Whereas its closest competitors, the Canon G7 X and Canon G5 X make you choose between an electronic viewfinder (on the G5 X) and a truly pock-sized design (the G7 X), the RX100 IV incorporates a high quality viewfinder that retracts into the camera when it's not needed.

I owned the first generation RX100 and loved it as an alternative to my Canon 5d iii which I could carry everyday, put in my pocket at parties and take brilliant RAW images. I bought the mark 4 mainly for the viewfinder (which is super sharp and is better than the screen in bright light) and the...

Easy To Use; Fast Shutter Speed; Good Sized Screen; Great Resolution; Nice Features and Settings; Pop Up Viewfinder; Small; Super Slow Motion

Bad Battery Life; Short Zoom

Sony’s RX100 series of premium-quality compacts for enthusiasts has proven hugely popular and garnered worldwide acclaim. The RX100 IV is the fourth iteration, and like the model it replaces, has a stabilized Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* 24-70mm (equivalent) f1.8-2.8 zoom and pop-up EVF, but in place of...

Like its predecessor, the RX100 IV is expensive, but it's also the best compact camera you can buy.

1-inch; 20.1MP "stacked" CMOS sensor; Outstanding photos and videos; 4K and super-slow-motion modes; Improved EVF

Even pricier than before; Limited focal range; Mediocre battery life

The latest version of Sony's popular RX100 range of compact cameras, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV, features a brand new sensor design. It retains the same pixel count as its predecessor, at 20.1 million, but a new stacked Exmor RS design sees a DRAM memory chip attached to the sensor itself for...

I use this camera along with the Sony A7S for family and travel. 4k video is stunning. I use a light tripod where possible and the video is great. 4k codec is easy to edit in Premiere Pro. Slow motion clips although short look good.

The Sony RX100 IV is the fourth instalment in what has become our favourite compact camera series. Since its beginnings in 2012, it has given us pocket-friendly models that offer image quality good enough to satisfy high-end DSLR-wielders on those days when taking out a large camera just isn't on...

Pocketable size; Excellent shooting speed; Versatile video; Great image quality at lower ISOs

Intimidating price

Sony has updated its RX100 model every year, and with every update the price has inched higher. The latest model, the Cyber-shot RX100 IV ($949.99), is dangerously close to the $1,000 price point, a pretty extreme figure for a pocket-friendly compact camera .

Wide-aperture zoom lens; 1-inch image sensor; Strong low light performance; 16.1fps burst shooting; Customizable controls; Large, tilting LCD; Pop-up OLED EVF; Quick autofocus; Raw shooting support; Wi-Fi with NFC; Super slow-motion video; 4K recording

Expensive; Short zoom range; Omits hot shoe; External charger not included

Back in 2012 Sony redefined expectations for small cameras by fitting a large, high resolution 20.1-million-pixel 1-in sensor into the pocket-sized RX100. Every year since then, it has taken its advanced point-and-shoot compact and improved it for the better.

+ Impressive resolution for a camera so small; + Advanced video capabilities including 4K and slow motion recording; + 16fps continuous shooting; + Electronic shutter (allowing shutter speeds of up to 1/32000sec to be used; + Built-in Wi-Fi & NFC connectivity; + USB charging

Reduced battery life (280 shots; No touchscreen functionality; No rubberised handgrip; Small buttons

The improvements that have been made to the RX100 IV are centred around its new sensor. The repositioning of the high-speed circuitry has resulted in it being able to shoot faster and offer unique video capabilities such as high frame rate mode that allows you to record super slow motion footage.