I bought this camera a month or so ago, having 'ummed and aahed' for close to a year. I have a DSLR and a Micro 4/3 camera, but I wanted something I could literally shove in a pocket, but that would give good photos and allow me a good degree of control over the process (ie, aperture priority, etc, RAW capability.) I wanted to be able to take it on winter hikes and be able to whip it out to take quick (but, hopefully, decent photos). I have to say, I've not been disappointed in the camera. It really is very good - and clearly deserves its reputation as the best point and shoot you can buy (albeit at a price). The autofocus is superb, the zoom lens responsive and the dynamic range is pretty good, especially given the size of the sensor.
This is a very capable camera in a surprisingly small package. The rendering of jpegs is 'interesting' in that I've never seen jpegs edited in camera to such a degree (compared to the RAW file), but that's no issue. Will it replace my DSLR or my Lumix GX7? Of course not, but it does very well for such a small package. My gripes are the standard ones: why, oh why, do I have to pay extra to get a grip for the camera which could so easily have been included (and which I'd not have to glue on myself)? Why do I have to pay for a battery charger? Surely, it's not beyond the wit of Sony to include what are really essential items as standard? When you're paying over £600 for a camera (even £900 for the Mk VII!) you shouldn't have to lash out another £80 (the best prices I could get for the two) for what are really essential items!
Finally, what do I say about the 'Imaging Edge Mobile' app (for, amongst other things, transferring photos to your iPad and phone)? Shockingly bad? A complete waste of time? Utterly useless? All of the above! May be I've been spoilt by Panasonic's 'Image App', but, sweet Jesus, the Sony offering is dire! I connected my camera the first time I tried to use it. Since then, I have had nothing but wasted hours of frustration! If this is the best you can do, Sony, here's some advice: don't bother! It really is not fit for purpose. So, overall, the RX100M5A is a great camera, in my view, but with a little more generosity (adding those essential 'extras' as standard) and some effort into that bloody awful App it could be even better - and it shouldn't be that difficult to make it warrant five stars; at present, I can only give four.
