San Diego, CA—Sony’s new flagship Cyber-shot RX100 series point-and-shoot camera, the DSC-RX100 V, is equipped with the company’s Fast Hybrid AF technology. According to Sony, it has “the world’s fastest AF acquisition [among current cameras with a 1.0-type sensor] at 0.05 second and the world’s highest number of AF points on sensor.”
“Featuring a level of power and performance that has never before been achieved in a compact, the new RX100 V redefines what it means to be a ‘pocket’ camera,” said Neal Manowitz, vice president of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics.
The RX100 V employs a newly developed, 1.0-type stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with a DRAM chip and an enhanced image processing system with a new front-end LSI chip. Together they are engineered to maximize processing speed, expand the memory buffer and optimize image quality—in particular at high ISO settings.
Specs state the camera shoots continuously at 24 frames per second with AF/AE tracking for 150 shots. This is at full-resolution, 20.1 megapixels. It also records 4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning.
Additionally, a first for Sony’s RX100 series, the AF system combines the advantages of focal-plane phase-detection AF and contrast-detection AF. The system has 315 dedicated AF points that cover 65% of the sensor. This allows shooters to capture a subject “with high speed and accuracy, even if it’s moving rapidly in unpredictable directions.”
Processing speed was also enhanced through the addition of a front-end LSI that supports the Bionz X image processor. Viewfinder blackout between shots was also minimized in high-speed shooting mode, to improve photographers’ ability to follow fast action. In addition, silent shooting is available in high-speed modes.
Another advancement to AF performance is the new AF-A mode, which allows the camera to automatically switch between continuous and single-shot AF. Users can also manually select if they’d like the continuous AF and phase-detection AF areas to be displayed live while they are framing a shot.
In addition, the camera features a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24–70mm f/1.8–2.8 large aperture lens and a high-speed anti-distortion shutter with a max speed of 1/3,2000 second. The shutter is built to minimize the rolling shutter effect commonly experienced with fast-moving subjects. The fast shutter speed also permits the capture of images with a wide open aperture at brightness levels up to EV 199. Shooting at wide open aperture additionally creates sharply focused subjects and defocused backgrounds, even under difficult, bright lighting conditions.
RX100 V Professional Movie Functionality
The new Cyber-shot offers video capabilities for enthusiasts. Its focal-plane, phase-detection AF sensor helps ensure accurate focusing and tracking during 4K movie shooting. AF drive speed and AF tracking sensitivity can also be adjusted via the menu system.
In 4K mode, the camera uses full pixel readout without pixel binning. This aids in capturing fine details with minimal moiré and jaggies. Video is recorded via the XAVC S codec, at 100 Mbps during 4K recording and 50 Mbps during Full HD shooting.
Additional video features include picture profile and S-Log2/S-Gamut. And 120p Full HD mode is offered. The camera is also capable of recording super-slow motion video that’s 40x slower than the standard rate. Users can also manually select a frame from a recorded movie and save it as an 8MP still image file during 4K shooting or a 2MP file during HD shooting. Furthermore, users can choose among 960-fps, 480-fps and 240-fps rates and among 60p, 30p and 24p playback formats.
Other RX100 V Features
The RX100 V is equipped with a 2.35-million-dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder for image preview as well as playback. The electronic viewfinder retracts in and out of the camera body. It also features optics with antireflective Zeiss T* coating.
Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity are incorporated. This allows the camera to access Sony’s PlayMemories Camera applications.
Sony also introduced an optional underwater housing (model MPK-URX100A, $350). It will be available as a separate accessory for the RX100 V and all other RX100 series cameras. The housing provides camera operation to a depth of 130 feet.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V compact, point-and-shoot camera will ship this month for $1,000. sony.com
