Sony RX100 IV Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV is a fixed lens compact camera that was officially introduced in June 2015 and is equipped with an one-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20 megapixel.

Is the Sony RX100 IV a good camera? The RX100 IV has a Camera Elo of 2108. This rating puts the RX100 IV among the top 40 percent of all travel zoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (one inch cameras), the RX100 IV ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony RX100 IV vis-à-vis a credit card. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony RX100 IV alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
2.		Canon G5 X	112 mm	76 mm	44 mm	353 g	210	n	Oct 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Canon G7 X	103 mm	60 mm	40 mm	304 g	210	n	Sep 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
4.		Panasonic FZ1000	137 mm	99 mm	131 mm	831 g	360	n	Jun 2014	US$ 899	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	138 mm	102 mm	135 mm	915 g	350	n	Sep 2016	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
6.		Sony RX100 II	102 mm	58 mm	38 mm	281 g	350	n	Jun 2013	US$ 749	ebay.com
7.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	US$ 799	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 VII	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	302 g	260	n	Jul 2019	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
11.		Sony ZV-1 II	106 mm	60 mm	47 mm	292 g	290	n	May 2023	US$ 899	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony RX100 IV was launched in the US market at a price of $999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check RX100 IV offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Sony RX100 IV features an one-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony RX100 IV among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
2.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
3.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
4.		Panasonic FZ1000	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	11.7	517	64
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	538	70
6.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
7.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
8.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
9.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
10.		Sony RX100 VII	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.8	12.4	418	63
11.		Sony ZV-1 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.3	12.9	965	67
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The RX100 IV indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the RX100 IV can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the RX100 IV has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2359k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.59x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Sony RX100 IV along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G5 X	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon G7 X	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	6.5/s	Y	Y
4.		Panasonic FZ1000	2359	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Sony RX100 II	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Sony RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony RX100 VII	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	Y	1/2000s	90.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony ZV-1 II	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

One convenient feature of the RX100 IV is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Canon G5 X	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon G7 X	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Panasonic FZ1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Sony RX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Sony RX100 VII	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Sony ZV-1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the RX100 IV offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The RX100 IV has a zoom lens built in (8.8-25.7mm f/1.8-2.8), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 70mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the RX100 IV can be found in the free online Sony RX100 IV Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the RX100 IV. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
2.		Canon G5 X	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Canon G7 X	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
4.		Panasonic FZ1000	4/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	US$ 899	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	..	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2016	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
6.		Sony RX100 II	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	US$ 749	ebay.com
7.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	US$ 799	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 VII	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	4/5	5/5	Jul 2019	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
11.		Sony ZV-1 II	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	83/100	3.5/5	4.5/5	May 2023	US$ 899	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check RX100 IV offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Sony RX100 IV Review