Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 / LX15 vs Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV — Which Is Better?

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 / LX15 and the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV are fixed-lens pocket compacts. Both pair a 1-inch CMOS sensor with 20 megapixels, and both use non-interchangeable lenses, so the lens each ships with is the lens you keep. The Sony arrived in 2015 and the Panasonic in 2016.

Measurements differ only slightly. The Sony is the smaller and lighter camera at 102 x 58 x 41 mm and 298 g, against 106 x 60 x 42 mm and 310 g for the Panasonic. That 12 g keeps both cameras firmly in the jacket-pocket class.

The RX100 IV is the better pick if you want eye-level framing, because it has a built-in electronic viewfinder with 2,359,296 dots while the LX10 offers none. On a bright beach or in midday street light, the viewfinder lets you compose with the camera at your eye instead of leaning on the rear screen alone.

For action, the Sony's 16 fps continuous rate captures more frames of a moving subject than the Panasonic's 10 fps. The LX10 answers with a shorter 1/4000 second shutter limit for freezing motion in strong light, plus 49 autofocus points against 25 for placing focus precisely. Both offer in-body stabilisation and the same standard ISO range of 125 to 12800.

Either camera can serve as your holiday 4K camera: both offer 4K as their maximum video resolution, and maximum video frame rates reach 60 fps on each. Both write MPEG-4 or MOV files, and neither includes a built-in timelapse mode.

Touch focusing and wireless sharing come as standard on both: each has a 3-inch touchscreen that flips for selfies and waist-level shooting, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for sending images to a phone. Each also carries a built-in flash for dim interiors.

The rear screens differ in detail resolution. The RX100 IV displays 1,228,000 dots against 1,040,000 on the LX10, 18.2 percent more, so playback shows finer detail when checking focus on a shot. Neither camera has GPS for geotagging, weather sealing, or support for an external flash.

The LX10 is easier to keep powered on the road because it supports USB charging, while the RX100 IV does not. A power bank lets you top up the Panasonic between stops without carrying a separate charger.

The Panasonic accepts UHS-II SD cards, which support faster card writes when recording long 4K clips, while the Sony is limited to UHS-I SD plus Memory Stick Duo formats. Sony's battery is rated at 280 shots against 260 for the Panasonic, and both cameras have a single card slot.