I’m glad to see bridge cameras coming back – I’ve always felt they offered something genuinely useful, far beyond what could be achieved with only a smartphone – and especially glad to see a company like Sony taking them seriously again.
But perhaps because the ones I’ve tested in recent years have been value-added yet small sensor examples from the likes of Kodak’s licensee, when I first saw the new Sony RX10 V’s price I did a double take.
Is this revamped 1.0 type sensor wonder truly worth ten times as much as 1/2.3-inch chip incorporating alternatives? Even when its output is closer to that of APS-C sensor DSLRs?
Time to take ‘Five’… or a bridge too far?
If it’s not just the large-ish sensor tempting you, or the zoom power, equivalent to 200-600mm in 35mm terms, which would require a set up like the Sony A7 IV plus own brand 24-240mm and 200-600mm lenses – a combination nearly double the cost of the standalone RX10 V – to achieve anywhere near, then maybe the speed of the device will seal the deal.
In now featuring AI assisted subject identifying auto focus to enable to accurate capture of moving subjects, along with the ability to capture frames at 30fps with electronic shutter, or 10fps using mechanical shutter, the RX10 V continues to justify itself as, like AP’s own review put it: ‘the king of bridge cameras’.
I’m not sure I’d choose the RX10 V as my one and only camera, over, say, an interchangeable lens mirrorless. But it would work well as an option to use alongside, or occasionally instead of, an Alpha 7 series mirrorless.
But if that asking price still smarts, consider that its RX10 IV predecessor cost an already high $1700 upon release in 2019 and held its value well, then actually $2299 for its successor isn’t the eye watering amount it first appears without such a comparison. Particularly when factoring in inflation.
Of course, the priceless appeal here, as is the case with any bridge camera or super zoom, is the ability to capture almost any subject without having to invest in, or carry around, a shedload of lenses to achieve it. The workhorse RX10 V may feature just the one lens, but in offering up almost limitless framing options from ultra wideangle to extreme telephoto, it’s more than most of us will ever need. Or will ever need to replace.
That sort of future proofing makes it more of a wise buy than it initially appears.
What do AP readers think? Is asking as much as a full frame mirrorless camera for a one-inch sensor bridge camera justifiable, whatever its focus range may be? Or are we being charged a premium and asked to lump it? Get in touch and have your say.
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: [email protected]
Related reading:
- The best bridge camera in 2026 – maximum zoom in one camera
- Why haven’t bridge cameras been revived and re-embraced in the same way compacts have?
- With a new Sony RX10 imminent, bridge cameras are back. Here’s why that’s big news for photographers
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