One of the biggest downsides to the otherwise stellar video performance on the Sony RX10 was its codecs. Simply put, they were not up to par with what other cameras are utilizing these days. Luckily, it appears Sony has heard cries for a better codec, and in a new firmware update, has added their high quality XAVC-S codec to the RX10.

Enables shooting 60p/30p/24p/120p movies in the XAVC S format that supports high bit rates  (1920×1080) 50p/25,(1280×720) 100p, (1920×1080) 60p/30p/24p,(1280×720) 120p

The above excerpt explains the improvements and Codec update in the firmware for the RX10. If you own an RX10 and would like to update to gain access to the nicer codec, you can find the download here.

To me, this is a great move on the part of Sony. Panasonic released their FZ1000, which matched the RX10 in many respects, and bested it with a 4K video recording resolution, while undercutting it on price. The first thing Sony did was lower the RX10 price, and now they are upgrading its video codec.

Great moves to try and limit the bleeding caused by the direct competition from the FZ1000. It will be interesting to see how else, if at all, Sony can improve on the RX10 through further firmware updates…

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What are your thoughts on this new firmware update? Do you agree that this is a smart move by Sony to strengthen their hold with the RX10? Leave a comment below!