Shrink for yourself
This multi-lens marvel is a great starting point for vloggers and photographers – but like the bigger Xperia 1 IV, it’s not going to do everything for you
[ Words Tom Morgan-Freelander ]
£949 / bit.ly/Xperia5iv
The rest of the phone world might be happy to put their cameras in the hands of algorithms and AI, but Sony is going in the opposite direction. The latest Xperias are a content creator’s dream, full of manual modes and physical controls… and the Xperia 5 IV is no exception.
It’s a flagship-lite, with most of the same killer hardware as the (very pricey) Xperia 1 IV, only squeezed into a more compact 6.1in form factor. While it goes without that phone’s 4K display and continuous zoom lens, it’s packing an almost identical set of rear cameras: a 24mm main snapper, 60mm telephoto and 16mm ultrawide, all with 12MP sensors. The first two also get optical image stabilisation to help cut down on camera shake. That should be just the ticket for amateur filmmakers and photography hobbyists.