With a new 315-point phase-detection AF system, it also has the world's fastest autofocus at .05 seconds, matching the new A6500 mirrorless, the company claims. Sony has refreshed the 20.1-megapixel, one-inch Exmore RS CMOS sensor, adding a built-in RAM chip and larger buffer to speed things up.

There's also a new AF-A mode, letting the camera switch automatically between continuous and single-shot autofocus. As before, it has a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-70mm equivalent F/1.8-2.8 T lens with optical image stabilization. The pop-up 2.36 million dot OLED EVF is also unchanged, as is the max 12,800 ISO.

Sony doesn't shirk on video with its consumer cameras, and the RX100 V has 4K video with a full sensor readout, and up to 1000fps shooting, depending on the resolution. Sony says it can capture that rate, which is 40 times slower the regular speed, for twice as long as before. It's fair to say that the new model now matches or beats Panasonic's new LX10 in most areas, though the latter model has a slightly faster f/1.4 to 2.8 lens. Sony's new compact arrives in October to the US for $1,000 and hits Europe in November for €1,200.