Sony’s RX100 IV camera can capture 1,000fps slow-mo video
Using the world's first stacked sensor and DRAM chip, Sony's latest RX100 IV and RX10 II cameras are perfect for slow-motion video capture
Slow-motion video fans rejoice. Sony has announced that its latest Cyber-shot cameras – the compact RX100 IV (DSC-RX100M4) and the high-zoom RX10 II (DSC-RX102M2) – will be able to shoot 40x super slow motion video capture at up to 1,000fps thanks to its new 1.0 type stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with advanced signal processing and attached DRAM memory chip.
The stacked sensor and DRAM memory chip is the first of its kind, allowing the camera to have more than 5x faster readout of the image data compared to previous RX100 II and RX10 models. With such quick processing speeds on offer, it means continuous speeds of up to 16fps on the RX100 IV and up to 14fps on the RX10.
The readout speeds also allow both cameras to have Sony’s Anti-Distortion Shutter feature, which allows a maximum shutter speed of 1/32000 second. This not only minimises the rolling shutter effect on fast-moving images, but it also lets the camera capture sharp, precise images with brightness levels up to EV19 with an open aperture.
^ Fans of the original RX10 will be extremely pleased with the RX10 II, as it uses exactly the same body
Users will have several framerates to choose from when shooting slow-motion video, including 1,000fps, 500fps and 250fps in 50p or 25p video formats (or 960fps, 480fps or 240fps at 60p, 30p and 24p in NTSC mode). You’ll also be able to use the movie record button as a start trigger to begin recording, or as an end trigger to record footage up until you press the button. Using the latter trigger mode, it will begin shooting 2 to 4 seconds (which would take approximately 80 seconds to play back at 1,000fps at 25p) before the movie button is pressed, so you can capture those crucial moments more accurately.
Another headline feature is the ability to shoot video in 4K (3,840×2,160). By using the full pixel readout and the XAVC S codec, neither camera has to suffer from pixel binning, allowing users to capture all the fine details with minimal moire and jaggy effects. The codec also means you’ll be able to record video at 100Mbps during 4K shooting and 50Mbps during Full HD shooting.
There are a few differences between each camera’s 4K capabilities, though. The RX10 II, for instance, can shoot 4K video for up to 29 minutes, whereas the smaller RX100 IV can only shoot 4K for 5 minutes. Thankfully, both still let you capture 16.8-megapixel images from your 4K footage in a range of composition patterns simply by touching the shutter button.
As for more detailed specifications, the compact RX100 IV has a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/1.8-f/2.8 lens, while the RX10 II uses the same body as the original RX10 but adds a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm f/2.8 lens to the mix. Both have new high-contrast XGA OLED Tru-Fingers with around a 2.35 million dot resolution, and the RX100 IV borrows the same retractable EVF with Zeiss T* coating from last year’s RX100 III. They also have an upgraded Fast Intelligent AF system for high-speed, high-precision contrast detection, are Wi-Fi and NFC compatible, and the RX10 II is even dust and moisture resistant as well.
