Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV compact camera launched in India - Consumer electronics giant, Sony, has launched Cyber-shot RX100 IV compact camera in India with a number of innovative features, perfect for photographers.

The camera has been integrated with 1-inch CMOS image sensor. Unlike conventional image sensors, this 20.2-megapixel sensor is built by putting layers on top of each other. This allows additional space behind each individual pixel for high-speed signal processing circuitry, for faster data readout.

The device has an attached memory chip, which acts as a buffer to store data, therefore the Bionz image processor can handle the data at smoother pace. The result is five times the readout speed of its predecessor.

The Cyber-shot RX100 IV can capture slow-motion video at up to 960 frames per second (fps), 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) video capture and operate at an ultra-fast shutter speed of 1/32000 second.

Moreover, the resolution of its electronic viewfinder (EVF) has gone up to 2.36 million dots from 1.44 million dots and the burst speed has also increased up to 16fps from 10fps.

The Mark IV looks like the previous model. The aluminum frame feels good to hold. It has no contoured grip but its light weight makes it ideal for travel and street photography.

The company has combined two automatic modes in Mark III - intelligent auto and superior auto - into one automatic mode in this model. It also added the high frame rate (HFR) video mode.

In Manual mode, users have to use the control ring to adjust the rear dial and aperture size for shutter speed. In Aperture-Priority mode, the rear dial and control ring both control the aperture settings.

A rear clickable dial will allow quick access to Drive, Flash and other setting changes. A control ring around the lens barrel can be configured for lens zooming or other settings through the camera's menu.

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is sharp and bright, particularly useful when shooting in bright sunlight, and the 3-inch display can be tilted down by 45 degrees and up by 180 degrees.

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV starts and shuts down in 1.6 seconds - slightly faster than its predecessor. Zooming from 24mm to 70mm takes 2 seconds. Autofocusing (AF) is almost instant in bright light. In dim light, it takes 1.1 seconds to achieve focus with AF assist light.

Photos are sharp and crisp and have nice saturation across the entire focal range. However, the edges appear to be a bit soft and chromatic aberration is visible in high contrast scenes.

It must be noted that image noise performance is similar to its predecessor, with no noise artefacts until ISO 800. Only at ISO 1,600 are noise artefacts visible.

The photos captured at ISO 3,200 are good for small prints such as 3R size. But anything above ISO 6,400 might show up many visible noise artefacts during printing.