Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III

Camera to replace

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Sony RX10 IV

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

$1,698.00

BUY from B&H PHOTO

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Sony RX10 III

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

$1,398.00

BUY from B&H PHOTO

Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Large Sensor Superzoom cameras by Sony. Both Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III cameras have 20.0MP 1 sensors. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Large Sensor Superzoom cameras. Out of 8 cameras in this class, Sony RX10 IV is ranked #3 with an overall score of 78 and Sony RX10 III is ranked #5 with an overall score of 77.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony RX10 IV Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2017-09-12

20MP - 1 BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 12800

24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3″ Tilting Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

24.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

960fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

1095g. 133 x 94 x 145 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III Compare

Sony RX10 III Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-03-29

20MP - 1 BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 64-25600)

24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3″ Tilting Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

14.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

960fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

1051g. 133 x 94 x 127 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II Compare

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III

Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points	315 vs 25	290 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.440k dots vs 1.229k dots	17% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	24.0fps vs 14.0fps	10 fps faster
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV

Battery Life	420 shots vs 400 shots	20 more frames with a single charge
Weight	1051 g vs 1095 g	44 g lighter
Price	$1,398 vs $1,698	$300 cheaper

Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen	Yes vs Yes	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	20 MP vs 20 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting	24.0fps vs 14.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs Yes	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 24mm	Very good wide angle coverage
Focal Length - Tele	600mm vs 600mm	Very good Telezoom
Top LCD Display	Yes vs Yes	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection	Yes vs Yes	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Dual-axis Electronic Level	Yes vs Yes	Level the camera easily in two axis
Smartphone Remote Control	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III

Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III. Sony RX10 IV has the same height and width with Sony RX10 III. On the other hand, with a thickness of 145mm, it is 18mm thicker.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III.

Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony RX10 III is 44g lighter than the Sony RX10 IV but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

RX10 IV

RX10 III

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

RX10 IV

RX10 III

Min

Average

Max

Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III have 1 sized 20.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the RX10 IV and RX10 III sensor size comparison.

Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III Lens Specs Comparison

Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III features 24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 25x zoom lenses so they have the same focal range and light collecting ability.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 24mm and have the same max aperture of f2.40 at this focal length. Both cameras have a tele angle reach of 600mm and have the same max aperture of f4.00 at this focal length.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 IV

RX10 III

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 IV

RX10 III

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 IV

RX10 III

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

RX10 IV

RX10 III

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

What types of Photography are Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony RX10 IV for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony RX10 III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony RX10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony RX10 III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.40
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony RX10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony RX10 III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 24.0fps
Environmental Sealings
315 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
600 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f4.00
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Environmental Sealings
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
600 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f4.00
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Read the details

Sony RX10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony RX10 III for Daily Photography

GOOD

RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
25X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
1095g
Body Thickness 145mm
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
25X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
1051g
Body Thickness 127mm
Read the details

Sony RX10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX10 III for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details

Sony RX10 IV vs Sony RX10 III: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony RX10 IV and Sony RX10 III scores compare:

Sony RX10 IV

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #2 out of 108 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #85 out of 1150 in all Cameras

Sony RX10 III

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #5 out of 108 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #94 out of 1150 in all Cameras

Sony RX10 IV has a higher Overall Score than the Sony RX10 III and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

$1,698.00

$1,398.00

Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
Brand	Sony	Sony
Announced	2017-09-12	2016-03-29
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)	SLR-like (bridge)
Price	$1,698.00	$1,398.00
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	1	1
Dimensions	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area	116.16mm²	116.16mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	5472 x 3648	5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	25600 ISO	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	125 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	64 ISO	64 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	315	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-600 mm (25x)	24-600 mm (25�)
Max Aperture	F2.4-4.0	F2.4-4.0
Macro Focus Range	3cm	3cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Tilting
Size	3″	3″
Resolution	1,440k dots	1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots	2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7	0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	10.80 m (at Auto ISO)	10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	24.0 fps	14.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	1095g	1051g
Dimensions	133 x 94 x 145mm	133 x 94 x 127mm
Battery Life	400 shots	420 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	70
DxO Color Depth	not tested	23.1
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.6
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	472
	Report a correction	Report a correction