Recommendations on a single-lens camera

mrcheez

For years I travelled with a Canon SLR camera and a few lenses, but over the years I've seen other travellers with basic single-lens cameras that take fantastic shots that were on par with what I was getting with my SLR.

For an upcoming trip I want to bring my drone, so I won't have room to carry a set of lenses as well, so I'm looking for recommendations on a camera that doesn't rely on changing the lenses but has great zoom and picture quality.

Price less than €1,800 say?

mrcheez

Actually thinking the Sony RX10 might be what I need?

https://www.sony.ie/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx10

glennryan

Hi , I was in a simular position to yourself. Earlier this year I was looking around and came across the RX10 IV online. I was lucky to come across a deal on Hotukdeals.com and got it for a little more than 1000 euro.

My photographic skills are very limited. I am very happy with the camera and the zoom is fantastic. I live in wicklow now and love taking photos of wildlife around me and this camera is perfect for what I need. There are forums on facebook for the RX10 and they will give you a great view of what the camera is capable of .A lot of people are very happy with it . Have a look there and it may be of help.

Glenn

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119701369#Comment_119701369

cheers.. is it fairly weatherproof?

Hopefully there will be something good during the Black Friday sales

glennryan

I am not sure how waterproof it is . I would get a good case to protect it though. 👍

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119700862#Comment_119700862

Note that the RX10 you linked to above, with the 200mm equivalent focal length, is an old model from 2013. The latest version (from 2017) is The RX10 IV, which has a 600mm equivalent focal length.

https://www.sony.ie/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx10m4

Here's a bit of a discussion about the weather sealing:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4493747

If you're looking for something even more compact, the Sony RX100 VII is a good option: Same sensor as the RX10 IV, has better AF system (with eye tracking), much more compact, cheaper, but only has a 200mm equivalent focal length and isn't weather-sealed

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-VII-vs-Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10-IV

mrcheez

Thanks.. yeah I spotted that the Mark IV was a different camera later on.. and almost a grand more to boot!!

I think the zoom is the clincher for me really, as I used to use the zoom all the time on my SLR camera (as well as the wide angle lens which I also carried with me), so the RX10 is still the winner.

Waiting for a Black Friday sale I reckon... maybe Amazon are the best place to watch?

Gregor Samsa

I don't think you'll find the original RX10 on sale new. Despite being up on the Sony site, it's long discontinued and replaced by the newer versions, unless someone has "new old stock" floating around. You could of course go second hand.

Keep an eye on Amazon, but they currently only have one IV in stock, and it's a open-box:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-DSC-RX10M4-Premium-Digital-Vario-Sonar/dp/B075QK3N97/ref%3Dsr_1_1

It's an old camera at this stage, and bridge cameras aren't the biggest sellers, so I don't know what the chances are of them getting more stock and then discounting it for Black Friday.

Or, you could go grey market on the mark IV:

e-infinity have it for €1399 with their 6 month warranty: https://www.e-infin.com/eu/item/3454/sony_cyber-shot_dsc-rx10_iv_digital_camera_mark_mk_4

Panamoz have it for €1,614 with their 3 year warranty: https://panamoz.com/gb/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx10-iv-digital-camera-black.html

I've bought stuff from both, and had very good experiences. Never had to use the warranty, though.

mrcheez

I see the successor version 5 is hopefully due to arrive sometime at the end of the year... I won't need it until next year, so I might be able to grab one at the end of the year

mrcheez

Got a decent enough deal on the Sony RX10 IV (new)

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933711#Comment_119933711

Nice one, enjoy!