At IFA 2017, Sony announced a new action camera called the Sony RX0 packing a 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor, robust waterproof metal body and 4K output for around $700 USD.
Designed for both stills and video, according to Sony, the new Sony RX0 features a body design similar to that of a GoPro Hero5 as opposed to the current crop of Sony action cameras such as the FDRX-3000. The new RX0 weighs in at around 110g and measures at 59mm x 40.5mm x 29.8mm.
Unlike other action cameras, the RX0 packes a rather “large” sensor – a 1.0-inch stacked EXMOR RS CMOS equipped with a BIONZ X processor and a wide-angle Zeiss Tessar T* 24mm f/4.0 fixed lens to deliver high resolution and less distortion results for both RAW and JPEG stills and across supported video formats such as XAVC-S, AVCHD and .MP4. The camera also features an Anti-Distortion Shutter of up to 1/32000 second and can shoot at up to 16fps.
Most of you, I am sure, are familiar with Sony’s excellent RX10 II, and RX100 V, which feature a 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor capable of some sweet super-slow motion in Full HD and lower resolutions.
The RX0 does not have the ability to record 4K internally, however it can output a clean 4K (UHD really) signal via the HDMI an external recorder such as an Atomos Ninja Inferno for example. To help you out when shooting video, the RX0 has both MF Assist and Peaking Functions, and for those who prefer to push the recording a bit further, S-Log2 is also available.
Sony RX0 Features
- Ultra-Compact, Lightweight Body
- 15.3 Megapixels 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS Sensor
- 4K (UHD) 4:2:2 output via HDMI
- 1080/60p internal XAVC-S recording
- Up to 960 fps Super-Slow motion (lower res)
- Slog-2 picture profile available
- Timecode-Sync Multiple Cameras
- Zeiss 24mm-Equivalent Lens, f/4 Aperture
- Control via App or VP1K Remote
- NTSC/PAL Switchable
- Waterproof & Shockproof Body
- Price: $700 (B&H, Adorama)
- Availability: October 2017
The new Sony RX0 is waterproof at depths of up to 10 metres, which can be extended to 100 meters when used with the new MPK-HSR housing. The RX0 is shockproo when dropped from up to 2 metres and crushproof to 200kg f/2000N, making it durable enough to withstand shooting in difficult situations where traditional cameras simply cannot go.
Behind the Scenes:
There are plenty of new accessories to support the new RX0 such as the VCT-CGR Cage for increased system flexibility, the MPK-HSR Housing, enabling the RX0 to be taken down to depths of up to 100 metres underwater, the CPT-R Cable Protector, VF-SPR Spare Lens Protector, VFA-305R Filter Adaptor Kit which includes filter adaptor, lens hood and MC protector, NP-BJ1Rechargeable Battery Pack and ACC-TRDCJ Accessory Kit.
SONY RX0 TECH SPECS
Still Image Capture Resolutions:
3:2 Mode:
- 15M(4,800×3,200) / 7.7M(3,408×2,272) / 3.8M(2,400×1,600)
4:3 Mode:
- 14M(4,272×3,200) / 6.9M(3,024×2,272) / 3.4M(2,128×1,600)
16:9 Mode:
- 13M(4,800×2,704) / 6.5M(3,408×1,920) / 3.2M(2,400×1,352),
1:1 Mode:
- 10M(3,200×3,200) / 5.2M(2,272×2,272) / 2.6M(1,600×1,600)
HFR Recording Frame rates:
[PAL] mode / XAVC S HD:
- 50p 50 Mbps (1,920 x 1,080/250fps)
- 50p 50Mbps (1,920 x 1,080/500fps)
- 50p 50Mbps (1,920 x 1,080/1000fps)
- 25p 50Mbps (1,920 x 1,080/250fps)
- 25p 50Mbps (1,920 x 1,080/500fps)
- 25p 50 Mbps (1,920 x 1,080/1000fps)
[NTSC] mode / XAVC S HD:
- 60p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/240fps)
- 60p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/480fps)
- 60p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/960fps)
- 30p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/240fps)
- 30p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/480fps)
- 30p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/960fps)
- 24p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/240fps)
- 24p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/480fps)
- 24p 50M (1,920 x 1,080/960fps)
Sensor Readout Number of effective pixels
(IMPORTANT NOTE: Below are the effective recorded pixels, upscaled to 1080p above, anything over 240fps is really soft and not good enough IMHO even for web. Coming from a RX10 II user perspective)
Quality Priority:
- 240fps/250fps (1,676 x 942),
- 480fps/500fps (1,676 x 566),
- 960fps/1000fps (1,136 x 384)
Shoot Time Priority:
- 240fps/250fps (1,676 x 566)
- 480fps/500fps (1,136 x 384)
- 960fps/1000fps (800 x 270)
The RX10 is supposed to ship in October for €850 or $700 USD.
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Very surprising that Sony wouldn’t have put internal 4k in. I assume that with a 1 inch sensor it just would have gotten too hot, but at that point I think a lot of people would have just rather have had a smaller sensor, wider aperture, and internal 4k. But I guess if that happens it’s a GoPro lol. Seems like that 4.0 aperture kills all the low light benefits of a 1 inch sensor. So I dunno, love my a6500 and Rx100v, but this doesn’t do it for me.
Wait a few months, they will probably release an updated model with internal 4K. The thing that worries me the most on the 1-inch chip is a lens you can’t manually focus. 1-inch isn’t massive, but it’s wayyy bigger than a GoPro sensor.
Sony degradeted,even YI 4k+ get 4k60 in plastic body,no overheating in 40 min,in october coming Go pro 6 with 4k60 and both internally can record to microsd card with bitrate 130mbit/s.Sony make action with 50mbit/s.may be only for dark time( sensor one inch).
Hi,
Thanks for posting the specs on the higher frame rates. Confirms what I suspected that 480 and 960fps are unusable. I wonder if the remote syncing of multiple cameras will be usable for bullet time? Or is that marketing hype as well? I feel annoyed and irritated with Sony’s marketing of these cams (RX10M4 also) – why do the upscale and crop in camera? I have yet to find any mention of what the actual resolution is any of Sony’s documentation? Why try to hide what’s really being captured?
Also – FYI there seems to be a typo a the end of your article mixing up RX0 with RX10, I was a little confused. Thanks again.