Sony DSC-RX10M II Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera

I really love using the Sony RX10 ii camera for the solid feel, great image and video quality. It is probably now my favorite camera. The camera is not inexpensive so I bought a used Sony RX10 ii from Amazon several months after it’s introduction. The camera has vastly exceeded my expectations and is quite an improvement over my original RX10 which I also still own and use on occasion. I’ve taken several thousand images and videos over the past several months and most if not all seem perfectly exposed, very sharp with good color, and lots of detail. I haven’t tried every feature on the camera but each one I’ve tried has work very well.I really enjoy using super zoom/ or bridge cameras and also own the Panasonic FZ1000 and the FZ300. Both of which offer 4K video and produce very good images and video but not at the same level as the RX10 ii. The FZ300 has a bigger zoom and touchscreen but uses a smaller sensor. These other cameras are very good bridge cameras which cost much less than the RX10 ii and should be considered if the RX10 ii exceeds your budget..Before purchasing the RX10 ii, I wondered how much a great camera can be improved and lusted after the RX10 ii.. I hesitated with the high price. The RX10 has proven extremely rugged almost pro like rugged. I got to test just how durable the RX10 was when my RX10 dropped 4 feet onto the cement sidewalk. I was truly stunned and amazed that the camera survived and continued to work perfectly without a hiccup. I don’t recommend dropping cameras but there are very few that could survive that kind of fall and still work like nothing happened. Great luck of course but quality build too; I’m sure made a big difference.The RX10 ii is like the RX10. It feels solidly built with lots of buttons and dials for quick change of settings. The OLED EVF is one of the best I have seen in a camera. Just about every setting can be viewed in the EVF and the images appear almost as good as an optical viewfinder, perhaps even better because you can see what the sensor sees. The EVF has a sensor that detects your eye so that the LCD screen shifts automatically to the EVF. There are some very small differences in the cameras most notably the much speedier operation in focusing and image capture. The best features are the great 4K video and image capture and slow motion..I compared the 4K video from the RX10ii to the Sony AX100, an outstanding $1700 camcorder for the 4K video.. I was rather surprised when viewing similar 4K footage, there was very little difference in quality when viewing on my 55 inch 4K monitor. Why use a large camcorder when your camera can produce similar quality, The RX10 has proved to be a phenomenal performer. I recently took the camera along with several other (MFT) cameras and found the camera produced a very high percentage of sharp, perfectly exposed images and the 4K video when done carefully was excellent. 4K is very challenging so my video clips tend to be rather short.What's great about the Sony RX10ii that's sets it apart from the typical bridge camera. (FZ1000 and RX10 are excluded because they have very similar but have different capabilities)1. The large 1 inch stacked sensor captures considerably more detail and allows much better low light images up to 3200 ISO and beyond.. It uses the same sensor as the RX100 iv which I also used and is a terriffic camera.2. Constant F2.8 lens is equivalent to a 24-200 dSLR type lens. Outstanding Zeiss designed quality lens. Extends up to 400 dSLR equivalent3. Magnesium Frame on front and top of camera makes camera very strong and durable. There is plenty of plastic but the metal support makes it light but very strong. Can save camera if dropped4. Outstanding OLED EVF which is bright, ; displays lots of information or none if desired. The EVF is much larger than typical bridge EVF so you get to see more of the image.5. Extremely Fast focusing even in low light. The camera uses a Direct Drive SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) which speeds up focusing. Included light assist when needed.6. F stops start with F2.8 and goes up to F16 in 1/3 increments. Can be set for smooth or click settings on lens. The competition only goes to F8 which is an issue in bright light.7. Pop UP Flash illuminates a large room and works well. Minimal red eye. Useful for fill flash. ADP-MAA Adapter allows use of any Sony Flash (not included) is not an advantage8. LCD display on top adds additional info, useful when camera is on a tripod. Button on top activates the illuminated display. Nice to have but unimportant.9. Separate control wheel for image compensation on top. Allows exposure compensation from -3 to +3 in 1/3 increments. It's very easy to reach and use.10. All buttons seem perfectly spaced, very easy to reach and activate. Finger placement seems almost perfect.11. Most controls can have different functions set for them. There are two custom settings and the camera has many scene settings. Buttons can have functions reassigned.12. A perfect feel and great handling, excellent grip, easy to hold in one hand and not too heavy.13. Macro functions work well and focus is very easy to obtain. Image is magnified to check focus. The MF switch is placed near bottom of lens.14. Camera is perfect for video with inputs for mike and a headphone jack. This makes it perfect for HD and 4K video recording. Great sound display.15. Micro HDMI allows direct connection to display source for viewing 4K video or images.16. Wi-Fi enabled for limited control of some shooting functions and uploading images and video. It also includes NFC for connection to smartphone or Tablet.17. Bright 3 inch 1.3 MP LCD display is easily viewable in bright light. Can articulate up or down only. It's great for shooting overhead or Low to the ground.18. Good Battery life. Battery life is shone in percent left in number form and works with unbranded batteries. It uses the same battery as the RX1019. Lens hood is included. Standard 62 lens size easily fits lens protector or polarizer filters.20. Remote control through old fashioned opening on top of shutter? Old shutter release cables work fine. Wireless and wired remote control possible.21. Power zoom is slow but steady and quiet for video. Important for 4K See disadvantages22. Quick menu is very easy to navigate. If you own any RX100, this camera is a snap to operate.23. Excellent images up to 3200 ISO and slightly beyond.with a little loss of detail but it is usable and great in low light.24. 4K video at 100 mbs at 30fps, AVCHD with multiple settings MP4 recording too and both allow HD. Can record video and capture a still image too.25. Weather resistant but not fully weather sealed but covers are well sealed and solid construction. Separate SD slot.on side.26. Camera has level for horizon control and levels for controlling audio in video scenes. Easily viewed.27. Mechanical shutter up to 1/8000 and an Electronic shutter setting up to 1/16000 makes camera silent, no audible sound in video. Electronic shutter works up to maximum ISO.28. Excellent image stabilization. Allows sharp images at slower shutter speed and smooth video.29. Built in Neutral Density filter works up to 3 stops It works great in bright light and low F stop images. This is an extremely useful feature.30. High speed burst possible at lower MP31. Overall construction quality and feature set you expect in a premium camera.32. Sony customer support, easy to reach and will support problems.33. Retail pricing a little high but will fall when the RX10 iii indroduced.34. Slow motion and super slow motion add to functionality. (Not used yet)35. The RX10ii is a perfect do everything travel camera. It's best to buy and carry extra batteries and separate charger too.Bottom line for Sony RX10ii is a superb all in one camera with outstanding 4K video and is an excellent image taking camera. 4K video produces so much heat it can damage a plastic camera if used for very long videos but this camera can dissipate the enormous heat from 4K video can handle 4K for long periods, unlike the RX100iv which is more limited.What's not so great? No camera is perfect and the RX10 ii has some room for improvement. Sony is delivering with the announced RX10 iii with a bigger zoom at a higher price (choke).1. Camera is not weather sealed or weather proofed at all. It's well constructed but not moisture or dust proof. You need to treat this camera like any other. Avoid rain and if wet dry before using it again. It can handle light rain and moisture but not a lot.2. The Lens is extremely heavy, lots of beautiful glass and when fully extended it wobbles if you are moving quickly you notice the movement. I am unaware of lens movement except while moving.quickly. The loosening happened after much use. (Due to heavy lens)3. Sony uses a proprietary flash connection that requires an adapter for many Sony Flashes and another for non-Sony flashes. Sony flashes are good but expensive.4. LCD Display screen is sharp and movable but just for up and down shots, no swivel screen that allows selfie's. No touchscreen5. SD slot is quite narrow and reversed.. To remove SD card, you need to grab edges to remove. Some people complain about this. It's a little annoying but you get used to it.6. Supplied charger requires charging the battery in the camera. Solution: Buy Wasabi charger and batteries. They work fine in camera.7..Proprietary Flash shoe need adapter to use other flash units.8. Limited remote control and wireless capability. It's there but not comprehensive.9. You can add filters but not change lenses. WYSIWYG. However you do get a premium lens.10. Camera is close to the size of a small d SLR or MFT but lighter, is not pocket able at all.11. Supplied strap is too narrow to wear comfortably all day. Replace with wider one that will make camera feel comfortable using all day. Optech has a wide strap with cushion. Another good choice is a hand grip.12. Limited zoom to 200 but can be extended to 400 with clear zoom at lower quality.Please note that the weather resistant design is just marketing hype for quality camera. I wouldn't expose the RX10 to rain, dust or very moist conditions because the zoom lens is vulnerable. No camera with a built-in lens can be made water sealed unless the lens is fully enclosed in a housing. The camera could be used in a very light mist or rain if covered and the camera is allowed to fully dry before use again. Wet circuitry will fry if turned on when wet and is not covered in any warranty except if drop and spill coverage is purchased. A disposable woman's shower cap provides emergency protection and is easy to carry.I bought the Sony RX10 ii initially to try out the 4K and other new features. I found it matched or exceeded the usability and performance of the RX10 and FZ1000 and some my better cameras with kit lenses. It is a real joy to use. It's now is a favorite camera because it works great, is relatively light in weight and easy to use. It's perfect for travel and it is a great value for what it offers.. There are a lot of great camera choices out there to explore, for many this could be the perfect choice. It’s a bit pricey but it’s worth it.Update 10/2019Sony has released the RX10 III and IV and while these offer more zoom and some faster focusing, I still enjoy and I prefer using the RX 10 ii. It's still a great choice and good buy for imaging and 4K video and all around photography. I've used the RX10 IV and own the RX10 III but still think the RX10 II is the better model because of the constant F2.8 and ND filter. 24-200 is really a great range for most imaging/video. A perfect model!

I bought the RX10Mii camera mainly for the super slow motion feature, as I already have two Panasonic cameras that can take 4K video (a DMC-FZ1000 and a DMC-LX100). This feature is amazing, but the subject matter must be well lit and the video is not the best quality. And it's not for "spur of the moment" shooting. The camera has to be set up and then it has to prepare itself for a slow motion clip and this takes a few seconds. The thing that amazes me the most about it is that slow motion is simulated in the preview. For example, if you switch to that mode and point the camera at a rotating fan, you'll see the rotation in slow motion even before you start to record.4K video has been a disappointment for me so far, as I do not have any hardware capable of playing the video. I bought an Intel NUC i5 and a 4K monitor to see it, but it looks like I'm going to have to get an i7 or a computer with a better GPU. Nothing I have so far is capable of playing 4K video smoothly. I can't speak to comparisons of the 4K video between these cameras yet.I don't see much difference in quality between still pictures taken with the RX10 series (I had the original RX10 also) and the FZ1000. When I used an RX and the FZ1000 side-by-side, sometimes pictures from my Sonys looked better and sometimes vice-versa. I do think that the percentage of "keepers" taken in fully automatic modes has been greater with the FZ1000. Automatic modes are pretty good on these cameras.The FZ1000's longer reach and fully articulated LCD are big advantages. And I just recently upgraded my FZ1000 to new firmware that adds Panasonic's "4K photo" mode, which is very useful. I think this is more widely useful than the super slow motion of the RX10Mii because I can record very long video clips and then extract very good stills right in the camera. I could do this before the firmware upgrade with 16:9 4K videos, but the new feature allows recording video in any aspect ratio that the camera supports. And you can put markers in the video while recording that speed up returning to those moments later to find the frames that you want. It's a great alternative to burst mode when you're trying to capture moments with unpredictable timing.All of these cameras have built-in artistic effects that are interesting. I ignored them for a long time because I have photo editing software with much more powerful and varied features. But some of these features produce pictures that are really stunning. A picture that looks like a hand made drawing of a bland building can have more appeal that a photograph of the same thing, and some of Sony's effects are truly amazing.Sony's phone apps are primitive in comparison to Panasonic when it comes to controlling the cameras, and I find it much more difficult to connect my phones to Sony cameras. The NFC feature hardly ever works on my RX100Miii and I haven't even tried it on the RX10s. I sometimes like to put my cameras on poles so that I can elevate them way above my head. Having a full featured phone app is important for this. The limitations of the app and difficulties of connecting are problems with using my RX100 in this way. And the extra weight and higher cost of the RX10s have discouraged me from even trying one on a long pole.The RX10s built-in ND filter and weather-proof housings are big advantages in certain conditions, but for most situations outdoors I find the longer reach of the FZ1000 more compelling and it pushes me to take the FZ1000 with me more often.Sony cameras will not enable video recording at the best quality settings if the memory card has less than 32gb, no matter what the card speed is. The FZ1000 does not have this limitation.Sony's RX cameras can have features added through "camera apps" that one can download and install via a WiFi connection to the Internet. I haven't tried any of them yet, but there is one for time-lapse for $9.99. There are a couple of dozen apps available so far. The FZ1000 is limited to what's in the firmware but time-lapse is already included for free.Consumers who don't want to spend $800 or $1,300 on a 4K camera should look at the upcoming Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 with 4K video, a super-zoom constant F2.8 lens, an articulated touch screen, and WiFi for under $700. But it has a much smaller sensor.Sony DSC-RX10M II Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera

The media could not be loaded. I wanted to love this camera, it takes pretty good photos and the 4k video is good also, it just has one fatal flaw that prevents me from keeping it, i.e. the zoom motor is super loud and picks up on all the video, even when using an external mic. I guess if you have a sound guy with a boom pole you could use this, but just to run and gun it doesn't work for audio, unless you like videos that sound like R2D2 is operating the camera. Once Sony makes a silent zoom motor, or just uses a manual zoom then this camera will kick some butt, till then I'll have to keep looking for my sweet spot 4k camera.

Worst documentation of any camera I have ever purchased. Did not come with an instruction manual, just a skimpy tiny 43 page (two of which are blank!) booklet. You have to go online to find a manual and even that is not very good.Screen goes blank when shooting slow motion so you cannot see what you are shooting.Frame advance is gimpy and often just does not work.For $1300, they should have included a manual that shows you how to use the camera and made the camera easy to use. Worst camera experience in 20 years of shooting.