Sony RX0 packs a 1" sensor in the body of a rugged action cam

Besides the Xperias, Sony unveiled a curious new camera – meet the RX0. Yes, it’s part of the RX family and even uses the same 1” sensor as the venerable RX100 V. With a body that’s water, shock and crush-proof, you’d think that this is the best action camera yet. It measures 59.0 x 40.5 x 29.8 mm, compared to a GoPro Hero 5 Black at 61.7 x 44.4 x 24mm.

But Sony has bigger things in mind – the RX0 can be used in multi-camera setups to create bullet-time, time-slice and many other effects. Using the FA-WRC1M wireless commander, you can trigger up to 15 cameras simultaneously. If you decide to slum it, you can trigger up to 5 cameras over Wi-Fi (a firmware update coming in January will up that number).

The Sony RX0 has a 15.3MP Exmor RS sensor (1” stacked), BIONZ X precessor and a wide-angle Zeiss Tessar T* lens (24mm, f/4.0). It can shoot in RAW or JPEG and deliver up to 16fps burst.

The video recording capabilities are particularly impressive. It can record 960fps slow-motion like the XZ Premium, as well as 240fps at 1080p. There’s a microHDMI port for pros who want to use an external recorder. S-Log2 recording and User Bits would also be of interest (the first helps color grading, the second is an advanced time code for syncing multiple cameras).

The Sony RX0 is more than an action cam

The Sony RX0 is waterproof up to 10m, but if you’re serious about underwater shooting, then you can grab the special housing that can dive up to 100m depth. Even on dry land, you don’t need to be gentle – the camera can handle drops from up to 2m and can withstand a crushing force of 200kg.

There’s a 1.5” TFT screen on the back, though you’d probably find it easier to control the camera with a smartphone, from a computer (via USB) or with the wireless commander mentioned above (which is a whopping $350!).

You knew it was coming, so here it is – the RX0 will cost $700/CA$900 when it ships in October.