Sony Cybershot RX10.4 Two year user review 5 March 2020

I bought my Sony RX10.4  when it became available in Australia in December 2017 and have been using it since then. At the same time I have had the opportunity to use a range of other cameras, some with fixed lenses others with interchangeable lenses.

Sensor size of these cameras ranges from diagonal 43mm (“full frame”) through 28 and 27mm (APSC), 21.6mm (MFT), 15.9mm (“one inch”, same as the RX10.4), down to 7.67mm (so-called ½.5 inch).

These cameras have included compacts, bridge types and mirrorless interchangeable lens types.

In past years I have owned and used almost every kind of film and digital camera from subminiature to 4x5 inch large format.

This experience has led me to some well tested conclusions.

1. I really hate changing lenses. The whole disruptive business of changing lenses is right at the top of my list of dislikes about cameras.  

The converse is also true: I really like cameras with super-zoom lenses which span very wide to very narrow angles of view.

When interchangeable lens cameras became practical about a hundred years ago zooms were probably just an idea in some lens designer’s mind. 

But in recent times lens design and manufacture technology has advanced remarkably making super-zooms like the one in the RX10.4 not just possible but able to deliver very high image quality at every focal length, across the frame, right from the widest aperture.

2. Modern small sensors deliver remarkably good image quality. On the basis of my own tests I rate my Lumix FZ300 which uses the tiny 7.67mm diagonal sensor as able to deliver better image quality than I could get from my 35mm cameras just a few years ago. What’s more it does so with a 25-600mm (equivalent) lens the like of which was unheard of in the days of 35mm film.

The current Sony “one inch” (15.9mm diagonal) sensors are markedly superior to the little 7.67 sensors in every way, delivering a level of picture quality which in many situations is difficult to distinguish from that produced by cameras with larger sensors, even 43mm models.

The benefits of small sensors are mainly practical.

The benefits of large sensors are mainly technical.

It seems to me there is not much point in using a 45 Mpx camera to produce images which will be displayed at 2 Mpx which is the resolution of most monitors, screens, projectors and TV sets.

3. So which sensor size is best ? I think it depends of the type of photograph which one wants to make.

For photos in which everything in the frame is to be rendered sharp, small sensors are better because they make it easier to achieve a large depth of field.

For photos which require the background to be rendered unsharp, often to reduce unwanted visual clutter, cameras with a large sensor are better because they make it easier to achieve a shallow depth of field.

I like to do street and documentary style photographs so for me a sensor towards the small end  of the spectrum is desirable.

4. Where is the sweet spot ?

For me it is the 15.9mm sensor and specifically the Sony RX10.4 which packs into one remarkably capable package an excellent superzoom lens, an excellent sensor and processor, excellent performance and very good imaging capability in a wide range of photographic situations.

There is plenty of room for improvement in the ergonomics and user experience but as it stands the camera is decently serviceable.

5. What can the RX10.4 do well and not do so well ?

The RX10.4 can do most things well, so maybe it makes more sense to ask what it does not do so well, or perhaps a better question would be what some other kit might do better.

This list is in fact quite short. In no particular order I nominate:

* Low light high speed sport/action. For this a dedicated full frame sport/action camera and wide aperture lenses can do a better job in the hands of an experienced expert who can afford the very high cost of such a kit.

For sport/action outdoors and  well lit indoor settings the RX10.4 does a very good job.

* High definition, high dynamic range landscape. The best cameras for this are high megapixel full frame or medium format models with high definition prime lenses. These are also very expensive.

However the RX10.4 is entirely adequate for most landscape requirements. The amount of subject information available is very large and the dynamic range is good enough even for scenes with high subject brightness range.

* Pocketable compact. Best for this are the latest range of smartphones with highly advanced photographic capabilities which are now so sophisticated they are making compact cameras redundant.

* It strikes a very appealing balance between versatility, quality, size and price.

The imaging quality is good enough for almost any photographic assignment. As I look through the thousands of pictures I have made with this camera the main impression I have is of their high technical standard. This remains so indoors, outdoors, in bright or low light and with the great majority of subjects.

Few cameras offer anywhere near the versatility of the RX10.4. I can change in a moment from landscape settings to birds in flight to panorama. I can switch in seconds from wide angle to super-telephoto and back again.

* It will allow me to get the shot with a high level of reliability in a wide range of different photographic situations. This means reliable focus on still and moving subjects, reliable exposure and appropriate firing solutions (shutter speed/aperture/sensitivity) which adapt to changing conditions.

* It requires very few pieces of additional equipment. A spare battery and charger, a fast memory card, a 72mm protect filter and a carry bag (I use a LowePro Top Loader Zoom 45 AW2) are the only things required.

Sony wants to be known as the technology company and that is their strength. The technology inside the RX10.4 is of a very high order.

But Sony has yet to properly understand the user experience and the ergonomics of their cameras. 

The RX10.4 is much nicer to use than any of the RX100 series models but there is still room for substantial improvement.

* Clearer, more logically arranged and more photographer oriented menus.

* Clearer, more logical and user friendly owners manual. Sony publishes two of these for the RX10.4, neither of which is easy to navigate or comprehend.  

The Help Guide has 593 pages with an 18 page contents list arranged in some fashion not revealed to the reader and no index.

Sony would make a lot of friends by publishing just one owner’s manual and doing the job properly with a user friendly layout and easy access index.

* Complete revision of the controls and the physical user interface, involving the dials, buttons, switches and everything else. The Lumix FZ1000.2 by way of comparison has a more coherent, user friendly control layout, although that too could be substantially improved.

* Overhaul of the viewing experience. The AF area needs to be indicated by a bright white box which changes to bright green when focus is achieved. Camera data below the preview image need to be larger, brighter and easier to read.

* The method for changing position and size of the AF area needs a complete overhaul.

* If some improvement to performance or image quality were possible that would be a bonus but the main issues are all about the user experience and ergonomics.

* A fully articulated monitor screen would be welcome.

The number of permutations and combinations of menu settings for this camera is so great as to daunt even an experienced camera user.

On user forums I often read appeals for help with this.

There are so many options and features it is all too easy to get lost in their complexity and bamboozled by overchoice.

When this subject comes up on user forums it becomes apparent that many users struggle to set up the camera to their satisfaction and many end up using settings which might not be optimal for their usage.

My approach is to try as far as possible to streamline and simplify camera operation in every Phase of use; Setup, Prepare, Capture and Review. This means deliberately disabling some control points and electing not to activate some of the functions of which the camera is capable.

It seems to me that camera makers do not properly understand some key ergonomic issues.

One of these is muscle memory. In order to operate a camera reliably the fingers need to learn where to go in order to make certain changes to camera settings.

Consider driving a motor car. The actions required to steer, brake, indicate right/left turn etc all become automatic, requiring no conscious thought at all.  This makes them efficient and reliable. Cameras need to be like that but many are not.

So in setting up the RX10.4 I try as far as possible to have each control point do the same thing every time. This is not entirely possible due to an ergonomic design fault on the 4-way controller, see below.

I also try to congregate functions onto the smallest number of  physical control points consistent with efficient operation.

Like many modern electronic cameras the RX10.4 has too many options, functions and control access points to the point of confusion.

By streamlining I mean to reduce the number of control access points to simplify operation.

In Menu>Setup2 I disable Touch functions. Touch is not well implemented on the RX10.4. I find it more confusing than helpful so I disable touch.

In Menu>Camera2>Custom Key (Shoot) I use:

Control Wheel Not set

Custom Button 1 ISO

Custom Button 2 ISO Auto Min SS

 Custom Button 3 Not set. But note C3 will by default recenter the AF area and is handy for this purpose.

Center Button  Focus Standard.  This is the button you press to activate the AF frame as shown by the bounding arrows so it can be moved with the up/down/left/right keys on the 4 way controller.

Left Button, Right button, Down button, AEL button, Focus Hold Button (on the left side of the lens barrel) all Not Set.

Note that you cannot allocate Disp to any button other than the Up Button on the 4 way controller. This is the ergonomic fault I referred to above. This means the Up Button has two different functions depending on whether the bounding arrows are or are not  showing on the AF frame.

Now I congregate functions onto the Function Button (Fn).

On the Top Row I locate items which I often want to adjust: Quality, Drive Mode, Focus Area, ISO, ISO Auto Min SS, Steady shot.

On the Bottom Row I locate less frequently required items: Flash Mode, Shutter Type, Creative Style, Zebras, Self timer during bracket, Live view display.

This gives the Fn button access to the primary control center in Prepare Phase of use.

Many modern cameras have a system by which a group of settings can be allocated to memory then recalled and applied together.

Not to be outdone, the RX10.4 has two completely separate and different systems for recalling groups of  camera settings.

Consistent with my theme of trying to simplify and streamline camera operation I use only one of these systems, accessed via the MR setting on the Mode dial. This gives access to three groups of memorised settings.

The options available for each are extensive. For the record I have

On MR1, Sport/action. (Rotary Switch C) Drive Mode M 10fps, P Mode, Auto ISO, Auto ISO Min SS Faster, Steady Shot on, Shutter type Auto, Flexible Spot L, RAW.

On MR2 Tripod/AEB. (Rotary Switch S) A Mode f5.6, ISO 100, RAW, Single Shot, Flexible Spot L, Steady shot off, Timer delay 2s, AEB +/- 2 stops.

On MR3 Hand held Panorama. (For stitching later in Photoshop) Note the RX10.4 can do auto panoramas but the stitching quality is unsatisfactory so I now never use this feature. (Rotary Switch S) Manual focus, M on Mode Dial, ISO 160, 1/250 sec, Single shot, RAW, Steady shot on.

Note that the Rotary Switch Focus Mode settings are not memorised in this function and must be set separately.

When the camera is fully set up it should not be necessary to access the main menus at all. Which is a good thing because they are so convoluted and confusing.

Fortunately there is a My Menu for quick access to items not available on the Fn button.

For the record I have Format, Bracket settings, AF illuminator, Flash Comp, Face/eye AF Set and Shutter Type on My Menu. This list changes from time to time as my use of the camera evolves although Format is always at the top of My Menu.

Most camera makers are expending most of their corporate effort right now in developing their full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens offerings. Most reviews and online comment are about the cameras and lenses produced by this effort.

I think there are practical reasons why professional photographers continue use top level full frame cameras and expensive lenses.

But amateur and enthusiast photographers form a much greater cohort of camera buyers. This group has traditionally bought an entry or mid level DSLR or MILC and one or two lenses.

I now believe that this group of photographers would be better served by a high level bridge camera. At the present time I can only recommend two of these, the Sony RX10.4 and the Panasonic FZ1000.2.

The Sony in particular delivers better performance than any entry to mid range ILC kit with the bonus of never having to change lenses.

I think that if camera users and makers come to realise this a further big change will impact the camera market. That will be the decline to irrelevance of most entry and mid range interchangeable lens cameras on the market at the present time.

My impression, based on the rush to full frame MILC bodies and lenses  is that the camera makers know that the entry/mid range ILC  market is under threat.

My concern is that they very likely don’t really want you to buy a bridge camera as there is not so much profit to be had there. I base this view on the fact that the RX10.4 is now over two years old with no update in sight, the FZ1000.2 is just a revamped FZ1000 with six year old internals and no other maker is engaged in the advanced bridge cam market. I do not count the Nikon P900/950/1000 models as advanced bridge cams as apart from their attention grabbing ultrazoom lenses they have nothing special to offer.

We shall see.