also onboard, is Optical SteadyShot (image stabilization), supposedly effective also at longer focal lengths.
The Sony Cyber-shot RX10 is powered by a BIONZ X processing engine, which according to Sony offers approximately a 3X improvement in processing speed compared to previous BIONZ processors. Autofocus is apparently also speedy and responsive, with Sony crediting the new Direct Drive SSM mechanism.
As for video recording, the RX10 can capture full-HD 1080p video, at a selectable 50p (AVCHD progressive) or cinematic 25p frame rates, with full control over P/A/S/M exposure modes. A 'clear' HDMI output allows video to be reviewed on an external monitor or recorded to a separate storage device.
A built-in audio level meter and adjustable levels are also found on the Sony Cyber-shot RX10, apart from microphone jack and headphone output for accurate level monitoring. Sony is also offering the optional XLR-K1M adapter kit, allowing the addition of an external microphone via the balanced XLR terminal.
The RX10 features a 3-inch 'bright 3.0-type White Magic' LCD, with 1290k dots, apart from a 1440k dot high-contrast Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder. Also onboard is Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity, and it is compatible with Android and iOS devices, using the PlayMemories Mobile Version 3.0.
Sony is also highlighting the RX10's light, rigid magnesium alloy body, and it apparently features dust and moisture-resistant seams and control seals for extra durability on location. The DSLR-like build is meant to offer easy access to a wide range of manual buttons, seven customisable buttons, and a top-mounted LCD.
Acccording to Sony, there's a range of compatible accessories available, such as the LCJ-RXE jacket case, the ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone, the HVL-F43M flash, or the battery-powered HVL-LEIR1 Video IR light.