An Unfair Fun Shootout: Sony RX10 Mark IV vs. Sony a9 II 

I own basically the expensive set-up and have for many years. I am now 76 years old and due to various health issues I no longer enjoy lugging all that equipment with me. My physical abilities are limited. So I have been researching alternatives as I'm not ready to give up my love of wildlife photography quite yet. Thank you so much for this video. It gives me hope.

At the end its all about you as a photographer. I've been using my Sony RX10 IV professionally as a sports photographer and videographer for the last two years. Other professional photographers have been impressed by the potential of this all in one camera.

As a rx10m4 owner, Evelyn gave the rx10 a pretty accurate review. No reframing while burst shooting, and a rather deep depth of field. A tip to anyone who owns an rx10 or looking to buy one: TURN OFF image stabilization when your shutter speed exceeds 1/400. You will get sharper images!! This mean when zooming in to 600mm with image stabilization off you need a fast shutter to remove camera shake, I usually use 1/1000.

Sony RX10 Mark IV All the way!!

The excellent chemistry you two have makes this video so enjoyable to watch

I traded in a large Pelican Case with a outdated Sony A350 and five lenses (2 of which were still labeled Minolta) for a complete do over. I went with the Sony RX10 IV and new RM60 Flash. I'm happy I did. I didn't want to spend at lease $10,000 to replace everything I had to current A7R and five new lenses and a flash so I went the route of the Bridge RX10 IV. Al I can say is I conclude what you two have said. The RX 10 IV is good enough and is fast enough to 90 % of what I would every need in all situations. 90% is good enough and didn't spend $8,000 more to cover that last 10 % of all situations. I call that a compromise. Well done Shootout ! Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for the excellent comparison! Over the last 2 years I have taken thousands of photos with the RX10 IV. People assume that I am using a DSLR. Some of the photos even make beautiful prints up to 16 x 24 and 20 x 30.

Lot of good vibes here as much as a great comparison/vidéo. Thanks !

You don't win against 8.5 months pregnant woman! Ever! You just don't! 😊

Good video. I like the friendly banter between you two!

Beautifully done by two very charming and knowledgable people. Great video.

Thanks for this head-to-head which is, sincerely, very sound. Because comparing makes actual sense, I think both cameras complement one another. For the last 3,5 years I'v owned RX10s (M3 for 17 months, then M4) and would not trade it for anything. Former free-lance photographer and son of journalist, I've been through most of the aspects of photography (sports, fashion, portrait, news, products, architecture, nature). With my 9kg gear bag I've toured Europe and part of Canada, and that repelled me from shooting. At one time I quit, for good. Until I discovered the RX10M3. So, after 14 years without releasing any shutter, I was holding a camera... and what camera ! It does it all, because your review was (for a reason) about photography. But the thing does video too, and so well ! After using it for 7 months, I was hired to film an event... and the result was beyond my wishes. For the first time in my life, I was able to film with my own gear, to snap photos as well... all this with a 1,2kg camera. My whole kit fits in the lower half of a backpack. Then asked to do product photography, then portrait, then wedding (for friends). And the camera did just great : a magazine pro-retoucher confirmed the "perfect technical quality" of the files. Like any piece of machinery (you don't ride rocky mountain trails with a Colnago ultra-light road bike) it has its limitations, and one must learn about, and cope with, them. Then, you can always rent if need arises. Thanks to this great "little beast", I've started to consider going back to photography... and video ! Even though currently impossible, my project should launch very soon.

Nice comparison. Got the RX10iv a few years ago as a lighter travel alternative to my Alpha 77mkii and several good quality heavy lenses. Intended to continue using the 77 for macro and wildlife but RX10 ended up being the goto camera due to weight, flexibility and the image quality being close to or even better than the 77. Recently splurged on the A7RIVA and there is a big enough difference in image quality to go back to the original plan but both are great cameras depending on what your priorities are. Luckily I can afford the luxury of both but if not the RX10 can meet most needs.

Fun little video, but viewers should know that anything less than bright sunlight and the difference between those two cameras would have become immediately apparent.

Very nice video, thanks. I'm heading off on safari next year and the kit that I am likely to purchase is the D850 with the 200-500 lens (plus something in the range of 24-120 or 70-200) and the RX10 iv. I like the idea and versatility of being able to grab a second body that does not need too much setting up and can capture shots that could be missed while changing lens. And in case you are wondering, I have handled mirrorless bodies including the Sony range but find them too small for my hands, which are not large. Take care and remain safe, David

Great video! I own a Sony RX10 IV, and since having it I stopped dragging around my previous DSLR gear (Nikon D610+various lenses). I am now free to lift my camera in almost (just being modest here) any photographic situation. I also have in my pocket my Sony RX100 V, so when I am out to a dinner etc. my hands are free. Thanks for this nice video!

Glad you brought up the problem of swapping lenses. No matter how careful I can be my sensors get dirty easily. So I always have two cameras and never swap lenses outdoors. I have owned the SX10 IV for years now and still amazed at the shots I get. Great, fun video here!

Request: RX10IV vs. A6400 & 70-350mm G! A more mortal comparison. :)

Great comparison. Thank you!

RX10M4 for me, having been a Nikon guy with tons of lens, the RX10M4 just made sense. Recent trip to Africa and 7 safaris I would have missed so many shots had I been left with changing a ton of lens around. Picture quality between my Nike D5300 and the Sony RX10M4 was indistinguishable!!!!

Very good video. Very entertaining! Loved it!

Great video, love you guys!

I have the RX10m4 and love it, mostly. Two things, 1) when at 600mm, the auto focus is not always spot on. If I have time (if the bird will stay still long enough), I can do better with the assisted manual focus. Sometimes it is a depth of field issue. The camera will focus on the closest thing it can find. The object might not be at exactly that distance. 2) When shooting birds in flight, if the bird strays out of frame (operator error), the camera sometimes completely looses focus. I have heard that the a9 does better with that, but then it should.

I still love my SONY RX10iii from 2016, but I'm so ready to purchase the RX10v5. If SONY is going to make it ? ? ? The money is in my pocket, ready to burn. ☺

You two are adorable and this was a nice video to watch. I loved the cute bantering 🤭 I also loved seeing the side by side shots that were similar to compare! Thank you!

As far as macro shots are concerned: on the RX10 MK4, you need to use the longest focal length (600mm) in order to have the greater magnification ratio which is in that case around 0.50:1 equivalent to FF

Congratulations Evelyn!!!

Love your presentations. I am an old customer, but live in NZ now, so that relationship is not really practical now! I shoot predominantly Canon, and have the R5 with the L-series 24-105 & 100-500 lenses; but I also have the Sony Rx-10MkIV as I consider that it is the best bridge camera on the market and I carry that when bulk and weight are at a premium: for example for multi-day hikes or trips involving flying where photography is not the main reason for my trip. A lot depends on what one is going to produce, and for a lot of digital output: social media, digital devices, plus smaller prints - the 1" sensor is not too bad. If I was shooting for large, detailed prints then I would be prepared to carry the big gear.

I have the RX10MK IV and the a7RIV w/100mm-400mm GM w/ the 1.4x Teleconverter Lens SEL14TC (which I don't use very often) and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM adapted with the less expensive Altson Mound adapter CEF - SE C/P, which by the way works great for what I do - no video. Actually I have more video time on the RX10MK IV. The a7R IV also has a crop mode which I don't use very often because the quality of the full frame POST cropped is better. There is a place for each and I do use both. The down side of these two Sony sensors is "noise". I was spoiled with my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. The move from Canon to Sony 61mp camera was predicated on deep field crops which at this point Sony has everyone beat in this price range including the a9 MKII (except for the noise). Back to noise, I almost sent the a7R IV back because of disappointment over that fact. Then I remembered a program that I had read about, Topaz DeNoise AI. (They give you a free 30 days to try it and I did and purchased their package). Downside is as with anything added to workflow it takes time to do the AI on an image. Topaz does what I needed and solved my noise problems with the Sony sensor(s). I even went back to my early days with the Canon Xti and some negatives from that time. DeNoise AI did amazing things with those. Enough with the commercial for Topaz. I take the RX10MK IV with me when I am taking images that don't need to cropped much. The Zeiss-Sonnar T* f/2.4-4 lens (corrected for the RX10 sensor) is better than other higher zoom range bridge cameras. That is why this camera cost more than other bridge packages. The dynamic range of all the current bridge cameras does not even compare with the higher end cameras. None of the manufactures give away their technology unfortunately. My perfect mix and match camera of today would be a 61mp low noise sensor with the specs of the a9 MK II or 5DMK IV spot focus system. My Canon did a little better with complex zoomed in images using spot focus.

Great video. If I was not into swapping lenses, the RX would be a wonderful option.

I currently have a Sony A6500 as my daily use camera with small assortment of lenses. I have the 55-210, the 16-50 and the 50. My wife uses my older DSC-HX400V. I do like using my A6500 but would also be happy with the RX10 m4. Thanks for the video, each of the cameras do their jobs well, each just has a slightly different purpose.

The RX10 M4 is not perfect but it is an amazing piece of kit. I primarily use it for photographing cricket, and players are happy with the clear results it gets. Being able to shoot 24 fps is great, and allows me to get the 'moment' shot much more often than I used to. I also love the slowmotion footage

You two are fun. Great comparison and entertaining too.

I have a RX10 MKiii. I don’t use it enough but when I do I am pleased with the results.

I have both, and for travel where the emphasis is on hiking and sightseeing, bridge camera all the way. When the emphasis is on shooting, A9 all the way.

I traded 2 x Nikon D750's plus several lenses for a Sony RX10 IV and a Sony RX1r II as I was fed up with carrying so much weight.

This is just the video I have been waiting for. I own the Sony A7R4 and the 200 to 600 lens, This is a great set up with superb image quality, but I have to make a decision to go out shooting. I cannot carry this when, for example I am out walking the dog, and you can bet that it is on these occasions the kingfisher will make an appearance or a deer will run out across my path. This Sony bridge camera looks like the perfect solution.

As a hobbyist user of the Song RX10 IV. I have shot everything from astrophotography to zoomed in action shots. It has fundamentally improved my shooting abilities on other platforms due to keeping it in manual settings most of the time allowing me to hone my skills in a wide range of shots. It is hands down the perfect family camera. Light weight and versatile on outdoor vacations. You just can not beat it but sometimes I wish they would give me one with a full frame sensor and manual zoom. That would be my next purchase if they ever did it, I do not care of the cost lol.

Very nice presentation! I have the RX10 IV and some curiosity about the A9 but no interest in changing or carrying lenses. Both very awesome kit. Thanks!

I must be a soccer dad because I went for a walk in the paddock with the RX10iv earlier today. I could have chosen my EOS RP, XC10 or A6000 but the handheld video stabilization at 600mm is incredible on the RX10iv

Great comparison. I am considering getting this camera even though I have a Canon 80D with a Tamron 18-300 lens. I love this setup but I am feeling the edges are a little soft and worse the chromatic aberration is pretty bad. I would keep my 80D to use with more limited zoom lenses like the 17-50 f/2.8 I already have and love and use a RX10 for ship photography. Still thinking about it but this video is helping in the process.

Defo the sony bridge camera, moving subjects isn't an issue for me being a stills shooter and background blur can be manipulated in Photoshop.. Great video thank you for sharing 👍😁

You both are so funny. Great video!

The fact that you can't zoom while doing AF-C tracking was a deal breaker for me with my Panasonic FZ-1000 a few years ago. That was a really great camera, but any attempt at shooting action with varying distances was always spoiled by this. Also, zooming just takes to long if electrically driven. I still do like the all-in-one camera concept of the FZ and the RX10, and the pictures are really good at daylight.

When trying to take small birds in flight I'm very happy to be using an RX10 iv rather than a 600mm f/4 prime on a FF body. Swallows, especially are so agile it's difficult enough to track them with the RX10 and the inertia of a heavy lens would make that way more difficult.

Congratulations Evelyn. 😃💛 Stay safe. Please make a video of comparing those files and some low light shots side by side in Lightroom. That would certainly draw a clear difference tn the image quality, I hope.🤔

I love my RX10mkIV, would love to see it in a full frame sensor for better low light. Until then, I will use both the RX10 and the A7Riii

I got my wife into my hobby , and i gave her my A6300 and the 18-105 performs well , but the changing of the lenses was a pain for her , The Sony RX10 IV is a great all in one , it will never be as tack sharp as a 100-400 GM on the A7RIII but that not what we got it for its a Very good Camera for the Novice photographer take very good shots a lot of keepers with Very little fuss , And the 24 FPS WOW it is a great All around camera . Thank you Great content .

Soccer is exactly the reason I'm looking at the RX10 - weather sealed, 4K video, open lens, and reach across a large field with autofocus and tracking! Hoping for a mark V soon!!!

Sony RX10 IV is still the best Compact Camera. SONY a9 ll video time @ 7:18 few spots on pic. be safe during changing the lense. Thanks for Comparison of these two Cameras. Great Job, Cheers!

The RX 10 looks good . Very versatile

I have the A7Riii, and 100-400 with a 2x adapter. I also have the RX10vi. I end up using the RX10vi a lot especially on trips. The camera is larger but weighs less than the 100-400 lens! It also takes great video! Sure you can shoot with the 200-600 etc but how often are you going to be swapping the lenses? Simpler to get it all with the RX10vi when traveling.(I have the Nikon D900 (and tried the D1000) with the 24-2000 lens but most of the images are way worse than the Sony superzoom.

Great video, thank you.

I have the 200-600 on the a7lll. BUT as I get older and when I have had enough of the lens changing and the weight. I will go with the RX 10llll or 5 when it comes out.

I shoot live events with Bridge Cameras, the other people shoot DSLRS, I can get a range of shots by shooting wide to show the audience with speaker and step in. It provides a different experience and is good enough for website posting and small prints. The Deeper depth of field works well for events where the background is part of the Story.

Great comparison , both cameras have their merits , I love my A73 , I also have an old nikon P900 which i also use at times . If I Go on holidays I take both with me , the P900 is my legs , the A73 is my walking around and quality shots 😁. One of my favorite shots I have taken with my bridge camera which I could not have taken with my sony due to my lens selection, was a pic of a police helicopter hovering about 500 meters away , could see the pilots head with sunny's on , and hand on the controls and very clear writing on the helicopter down to warnings for maintenance items on the chopper body .

@7:37, was that out of focus or heavily cropped? It looks soft.

Excellent, merci (from France) Looking to change my old Nikon and heavy lenses I travel a lot l and I walk for days in our Pyrénées Mountains. So I look to avoid too much weight, I was still hesitatinge because of the 1 Inch "capteur" , no full frame, either no APS C. I though the "capteur" (don't know in english the word) was too little to obtain good quality .... But your movie is really good to make a decision on this point, thank you And as it is a camera from 2017, do you know if the MarkV will soon appears ?

I used to own the RX10, and I really miss its versatility. It has limitations, but it is a very good camera.

Thanks for this practical review! Would be better if RX10 did more BIF so we get better sense of real life AF comparison.

the RX10 is the must have for travelling, I like this camera, even if I'm also a A7R3 owner and many lenses...

Thanks so much for this fun side by side review. I've owned the RX10 (III & IV) for several years and love it. I aspire to have something full frame someday, but I can't imagine ever leaving the incredible versatility and convenience of the RX10. I bugs me that most main stream photography channels seem to ignore the existence of the RX10, even though they'll extol the virtues of the compact RX100 (which I also own). Congrats and blessings to you and your baby. Be safe!

Hey, Is there any news about Rx10 m5 launch? I am so excited to buy that! Would you suggest me to buy the m4 ??

2:07 haha so trueee, I wonder if there is one way for Sony to offer a mechanical zoom lens in a similar form factor even if it becomes more expensive and less video focused. I have tried an RX10M4 for a extended period of time before and lucky for us, there is a slight compromise we can take. Sony allows the RX10M4 to step zoom instead of going through all focal lengths and change the zoom speed too. It changes zoom faster, BUT there is a catch: it will only stop by on the marked focal lengths on the lens barrel. But it is definitely faster. The actual compromise? You might end up either with pictures that need some cropping or pictures that are quite tight in the composition. For being unable to change zoom while shooting, I go like, take pictures with full time AF at 10fps (instead of 24fps) and if I have to stop for a brief second, move the zoom barrell just slightly with step zooming and it will change focal lengh to something more usable and continue shooting at 10fps (or 24 fps if I have to). So at the end of the day, an RX10M4 might have plenty of compromises, both good or bad, but if you work with those, you end up with great results. One of my best daylight trips with the lightest combo ever covering between 16 thru 600mm in FF terms was with a Sony A7II w/ Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM and a RX10M4. All in a small bag. I never felt the urge to wish I had my 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II with me because the RX10M4 focused very fast and in daylight the sensor performs quite well for a 1.0Type sensor (as long as you shoot below ISO800 and without any DRO mode, saving me a lot of luggage weight and space.

I have the RX10 IV ... amazing System, great results... my go to field camera. I have the 200-600 and an a7iii.. heavier, but not too bad, a little unwieldy for long walks ... for when those long shots must be museum quality. BTW RX10 IV has amazing impressive movie capability, especially slow motion.

I watched the video because the RX10 is offered for 1079 € today (nomally over 1500), and I must decide between going for a full frame or buying the best bridge camera on the market. Although the RX10 really makes good pictures, the difference between them and the pictures of a full frame with a good lens is just too big. Your video convinced me to wait for a good offer of one of my prefered candidates of full frame cameras. Thank you! Hopefully I don't have to wait till next Black Friday :)

At 74 years young, im starting to find carrying a backpack with my canon 70d and 2 or sometimes 3 lenses a tad challenging to say the least. It's the swinging the back pack on and off that pulls my back muscles. Then it's finding somewhere to rest the bag to remove the camera and set it up and then or then doing a lens change. My latest effort was to capture the full moon rising using a good 70-300 with the camera on a tripod. The results were not too bad but I went into a FOMO sulk when compared to my friend's brilliant results caught with his Sony RX10 m4. So, yup, that's very soon on my next to buy list. 😊

For a semi pro RX10M4 is the go to. Shed some weight and fantastic image quality... You don't wanna carry all that weight of zoom lens of dslr.. Honestly 1 inch sensor is ok...

Thanks for the video folks, that was informative. May the lord bless your hands.

A pretty good balance between the "goofy" stuff and actual inf9rmation. Thumbs up.

Definitely the RX10 mark 4 for me. I’m over carrying all that gear. I particularly like the 600 zoom and that it can also take macro - all in one package! And the quality of the photos is really excellent!

Cool comparison!

#teamsony! I had the Sony a7iii sold it and now I have the a7RIV and love both of them like crazy. I would think about the a9ii but I don't do sports photography for a living so I feel as though the RIV is better for what I do. The RX10IV would be the perfect gift for someone who wants a crazy nice camera and doesnt care about lenses or anything like that.

Wow... i`m impressd about the Picture Quality of that 1`` Sensor! Thanks for this Video!

With the new firmware on the A9 II you don't need to open up the sensor to the elements anymore while changing the lens. It's unfortunate that such an update is only available for that camera.

I understand the depth of field is different from full frame cameras but does the 600mm F4 in the Sony RX10iv put the same amount of light on that 1" sensor that a 600mm F4 puts on a full frame sensor in the same area? Is the iso just as low as if I was shooting a full frame with a 600mm F4? That makes a lot more difference to me than the softness of the depth of field which I can control by separation of subject and background.

Nice review. You talked about cleaning your sensor, on 7:22 in the video you find the proof 😉 still I liked the video, and love your gear 👍👌

I’m a bridge camera guy and love my Panasonic Lumix fz1000mk2

I use a rx10 iv and a rx1 for travelling. Perfect combo.

Try a shoot out with the rx100vii vs the the bridge camera but it can wait until all is back to 'normal' Hope all goes well for you Evelyn; wishing you all the best!

This is a great video. Really an apples to oranges comparison, but relevant. I find myself having divested myself of my entire Canon DSLR setup a few years ago and switched back to film (I never really abandoned film). I’m looking to downsize my Blad setup (which is is a dream kit) and was thinking about the Fuji XT4 and a handful of Fuji lenses. I have 100F that really blows me away. This idea of a bridge camera though, could work. One camera that basically does everything I need it to do. The RX10 IV is at the top of my list for a bridge superzoom. I have to say though, watching you pull that hunk of glass out of your pocket two or three times with no lens cap really made my heart skip a few beats...

Good presentation!!!!

Nice idea. Certainly, doing this test in bright daylight does not reveal potential differences in low light capabilities. But a bridge camera can be a good alternative (or supplement) for special occasions. One word to „background separation“. Although technically correct, you haven‘t been able to demonstrate the advantages/disadvantages in your shootout - in fact: the background separation of the A9 sensor was sometimes distracting - I wanted to see more of the animals in focus - while the lack of it of the RX10 helped when composing shots (the boy under the bridge for example). For me the conclusion is quite simple: It is not about technical specs and comparison of noise levels and background blur

I've been using rx10iv and I love it, but I only use it during daytime with sunny, bright light. When it's dark, it gets so noisy and unusable.

Having the Rx10 iv ...as a side kick lense!!

Man, the RX10 IV looks great.

A great review... yes some people will find it "unfair" : 1" sensor vs FF sensor. But you disclose it in the title. But you , people, have made a big point... photography is more than selfie or gears... It's a mix of gears, knowledge, composition, art,... Before investing in a lot of gears, take a step back and think of what you really want to do. Thanks. Sony #RX10MIV is an impressive bridge camera. I learned photography using a Caon 1/2.3" sensor bridge. Lessons well learned, did not have problems at all when I bought my first APSC. I am wondering what Sony will bring to photographers with the next upgrade of this bridge: #SonyRX10MV. Bridge cameras are relevant and a great option for: other companies will definitely work hard to match a RX10M5 capabilities like : Canon Powershot G3X M2, Panasonic Lumix FZ2500/2000 M2, why not a Nikon Coolpix 1" sensor like the cancelled DL24-500. Keep the good job.

A trick with geese, keep your face behind your camera (eye to viewfinder) and use a 70-200mm lens. The geese will think you're one of them, and allow you to get way closer than the minimum focus distance of your lens. I have geese that nestjust beside my balcony and they hate me, but they are super chill as long as I keep my eyes behind a 70-200. (I believe it's it colours of the lens and the shape of it).

Great video. A more fair comparison might be against an APSC system though. I don’t think A9II buyers would be on the fence with bridge cameras but the A6xxx line cameras are more similarly priced.

Great job

The RX10m4 camera has a timed switch off and it automatically retreacts the lens. Unfortunately the lens caught the camera bag and it sounds like the gearing jumped some teeth. Now the lens won't fully extend. Is this easily fixable, please anyone?

The RX10IV is pretty solid value if you get a gently used one for ~$1,200. That said, you're locking yourself into one lens and a small sensor. One my A6400 I recently nabbed a $160 macro lens and could try out a whole new type of photography, whereas with an RX you would need to pick up a whole new body. If you're going to mostly be outdoors, hate swapping lenses, and/or love the idea of a ton of zoom, the RX10s are a good solution. I did a trip to bright Taiwan last year that would have been perfect for an RX10. If you don't need all that zoom the RX100s are much more portable for a good 24-200mm equivalent lens. If you're looking to build a versatile photography setup, something like an A6400 + 70-350mm G gives you almost the same reach with the possibility for more specialized lenses like primes, macro, UWA, etc. Hopefully Sony releases an RX10V with blackout free EVF, UHS-II, a front, dial, and other refinements.

Different tools for different applications. One pays a big price in $$ and weight for the full sensor rig, to be certain. In active and adventure travel, smaller size and weight are critical, unless is a true professional photographer or an insatiable enthusiast.

Very nice

I own Rx10 mk4 and A7III with lenses like 50/1,4 and 90/2,8 macro and i can tell that in good light - the RX10 mk4 is best for nature . I really don't see the difference in image quality. in low light the RX10 mk4 is falling apart right after iso 800 . A7 III with the good lenses can take you very far. I will keep both of them. if you want to take pictures of far away animals with A7 III prepare to carry some heavy glass - in weight and in price.

Great video! RX10 Impressed me!

Awesome, love you 😊.

To purchase I would need to see how they print out. Not many reviews do this

Love you job! )

Can you adjust the aperture on 10iv