Sony has officially confirmed the launch of the Sony RX10 V: The new superzoom compact camera is set to be unveiled on Thursday, July 9. While earlier rumors had suggested only a modest update with a new processor and possibly a USB-C port, Sony’s official teaser video now points to significantly more extensive new features.
New lens with even more zoom
The most striking new feature is what appears to be a completely new—or at least heavily redesigned—lens. The inscription visible in the teaser lists a focal length of 9.1–235 mm with an aperture of f/2.4–f/4—the predecessor, the RX10 IV, had an 8.8–220 mm lens with the same aperture range.
If the sensor remains in the 1-inch format as usual, this results in a 35mm-equivalent focal length of approximately 25–640 mm and thus an optical zoom of nearly 26x.
Redesigned Body and Larger Battery
According to the teaser, the camera’s silhouette is also changing significantly: The mode dial appears to have moved to the other side of the viewfinder, the previous dial for continuous shooting mode on the front has been removed, and the top appears more angular than on the previous model. These visual adjustments could also hint at more profound technical changes. The only thing confirmed so far is that the RX10 V will use the Sony NPFZ100 battery*, which is about twice as large and is already used in current Alpha cameras.
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What the RX10 IV Offered So Far
To put things in context: The RX10 IV, released in 2017, was equipped with a 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor, a 3-inch touchscreen with 1.44 million pixels, and a 0.39-inch OLED viewfinder with 2.36 million pixels. Videos could be recorded at a maximum resolution of 4K at 30 fps. If the RX10 V also matches these specs, the camera is likely to be of particular interest to travel and wildlife photographers who want to rely on a single, extremely versatile lens instead of carrying multiple interchangeable lenses.
Conclusion
With the Sony RX10 V, the manufacturer appears to be offering more than just a cosmetic update to its superzoom compact camera. Official details on the sensor, autofocus, and price are expected to follow at the launch on July 9. If you’d like to get an overview of currently available alternatives right now, you’ll find suitable recommendations in our compact camera comparison —also worth noting in this context is the possible comeback of the Nikon DL, which is also expected to feature a 1-inch sensor.
