ironman

I want to take pictures of birds…and night sky. Will p&s be enough, or do I need multiple lenses?

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

It can be done but is relatively difficult with such a camera. I would look at adding proper lenses to the system you have. If you do not have a proper system yet, I would look at a used Olympus/OM or Panasonic body coupled with a Olympus/OM, Panasonic, or one of the third party 4/3rds wide angle and telephoto lenses (5mm to 10mm at the widest end for astrophotography and 150mm to 600mm for telephoto).

A used OM E-10 or similar Panasonic and used Panasonic 7-14 f4 or used OM 8-25 f4 and maybe the OM or Panasonic 100-400 or OM 150-600. Add in a OM 14-150 for a very complete system.

User ID

Start with what you have and find out if you care to do more or not.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Based on my wife's experience with her RX10IV and mine with the Panasonic 100-400 lens on my Lumix, I think you might do very well with it. The RX10IV is not your father's P&S!

A difficulty with any long lens is getting the narrow field of view precisely directed at the target. Consider trying the Olympus EE-1 dot sight that fits the hotshoe of any camera that has one.

tropics Loc: NW Georgia

I agree. There is nothing difficult about a RX10iv. I have had one for several years and it is still my favorite camera and I own several other brands.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

the RX10 IV is capable of up to 24 fps shooting at ISO 12800, Balancing the imaging capabilities, the RX10 IV is also characterized by its 25x ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens, which spans an impressive 24-600mm equivalent focal length range and uses Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to minimize the effects of camera shake by up to 4.5 stops. Its optical design incorporates eight extra-low dispersion elements and six aspherical elements to control a variety of aberrations throughout the zoom range, and its f/2.4-4 maximum aperture range benefits working in low-light conditions.
But to answer your question, what you get out of this camera depends solely on how much time you spend mastering the controls and the capabilities of the camera to get images of birds and the night sky.
A 24mm can capture the night sky and a 600mm can capture wildlife.
And you can shoot either Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, or Shutter Priority.
Personally I like to shoot 90% in Manual and about 10% in Aperture Priority.
You should, with practice and experience, be capable of shooting the night sky and wildlife with this camera.
It is an EVERYTHING camera, and the fact that it is, it can do a decent job at everything but it is not a precise instrument for EVERYTHING. If you get my drift.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Concur, as a lot can be done with post-processing.
Smile,
JimmyT Sends
Best Wishes

jcboy3

You mean use what you have, and when you are disappointed with the results, go take pictures of something else.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

If you need a long range zoom the Sony RX10iv is great. It is not a P&S - it is a digital fixed single lens enthusiast camera, with all the attributes you could expect.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I have the Sony RX10 IV and an A7R V with Sony's FE200-600 lens. Both have their place. The RX10 IV is my grab-n-go camera and a whole lot lighter than the A7R V combo. The A7R V combo can be handheld but a lot easier to use from a tripod.

Both of the above can produce some darn nice wildlife pictures. The RX10 IV is not a low light camera. I use the A7R V for low light and astrophotography on a regular basis and it excels at it.

bwa

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

"It can be done but is relatively difficult with such a camera."

I found out the hard way that as cameras and lenses changed and got better, the only way to change the body or change the lens on an "all-in-one" is to sell the camera and buy a new one. Also, the sensor on the Sony RX-10iv is even smaller and more depth of field than a 4/3rds sensor. This also affects ISO and diffusion. Luckily, software is very good these days for both issues. But there is a strong chance imaging will require post processing especially with the astrophotography. And even as good as the Sony RX-10iv is for telephoto, individual lenses for a system will tend to be better both in focusing and imaging quality.

"I would look at adding proper lenses to the system you have."

User ID is correct. How much do you want to do and how much better do you want to do it. You may be able to buy, and even further upgrade, bodies and lenses and have more than you will with the Sony RX-10iv. Do not get me wrong. The Sony RX-10iv is a good camera with pros - and cons.

"If you do not have a proper system yet, I would look at a used Olympus/OM or Panasonic body coupled with a Olympus/OM, Panasonic, or one of the third party 4/3rds wide angle and telephoto lenses (5mm to 10mm at the widest end for astrophotography and 150mm to 600mm for telephoto)."

4/3rds has a bigger sensor with what could be less downsides than the Sony RX-10iv. Again, if you don't have a good system camera yet, I suggested a system that could meet your needs very well and still be cheaper (lighter and smaller) that full frame or APS-C. But if you already have a system, really consider UserID's suggestion.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

In terms of a package deal at a bargain price, the RX10iv is hard to beat. I have the RX10ii (24-200) which suits my photography. Over 13 years I have moved from Panny to Leica and now Sony - I think I have progressed, and am satisfied with the RX series.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

The RX10m4 is EXCELLENT for BIRDS - but NOT for night sky. You will need some more specialized camera/lens for night sky.