Sony RX10 V: One Fixed Lens for Every Trip

Verdict: A Serious Travel Camera That Replaces a Bag of Lenses

The Sony RX10 V is a high-end bridge camera built around a 24–600mm fixed zoom lens, pairing a 1‑inch 20.1MP stacked sensor with AI autofocus and advanced video features to give travel photographers one versatile zoom camera that can handle wide, standard, and telephoto work without changing lenses.

This is an excellent travel camera lens solution for people who want one body that does almost everything: landscapes, street portraits, wildlife, family events, and slow‑motion video. The 24–600mm f2.4–4 ZEISS lens combines the reach of three or four interchangeable lenses into a single fixed zoom lens, and in practice it feels liberating to move from a city skyline to a distant subject without touching your bag. The downside is cost and some optical trade‑offs. At USD 2,299 (approx. RM8,999), it is priced like a mid‑range interchangeable‑lens kit, not a casual upgrade. Serious travellers, wildlife enthusiasts and hybrid shooters will find the price defensible; those who mainly shoot family snaps may not.

Lens and Image Quality: One Travel Camera Lens That Covers Everything

The star of this bridge camera review is the fixed 24–600mm f2.4–4 ZEISS Vario‑Sonnar lens. In focal‑length terms, this is the heart of the RX10 V’s promise: from a wide 24mm for cramped interiors and sweeping landscapes to a 600mm reach that can isolate a bird perched tens of metres away, you cover wide, standard and telephoto without ever changing glass. That solves the classic travel dilemma of choosing a walk‑around zoom, a portrait prime or a telephoto; here, you bring them all in one device.

Optically, the compromise is the variable aperture. The lens begins at f2.4 but starts closing down after the slightest zoom, reaching a locked f4 by around 103mm and staying there through 600mm. For daylight travel photography, this is fine; for low‑light indoor events or dusk wildlife, you will be nudging ISO up more than with a brighter lens on a larger sensor body. The 1‑inch 20.1MP stacked Exmor sensor is mid‑range in resolution but backed by the BIONZ XR processor, producing detailed, clean images in good light and enabling 30fps burst shooting for fast action. It may not match a larger sensor system in dynamic range, but the all‑in‑one convenience is hard to beat.

AI Autofocus and Handling: A Versatile Zoom Camera That Feels Fast Everywhere

Sony’s AI autofocus is what makes this fixed zoom lens body feel modern instead of nostalgic. An on‑board AI chip drives subject recognition, colour and exposure, and most importantly, autofocus that can recognise and track faces, eyes, birds, insects, cars, trains and more, recalculating up to 60 times per second as subjects move across the frame. In use, this means you can pan from your friend at 24mm to a runner at 400mm and the AF keeps up; during hands‑on testing, fast‑moving subjects stayed locked even at maximum zoom and through crowds.

The RX10 V’s body design moves away from the “hunched” bridge camera shapes of the past in favour of a more squared‑off silhouette that closely mimics Sony’s a7‑series cameras. You get a larger grip, more pronounced buttons and several extra dials, which make exposure changes much easier when you are swinging through that enormous zoom range. This matters in the field: one minute you are at 24mm in aperture priority, the next at 600mm in shutter priority, yet the camera remains manageable in one hand. Battery life is also improved, with Sony’s Z‑battery promising around 50% more endurance than the older W‑battery; after roughly 100 mixed shots and bursts, one reviewer saw only about 15% drain, suggesting full‑day shooting is realistic with a spare.

Video Features and Real‑World Value: Is This All‑In‑One Worth the Price?

For hybrid creators, the RX10 V is more than a stills‑focused travel camera. The stacked sensor and BIONZ XR processor unlock Sony’s modern video suite: 4K recording at up to 120fps, 10‑bit 4:2:2, S‑Log3, and support for importing up to 16 LUTs so you can preview your intended grade while filming. In practical terms, 4K 120fps lets you slow waterfalls, sports or playful pets down dramatically in post while keeping footage sharp and smooth. Auto Framing keeps your subject centred without extra crew, and the same AI autofocus intelligence that helps with stills is present in video too.

On value, the RX10 V is aimed at photographers who want a serious camera without the hassle of an entire system. At USD 2,299 (approx. RM8,999), it costs as much as a decent mirrorless body and lens, but it replaces a whole bag of glass. During the pre‑order period, Sony includes an extra NP‑FZ100 battery and a PGYTECH OneGo Lite 22L backpack, together worth RM988, which makes the launch outlay easier to swallow if you are early. It undercuts the total cost and complexity of an interchangeable‑lens setup while outperforming cheaper ultra‑zoom options that sacrifice sensor size and autofocus reliability. If you mainly shoot in good light and want one camera that can follow you from birthday cakes to birds in trees, this is one of the most convincing all‑in‑one options available.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you want one versatile zoom camera that covers everything from 24mm landscapes to 600mm wildlife without changing lenses.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if you shoot a lot in low light and care more about image quality than convenience, where a larger‑sensor system will serve you better.
• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you travel often and want to replace a heavy multi‑lens kit with a single fixed zoom lens that handles almost any scene.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if your budget is tight and the high launch price will weigh more on your credit card than the convenience weighs in your camera bag.
• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you are a hybrid creator who needs 4K 120fps, 10‑bit 4:2:2 and AI autofocus in a single grab‑and‑go body.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if you are a vlogger who prioritises a selfie screen above all else, since this camera still lacks one.
• Buy the Sony RX10 V if you are a wildlife or sports enthusiast who values fast subject detection and dependable AF tracking across the entire zoom range.
• Skip the Sony RX10 V if you prefer an upgradeable system with interchangeable lenses and a clear future path, even at the cost of more weight and complexity.