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Sony A850 vs RX100 IV

The Sony Alpha A850 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in August 2009 and June 2015. The A850 is a DSLR, while the RX100 IV is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on a full frame (A850) and an one-inch (RX100 IV) sensor. The A850 has a resolution of 24.4 megapixels, whereas the RX100 IV provides 20 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications
Sony A850
versus
Sony RX100 IV
Sony A850   Sony RX100 IV
Digital single lens reflex Fixed lens compact camera
Sony A mount lenses 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8
24.4 MP – Full Frame sensor 20 MP – 1" sensor
no Video 4K/30p Video
ISO 200-3,200 (100 - 6,400) ISO 125-12,800 (80 - 25,600)
Optical viewfinder Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 922k dots 3.0" LCD – 1228k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
3 shutter flaps per second 16 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilizationLens-based stabilization
Weathersealed bodynot weather sealed
880 shots per battery charge280 shots per battery charge
156 x 117 x 82 mm, 895 g 102 x 58 x 41 mm, 298 g
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Check RX100 IV offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A850 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

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Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Sony A850 and the Sony RX100 IV. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Sony A850 vs Sony RX100 IV
Compare A850 versus RX100 IV top
Comparison A850 or RX100 IV rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony RX100 IV is considerably smaller (68 percent) than the Sony A850. It is worth mentioning in this context that the A850 is splash and dust resistant, while the RX100 IV does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the RX100 IV has a lens built in, whereas the A850 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

Concerning battery life, the A850 gets 880 shots out of its Sony NP-FM500H battery, while the RX100 IV can take 280 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-BX1 power pack. The power pack in the RX100 IV can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

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Body Specifications
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A850 156 mm 117 mm 82 mm 895 g 880 Y Aug 2009 1,999ebay.com
2.
 
Sony RX100 IV 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 298 g 280 n Jun 2015 999ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 6D Mark II 144 mm 111 mm 75 mm 765 g 1200 Y Jun 2017 1,999 amazon.com
4.
 
Canon G7 X 103 mm 60 mm 40 mm 304 g 210 n Sep 2014 699ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D500 147 mm 115 mm 81 mm 860 g 1240 Y Jan 2016 1,999ebay.com
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 139 mm 98 mm 87 mm 725 g 410 Y Jan 2017 1,999ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 137 mm 99 mm 131 mm 831 g 360 n Jun 2014 899ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A7C 124 mm 71 mm 60 mm 509 g 740 Y Sep 2020 1,799 amazon.com
9.
 
Sony A7 III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 610 Y Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
10.
 
Sony A99 II 143 mm 104 mm 76 mm 849 g 490 Y Sep 2016 3,199ebay.com
11.
 
Sony RX100 V 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 299 g 220 n Oct 2016 999ebay.com
12.
 
Sony A7 II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 599 g 350 Y Nov 2014 1,999ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A6000 120 mm 67 mm 45 mm 344 g 360 n Feb 2014 599ebay.com
14.
 
Sony RX100 III 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 290 g 320 n May 2014 799ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A99 147 mm 111 mm 78 mm 812 g 500 Y Sep 2012 2,799ebay.com
16.
 
Sony A77 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 732 g 470 Y Aug 2011 1,399ebay.com
17.
 
Sony A900 156 mm 117 mm 82 mm 895 g 880 Y Sep 2008 2,999ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The RX100 IV was launched at a lower price than the A850, despite having a lens built in. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Sony A850 features a full frame sensor and the Sony RX100 IV an one-inch sensor. The sensor area in the RX100 IV is 87 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 2.7. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the RX100 IV uses a more advanced image processing engine (BIONZ X) than the A850 (BIONZ), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Sony A850 and Sony RX100 IV sensor measures

With 24.4MP, the A850 offers a higher resolution than the RX100 IV (20MP), but the A850 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 2.41μm for the RX100 IV) due to its larger sensor. However, the RX100 IV is a much more recent model (by 5 years and 9 months) than the A850, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A850 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A850 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30.2 x 20.2 inches or 76.8 x 51.2 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24.2 x 16.1 inches or 61.4 x 41 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20.2 x 13.4 inches or 51.2 x 34.1 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony RX100 IV are 27.4 x 18.2 inches or 69.5 x 46.3 cm for good quality, 21.9 x 14.6 inches or 55.6 x 37.1 cm for very good quality, and 18.2 x 12.2 inches or 46.3 x 30.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Sony Alpha A850 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 3200, which can be extended to ISO 100-6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV are ISO 125 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-25600.

In terms of underlying technology, the A850 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the RX100 IV uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

A850 versus RX100 IV MP

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. Of the two cameras under review, the A850 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the RX100 IV (overall score 9 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 1 bits higher color depth, 0.4 EV of lower dynamic range, and 1.3 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Sony A850 Full Frame 24.4 6048 4032none23.812.2141579
2.
 
Sony RX100 IV 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.812.659170
3.
 
Canon 6D Mark II Full Frame 26.0 6240 41601080/60p24.411.9286285
4.
 
Canon G7 X 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p23.012.755671
5.
 
Nikon D500 APS-C 20.7 5568 37124K/30p24.014.0132483
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.913.080777
7.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.111.751764
8.
 
Sony A7C Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7340795
9.
 
Sony A7 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7373096
10.
 
Sony A99 II Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p25.413.4231792
11.
 
Sony RX100 V 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.812.458670
12.
 
Sony A7 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.913.6244990
13.
 
Sony A6000 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.113.1134782
14.
 
Sony RX100 III 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p22.412.349567
15.
 
Sony A99 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p25.014.0155589
16.
 
Sony A77 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.013.280178
17.
 
Sony A900 Full Frame 24.4 6048 4032none23.712.3143179
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The RX100 IV indeed provides for movie recording, while the A850 does not. The highest resolution format that the RX100 IV can use is 4K/30p.

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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the RX100 IV has an electronic viewfinder (2359k dots), while the A850 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the RX100 IV offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the A850 (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the A850 has a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.59x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A850, the Sony RX100 IV, and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
# image Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Sony A850optical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 3.0/s n Y
2.
 
Sony RX100 IV2359 n3.0 / 1228 tilting n 1/2000s 16.0/s Y Y
3.
 
Canon 6D Mark IIoptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 6.5/s n n
4.
 
Canon G7 Xnone n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/2000s 6.5/s Y Y
5.
 
Nikon D500optical Y3.2 / 2359 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n n
6.
 
Panasonic GH53680 n3.2 / 1620 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
7.
 
Panasonic FZ10002359 n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 12.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Sony A7C2360 n3.0 / 922 swivel Y 1/4000s 10.0/s n Y
9.
 
Sony A7 III2359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
10.
 
Sony A99 II2400 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
11.
 
Sony RX100 V2359 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/2000s 24.0/s Y Y
12.
 
Sony A7 II2400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
13.
 
Sony A60001440 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
14.
 
Sony RX100 III1440 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
15.
 
Sony A992359 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 6.0/s n Y
16.
 
Sony A772359 Y3.0 / 921 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s Y Y
17.
 
Sony A900optical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
padding

One feature that is present on the A850, but is missing on the RX100 IV is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The RX100 IV has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the A850 does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the RX100 IV is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The A850 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the RX100 IV uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A850 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the RX100 IV only has one slot.

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Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A850 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Sony A850Y- / ---mini2.0---
2.
 
Sony RX100 IV-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
3.
 
Canon 6D Mark IIYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY
4.
 
Canon G7 X-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
5.
 
Nikon D500Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0YYY
6.
 
Panasonic GH5Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
7.
 
Panasonic FZ1000Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
8.
 
Sony A7CYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2YYY
9.
 
Sony A7 IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
10.
 
Sony A99 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
11.
 
Sony RX100 V-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
12.
 
Sony A7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
13.
 
Sony A6000Ystereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
14.
 
Sony RX100 III-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
15.
 
Sony A99Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0---
16.
 
Sony A77Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
17.
 
Sony A900Y- / ---mini2.0---
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It is notable that the A850 has a hotshoe, while the RX100 IV does not. This socket makes it possible to easily attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A850 (unlike the RX100 IV) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the A850 and the RX100 IV have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The RX100 IV was replaced by the Sony RX100 IV, while the A850 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the A850 and RX100 IV can be found, respectively, in the Sony A850 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony RX100 IV Manual.

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Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Sony A850 or the Sony RX100 IV – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.


Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A850:

  • More detail: Offers more megapixels (24.4 vs 20MP) with a 11% higher linear resolution.
  • Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (9 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
  • Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (1.3 stops ISO advantage).
  • Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.59x).
  • Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
  • Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
  • More flexible: Can take a variety of interchangeable lenses, including specialty optics.
  • Longer lasting: Can take more shots (880 versus 280) on a single battery charge.
  • Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
  • Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
  • Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
  • Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2009).


Advantages of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV:

  • Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (BIONZ X vs BIONZ).
  • Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 4K/30p video.
  • More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
  • More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 98%).
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1228k vs 922k dots).
  • More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (16 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
  • Ready to shoot: Comes with an integrated lens, while the A850 requires a separate lens.
  • More compact: Is smaller (102x58mm vs 156x117mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
  • Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the A850).
  • Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
  • Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
  • Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
  • Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
  • More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
  • More modern: Reflects 5 years and 9 months of technical progress since the A850 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the RX100 IV is the clear winner of the contest (18 : 14 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

A850 14:18 RX100 IV

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A850 and the Sony RX100 IV place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Travel-Zoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A850 or the RX100 IV. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

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Expert Camera Reviews
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A8503/5....75/100..4.5/5 Aug 2009 1,999ebay.com
2.
 
Sony RX100 IV4.5/5+ +..85/1004/54.5/5 Jun 2015 999ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 6D Mark II4/5+4/580/1004.5/54/5 Jun 2017 1,999 amazon.com
4.
 
Canon G7 X4/5+ +..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2014 699ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D5005/5+ +4.7/591/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2016 1,999ebay.com
6.
 
Panasonic GH54.5/5+ +..85/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2017 1,999ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic FZ10004/5+ +..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2014 899ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A7C3.5/5..3.5/586/1004/54/5 Sep 2020 1,799 amazon.com
9.
 
Sony A7 III..+ +4.5/589/1005/55/5 Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
10.
 
Sony A99 II....4.5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2016 3,199ebay.com
11.
 
Sony RX100 V4.5/5+ +..83/1004/54.5/5 Oct 2016 999ebay.com
12.
 
Sony A7 II5/5+4/582/1004.5/55/5 Nov 2014 1,999ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A60005/5+4.5/580/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2014 599ebay.com
14.
 
Sony RX100 III5/5+ +..82/1004.5/55/5 May 2014 799ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A995/5....84/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 2,799ebay.com
16.
 
Sony A775/591/100..81/100..5/5 Aug 2011 1,399ebay.com
17.
 
Sony A900..+ +..+ +4.5/55/5 Sep 2008 2,999ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications: Sony A850 vs Sony RX100 IV

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Sony A850 Sony RX100 IV
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Fixed lens compact camera
    Camera Lens Sony A mount lenses 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8
    Launch Date August 2009 June 2015
    Launch Price USD 1,999 USD 999
    Sensor Specs Sony A850 Sony RX100 IV
    Sensor Technology CMOS BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor 1" Sensor
    Sensor Size 35.9 x 24.0 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
    Sensor Area 861.6 mm2 116.16 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.2 mm 15.9 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x 2.7x
    Sensor Resolution 24.4 Megapixels 20 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6048 x 4032 pixels 5472 x 3648 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 5.94 μm 2.41 μm
    Pixel Density 2.83 MP/cm2 17.18 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video 4K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 200 - 3,200 ISO 125 - 12,800 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 6,400 ISO 80 - 25,600 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 79 70
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 23.8 22.8
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.2 12.6
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 1415 591
    Screen Specs Sony A850 Sony RX100 IV
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 98% 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x 0.59x
    Viewfinder Resolution 2359k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    Rear LCD Size 3.0inch 3.0inch
    LCD Resolution 922k dots 1228k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen Tilting screen
    Shooting Specs Sony A850 Sony RX100 IV
    Focus System Phase-detect AF Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking FeatureFocus Peaking
    Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) 1/8000s 1/2000s
    Continuous Shooting 3 shutter flaps/s 16 shutter flaps/s
    Electronic Shutterno E-Shutterup to 1/32000s
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilizationLens-based stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF or MS cards MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots Single card slot
    Connectivity Specs Sony A850 Sony RX100 IV
    External Flash Hotshoe no Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket no PC Sync
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI micro HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication no NFC NFC built-in
    Body Specs Sony A850 Sony RX100 IV
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed bodynot weather sealed
    Battery Type Sony NP-FM500H Sony NP-BX1
    Battery Life (CIPA)880 shots per charge280 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging no USB charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 156 x 117 x 82 mm
    (6.1 x 4.6 x 3.2 in)
    102 x 58 x 41 mm
    (4.0 x 2.3 x 1.6 in)
    Camera Weight 895 g (31.6 oz) 298 g (10.5 oz)
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    Check A850 offers at
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    Check RX100 IV offers at
    ebay.com

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