Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V

There’s stiff competition in the premium compact market, so can the RX100 V do enough to justify its price tag? Michael Topham tests Sony’s latest pocket rocket.

- Michael Topham

The lifecycle of different cameras varies considerably, and while it’s not uncommon to wait as long as four years for some DSLRs to be superseded by the next model, the waiting time in a compact series is usually much shorter. A good example is Sony’s RX100 series, which has presented five new models in as many years.

The original RX100 that surfaced in 2012 broke new ground in the way it became the first truly pocketable compact of its kind to squeeze a 1in-size sensor within its petite body – something that helps to give these types of cameras a distinct edge over smartphones and much more basic compacts with smaller sensors. To fight off competition from the likes of Canon and Panasonic, Sony has released the fifth member of its RX100 series, but does this latest model answer some of the criticisms we picked up on when we tested the RX100 IV last year?

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