“It’s been a longtime dream of photographers,” explains award-winning travel photographer and Sony Artisan of Imaging Bob Krist, “especially those who travel, to have one lens that could do it all, and could do it all very well. The most popular lenses in almost any camera manufacturer’s offerings these days are those that range from moderate wide angle to a moderate telephoto. The popular ranges are, in 35mm terms, 28-200mm and 28-300mm.” While versatile, these lenses aren’t without their limitations. “These are often fairly slow, variable-aperture lenses with maximum apertures of ƒ/5.6 or ƒ/6.3 at the long end,” Krist concedes, “and are never the best optical performers.”
“But the Sony RX10 IV has kind of turned that all upside down,” he says.
With the camera’s extraordinary 25x zoom, Krist can shoot wide-angle architecture and landscapes, intimate portraits and super-tele wildlife, with a compact, lightweight camera that’s ideal for spontaneous creativity.“We’re now talking about a zoom range from 24mm on the wide end to 600mm on the long end,” says Krist. And, unlike those other aforementioned zooms, the lens on the Sony RX10 IV maintains a relatively fast maximum shutter throughout its range. “The maximum aperture varies from ƒ/2.8 at the wide to ƒ/4 starting mid-range, so it’s a good half-stop to one-and-one-half stops faster than less-capable interchangeable lens brethren,” Krist observes. “When a lens is perfectly mated and matched to a camera, as is the RX10 IV’s, its optical performance can be maximized. And,” he continues, “let’s not forget that we’re talking about legendary Carl Zeiss T* optics. This is not a ‘compromise’ kit lens; this is a super-capable optical performer at all focal lengths.”
The Sony RX10 IV’s impressive zoom lens is just part of what puts this camera at the top of its class. Many cameras with fixed lenses offer big zoom ranges, but none in this category compete with the speed and autofocus performance of the Sony RX10 IV. The camera’s autofocus system employs 315 phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 65 percent of the 1.0-inch Exmor RS CMOS imaging sensor, enabling it to acquire focus in as little as 0.03 seconds. It’s also incredibly adept at tracking moving subjects such as wildlife or sports action with its High-density Tracking AF. Together, these technologies make it possible to capture up to 24 frames per second for up to 249 frames in a single burst, all while maintaining precise focus on your subject.
In addition to still photography, the RX10 IV also excels at video. It’s capable of recording ultra-high resolution 4K video with the same Fast Hybrid AF used for still images and offers both headphone and microphone accessory jacks for superior sound quality and usability. And when it comes to working with video, for Krist there’s another big advantage of all-in-one camera design over interchangeable lens cameras: protection from dust.
“One aspect of the RX10 IV that I particularly appreciate is the total freedom from worry about sensor dust spots,” says Krist. “I travel in some pretty windy, dusty and dirty environments, and no matter what you do with a detachable lens camera, some dust is bound to find a home on your sensor.” It’s especially advantageous, he notes, with video recording. “With stills, removal of a dust spot is just a matter of using a cloning tool and doesn’t take too much time—unless, of course, your sensor is covered with dust spots. But in video, retouching out dust spots is a much more complicated, time-intensive procedure. No worries with this camera.”
The versatility of Sony RX10 IV’s zoom range and its extreme telephoto capabilities open up new creative opportunities. “Having the incredible reach of a full-time 600mm optic with you allows you to create photographs you ordinarily wouldn’t,” Krist notes from personal experience. “The apparent perspective compression can create some amazing street scenes and landscapes, and you’re able to come up on creatures great and small, from tiny little frogs on the pond’s edge to the egrets nesting in the middle of that same pond.” It’s the perfect combination of creative flexibility and technical performance. “The Sony RX10 IV allows you to be ready for anything.”
To learn more about the RX10 IV’s incredible technology and versatility, visit www.alphauniverse.com/rx10iv.
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