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Sony has released the fourth incarnation of its popular RX100 compact camera: the RX100 IV. Like its predecessors, the new camera promises to garner the support of plenty of underwater housing manufacturers as well as a healthy following of enthusiast shooters.

Aside from using the same 24–70mm equivalent f/1.8–2.8 lens as the RX100 III, the new camera features various upgrades in key areas. First, the RX100 IV employs a next-generation stacked 20.1-megapixel 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor, along with an attached DRAM memory chip to improve processing speed. Second, burst rate has been increased up to some 16fps. And third, the camera is now capable of shutter speeds of up to 1/32,000s.

The RX100 IV is no slouch in the video department either, with the ability to record 4K video using Sony’s XAVC S codec (30p, 25p, 24p). The caveat: you only get a maximum of five minutes of recording time when shooting 4K. The camera can also record at 240fps, 480fps, and 960fps (at up to 1,920x1,080 pixel resolution), which promises to be awesome for capturing critter action in super slow-motion.

Sony’s new flagship compact will be available in July with an MRSP of $949. Find out more on the RX100 IV’s product page.

At the same time as the RX100 IV release, Sony announced a new super-zoom camera, the RX10 II, packing a 24–200mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens. The $1,300 RX10 II has almost identical specs to the RX100 IV, except that it can record up to 29 minutes of 4K video. Visit the RX10 II’s product page for more information.

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