Sony's RX100 series is the best compact camera you can buy, and today, it's getting even better.Sony took the wraps off a trio of high-end digital cameras. Sony a7R II, RX10 II, and RX100 IV add 4K video recording to the company’s already rich lineup of premium snappers. The new RX100 IV has the same 1-inch 20-megapixel CMOS sensor and 24-70mm equivalent zoom lens as last year's RX100 III, but it has a new, better OLED viewfinder and the ability to shoot slow-motion footage at up to 960 frames per second. Slowed down to a standard 30 frames per second in playback and the footage is 40x slower than normal. For comparison, the iPhone 6 can shoot up to 240 frames per second slow motion. Additionally, the RX100 IV can shoot stills at up to 16 frames per second, with shutter speeds up to 1/32,000 of a second.
Sony is calling the new sensor in the RX100 IV a "stacked Exmor RS CMOS" chip, which combined with a new processor and RAM combination is what enables the new high-speed and slow-motion capabilities. The RX100 IV is also capable of shooting 4K video up to five minutes in length. Sony says the 960fps video is approximately XGA resolution (1280 x 800), while the 480fps is 720p HD, and the 240fps mode is 1080p full HD.
The superzoom RX10 is also getting a similar upgrade with the same sensor and RAM combination and shooting capabilities including 4k recording. The RX10 II has a XGA OLED viewfinder, water and dust resistance, and a 24-200mm equivalent f/2.8 lens. It can shoot up to 14 frames per second stills and the same 960 frames per second slow motion video as the RX100 IV.
Sony isn't stopping there: today it's also announcing the A7R II, which features a new 42.4 megapixel backside illuminated CMOS sensor that can shoot at up to ISO 102,400. The A7R is an interchangeable lens camera with a full-frame 35mm sensor and works with Sony's FE mount lenses. Sony says the new camera has a new shutter that reduces vibration by up to 50 percent, and it has the Silent Shooting mode from the other A7 models. The autofocus system has 399 focal plane phase detection points, which work with 25 contrast detect points to focus 40 percent faster than the original A7R.
The viewfinder on the A7R II has been updated to a XGA OLED unit with more magnification than before, and the camera has the same Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity of Sony's other A7 models. Sony says this camera was designed to provide photographers with both high-sensitivity and high-resolution shooting without having to make a compromise as they had to in the past.
The RX100 IV and RX10 II will be available for order starting June 17th at $1,000 and $1,300, respectively. Last year's RX100 III was pushing the price envelope for a compact camera at $800, so it will be interesting to see who's willing to pay even more for one. Sony says the other RX100 models will still be available at lower price points, giving the company a spread of four cameras that share very similar features and capabilities. The A7R II will be available in August for $3,200.
