Sony RX10 V Review: Is This 24-600mm Bridge Camera Worth the Price?

Verdict: A Fantastic All‑in‑One, With Clear Limits

The Sony RX10 V is a premium bridge camera with a fixed 24-600mm equivalent lens, advanced AI-driven autofocus, and redesigned professional-style body, aimed at travel and wildlife photographers who want a superzoom all-in-one camera instead of carrying multiple interchangeable lenses. In practice, it delivers excellent versatility, strong video features, and the best bridge-camera experience you can buy, but it does not offer the consistent image quality or low-light performance of larger-sensor systems. At USD 2,299 (approx. RM10,600) for preorder, this travel camera superzoom targets photographers who value convenience and reach over absolute image quality or cutting-edge autofocus reliability, and for that specific user it largely delivers on its promise.

Design, Handling, and Build: Bridge Camera on Steroids

The RX10 V’s biggest step forward is how it feels in the hand. Sony has reshaped the body to closely resemble its Alpha-series cameras, with a familiar DSLR-style silhouette, updated menu system, and an autofocus sub-selector joystick that makes choosing focus points much quicker in the field. The control layout is also strongly Alpha-like, so existing Sony shooters will feel at home. The electronic viewfinder has been upgraded from a 0.39-type 2.36M-dot panel with 0.7x magnification to a 0.5-type 3.69M-dot unit at 0.78x magnification, giving a clearer, larger view. Despite a slight increase in size and weight—up to 1,111 grams with battery and card from 1,095 grams—the camera still feels balanced with the long zoom attached. Better dust and moisture resistance adds confidence for professional use in rough weather, making this fixed lens all-in-one far more appealing for serious travel and wildlife work.

Lens and Image Quality: 24-600mm Freedom, 1‑Inch Sensor Constraints

The heart of this bridge camera 24-600mm concept is Sony’s Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm f/2.4-4 equivalent built-in lens, paired with a 20.1-megapixel stacked Type 1 Exmor RS CMOS sensor—the same core imaging pipeline as the RX10 IV. In daylight or good light, image quality is described as good and the lens is impressively useful, covering wide landscapes, portraits, sports, and tight wildlife in one package without any lens swapping. However, the 1-inch sensor shows its limits: reviewers report that "image quality is good in the best of situations, but quickly deteriorates at higher ISO settings," reducing confidence in dim interiors or dusk wildlife sessions. For travel photographers who mostly shoot in daylight and want a fixed lens all-in-one they can throw in a bag, this compromise is acceptable; for those who expect clean high-ISO files, it is a clear reason to think twice.

Autofocus, Speed, and Video: Smart, Fast, But Not Flawless

Sony’s Bionz XR processor with an integrated AI unit is a major upgrade, enabling Real-time Recognition AF with subject detection for people, animals, and several types of vehicles, plus Real-time Tracking via the touchscreen. Continuous shooting rises to 30 fps with blackout-free viewing, and wildlife testers were surprised by how well it tracked demanding subjects; one noted it "tracked things like blackbirds in flight" and its buffer was "way deeper" than expected. Yet, other reviewers felt that autofocus, while better than before, was not decisive enough in difficult scenarios and lamented the lack of a Pre-Capture mode for critical moments. On the video side, the RX10 V jumps from 4Kp30 to 4Kp60 full-width and 4Kp120 with a slight crop, plus 4:2:2 10-bit All-I, XAVC HS, and XAVC S-I options. That combination makes it a compelling travel camera superzoom for hybrid shooters who want one body to handle long-reach video and stills.

Value and Use Cases: Who This Bridge Camera Is Really For

The sticking point is price and expectations. The RX10 V is available for preorder at USD 2,299 (approx. RM10,600), and will begin arriving to customers around August 6. According to multiple reviewers, the camera is "definitely the best overall bridge camera on the market," yet it "doesn’t quite justify its price tag" if you compare it to interchangeable-lens systems that deliver better image quality and autofocus. The real value lies in the use case: a traveler who wants more than a smartphone without changing lenses, or a wildlife fan who wants big reach without carrying heavy super-telephoto glass, will find the RX10 V a powerful, flexible tool. It can do landscapes, portraits, wildlife, and travel in one package, but it can’t do any of them at an extremely high level—this is an all-rounder, not a specialist. If you accept that trade-off, the premium starts to make sense.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you want the best bridge camera 24-600mm option and value one fixed lens all-in-one setup over system flexibility.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if you often shoot in low light and need cleaner high-ISO image quality than a 1-inch sensor can provide.
• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you are a travel photographer who wants a travel camera superzoom that covers landscapes, portraits, and wildlife without swapping lenses.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if you demand top-tier autofocus reliability in the toughest scenarios and rely on features like Pre-Capture for fast action.
• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you are a hybrid creator who wants improved 4Kp60 and 4Kp120 video with long reach in a single bridge camera body.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if you prioritize absolute performance per dollar and are willing to carry multiple lenses with an interchangeable-lens camera instead.