Sony Cybershot RX10 III brings 1.0-type sensor, extended zoom

Sony has unveiled its new Cybershot RX10 III camera, an extended-zoom model for the maker's RX product line. The RX10 III model includes 4k-resolution video recording, super-slow-motion capture, a 1.0-type CMOS sensor, and a 24 – 600mm ZEISS Vario-Sonnar f/2.4 – f/4 lens. The most notable feature, though, is the 25x zoom, which brings a feature that had otherwise been lacking to Sony's RX camera line.

Sony says the new RX10 III camera is ideal for shooting "anything from landscapes to distant wildlife," serving as a more portable option over DSLRs and similarly large interchangeable lens cameras. The maker says the new RX model's various features allow it to shoot in situations that would otherwise require three or more lenses with an interchangeable model.

In addition to offering a high zoom rate, the RX10 III boasts a 20.1-megapixel Exmor R CMOS 1.0-type stacked sensor alongside a DRAM chip for better signal processing over some competing models. Under the hood lies a BIONZ X image processor capable of up to 960fps slow-motion video recording at 40x.

The camera features an Anti-Distortion Shutter able to take shots at up to 1/32000/second via an electronic shutter that helps keep image distortion at a minimum. Other features include a ZEISS T Coating that helps keep ghosting and flares to a minimum, while the zoom lens has 8-ED glass elements composed of a single super ED glass element, five ED glass elements, and a pair of ED aspherical lenses.

As well, the newly used lens has Optical SteadyShot for stabilizing images, a necessity when it comes to super-zoom cameras. Says Sony, this technology produces the equivalent of a shutter speeds 4.5 stops faster than whatever the actual shooting speed is set at. Finally, the camera's ISO ranges from 64 to 12800, up to 14fps continuous shooting, video recording data rates up to 100Mbps in 4K and up to 50Mbps in FHD.

Sony plans to launch the RX10 III camera in May for $1,500 USD in the United States and $2,000 CAD in Canada.