jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

I am a Fuji equipment fan and own the XT-3, The 18-55 kit lens, the 50 -140, and the 100-400 plus the 1.4 tc. I was considering upgrading to the the XT-5 to improve the auto focus.
Well, as I get up there in years, I leave for Costa Rica only with my Panasonic FZ1000 bridge camera.
I have been considering the Sony DSC RX 10 IV and would like to hear from people who have experienced this camera.
All advice will be appreciated, thank you.

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

You might want to mention the sony camera in your thread title.
As is it’s pretty generic. You have an hour I think from time of posting.
There are many fans of this camera who may want to assist you.
Best of luck.

jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

Thank you , I did, appreciate your help

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Excellent high end "bridge" camera, rated #1 by most reviews. I own one, it is my "don't feel like lugging a lot of gear" camera. And I own 10 dslr and mirrorless cameras, 5 bridge cameras of various ages and abilities. Not to mention some small shirt pocket size cameras of various ages, plus a correspondingly large collection of lenses, flashes and other accessories.

If I was in a position where I could only own one camera, it would definitely be in the running to be that camera.

Costa Rica, huh? Our daughter is part of a group of this year's (May) graduating class from the University Of Virginia Medical School and some Professors who have been in Costa Rica on a Medical Mission for over 2 weeks now. They get back in early May to have two weeks to prepare for graduation on the 21st. She just sent me some pictures, they got to play tourist during Holy Week.

Red6

You may want to consider renting one for a week or so. When I was considering buying one I rented one to check it out. It is a great camera and has a lot of great capabilities and features. The one issue I have with it is that it is a large camera. While the camera/lens combination replaces several lenses from wide to telephoto, it is still a fairly large camera to carry, especially if you are doing any walking and touring on foot. I would at least rent or borrow one to get the feel of it.

So, while it can eliminate the need to carry a camera with several lenses, it is still a lot to pack around. My wife and I do a lot of cruises and are often on excursions using buses and other transportation so you really do not want to be loaded down. I guess I have gotten used to my Sony RX100. Being so small, it fits in a small waist pack or even a pocket. But it does not have the capabilities of the RX10.

I decided not to purchase the RX10, mostly due to its size and weight, not its capabilities. For travel, I like my Sony RX100, small, fast and does what I need for travel. My other gear is a Canon mirrorless R10 with an 18-150 zoom. It is very light and does more than the RX100 but is still more than I like to carry all day long getting on and off buses.

But if I ever decide to simplify and reduce the overall amount of gear I have, the RX10 would be at the top of the list. Maybe by the the RX 10 v5 may be available!

RustyM

I moved from the FZ1000 to the RX10. I thought the FZ1000 was a good camera, but the RX10 is much better. I shoot wildlife and the 600mm (equivalent) vs 400mm reach is a major plus. Also, the RX10 handles higher ISOs much better. I wouldn’t hesitate to make the switch.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

I've owned mine for several years, and I think it's an EXCELLENT travel and hiking camera. It's light, versatile, and IQ right up there with the best in it's class.

jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

Thanks for your input, yes I am going to rent one, just didn't want to rent it to take to Costa Rica, because there will be a learning curve.
I do a lot of wildlife and BIF so want the reach and fast autofocus.

jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

Thank you for your input.

jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

Thank you, how is the auto focus compared to the Fz1000?

jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

Thanks for the input, yes 4th visit to Costa Rica, beautiful people and incredible wildlife.

Redrocks Loc: New Castle Indiana

I bought the Panasonic camera you mentioned. I have always been a fan of Sony, but wanted something lighter. I went to Costa Rica and the autofocus on the Panasonic was totally unacceptable. Almost all my images were worthless. I wish I had paid the extra and bought the Sony.

jimfullwood Loc: Sarasota, but Ex pat from UK

That's my feeling to, want something quicker.
Thanks for your input

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

I bought one in 2018 for a Danube River Cruise. Lugging 40 lbs. of Canon stuff was not an option. It was and still is terrific. If you decide to go that route, I suggest you purchase the Friedman manual and allow yourself time to become accustomed to the Sony menu system. Eventually, I sold my Canon equipment and use the Sony exclusively.
Mark

barrytex

I have a RX 10 and a RX 100M2. The 10 is an excellent camera with impressive zoom range. I use it mostly for birding and would do well if you are after wildlife photos in Costa Rica. It is not a small or light weight camera, but better than a lot of cameras with a telephoto lens attached.

The RX 100 is my go to camera for traveling and later models have moderate telephoto range. It is small and light weight.
Enjoy your trip with whichever camera you choose.