Hands on: Sony QX10 review

Has Sony found the solution to the declining compact camera sales?

What is a hands on review?
Sony QX10
Is it a lens? No! It's a fully functional camera

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Sony QX10 sample image

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Vibrant colours are captured well by the QX10, being natural and punchy without being over the top.

Sony QX10 sample image

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Shooting in Twilight Mode (which the camera chooses automatically) means that the camera will fire off three sequential shots to be combined automatically to reduce noise.

Sony QX10 sample image

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One of the most fun aspects of the QX10 is being able to control it remotely, allowing you to leave it on a table and fire the shutter from a smart phone or tablet up to 10 metres away.

Sony QX10 sample image

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At last, a solution for taking photos of cocktails in dimly lit bars so you can share them on Instagram has been found.

Sony QX10 sample image

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The QX10 has coped well with the mixed and dark lighting here, but some highlights have been blown out on the illuminated lettering.

Sony QX10 sample image

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Examining images taken with the full telephoto zoom at 100% reveals some image smoothing and loss of detail, but they are fine for sharing online or small printing sizes.

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Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar. 

What is a hands on review?

Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.