Back From the Dead: My Sony RX10 Story

Back From the Dead: My Sony RX10 Story

July 2026, Carl Garrard

Until yesterday my original RX10 that I purchased in 2014 was dead to me. In my mind I deemed it as near junk, gathering dust in the corner of a closet waiting to be sold "as is" on eBay or to KEH. Batteries dead, sitting on top of its original box for a few years. Why? Well this Sony RX10 was plagued by a well documented manufacturing defect that allowed fungus to grow under the big front element. This is the only camera (or lens) I've ever owned that has had this issue. Mind you, this is the same RX10 I used to document some of my solo Sierra Nevada backcountry project, the same one I used to take precious images of my daughter when she was only 3 yrs old. From 2014 to 2021 I made thousands of images with this camera. 

In early 2021 I had it converted to full spectrum infrared. Months after I had it converted, I noticed that it developed the fungus issue in the lens, seemingly overnight, and I stopped using it. I put it in my closet on top of its box and there it sat for years. In the proverbial camera graveyard.

Zoom in on the fungus, it's a rather interesting species of life when you look at it closely. Yeah, it's ugly too.

The conversion itself had nothing to do with the issue, as many RX10 cameras (all of the series) had developed this issue that weren't converted. This is well documented online by many users. In my mind the camera was toast. Wasn't worth servicing (if it even could be serviced), wasn't worth trying to fix it myself. At least in my mind. At some point over the last few years I completely forgot it was there. 

Lately, I had been planning for the next camera to have fully converted to full spectrum IR. I go through phases with near infrared photography and the bug caught me again. After much deliberation, I finally decided that a mirrorless camera would probably be the most logical choice. 

But just before I began the process of sending one in to Spencer's Camera (the best in the business), for whatever reason, I remembered that my old trusty crusty RX10. The one I had converted to full spectrum. Keeping my expectations realistic, I thought, why not take it out of the closet, clean it up, charge up the batteries (if they were even good anymore), and see just how bad the images would look with all that fungus on the front element. 

After charging one of the batteries in the camera, I turned on the RX10 and a few seconds later (I thought it was dead) it surprisingly came to life. I had forgotten that Sony cameras are notorious for taking a long time to boot up once they have been sitting off for a while. I smiled knowing this old camera still had life in it.

There, a 950nm UV filter on the front and what fungus? :)

Turns out one my three batteries was completely dead (headed to disposal), but two of them were in working order, one seemed like new (surprisingly), and the other seemed to be good enough at least for an emergency backup. After the good battery was fully charged, I put on a 950nm b/w filter and headed outside to see just how bad the images would look. 

To my surprise the images showed zero effects from the fungus- it turns out this is mostly just a cosmetic issue unless it gets to be really really bad. I decided that I would do a thorough cleaning of my RX10, add a "red" soft shoe release (to denote its infrared conversion, and match what little red lettering was on the camera...clever right?).  

I was excited that this little guy refused to die, but even more excited that I had a fully functioning IR camera again. I've made a lot of memories with this camera over the years. It was never my main camera but it did serve as a nice niche tool for some photo projects, and I did use it frequently for the first couple years I bought it as a normal every day camera.  So I'm really glad it's not dead or useless as I thought it would be.

Technically there's a lot to like about the original RX10- with a really good 24-200mm f/2.8 lens to start. Then add magnesium/metal build quality with some level of environmental sealing to ward out the elements (I've never had the courage to shoot with it in the rain, even a sprinkle), a nice medium/compact size, a decent EVF and tilting rear LCD, and many in-camera still photography and video features (slow motion video for one!). 

I always thought the threaded shutter release was an interesting addition- a very modern looking camera that acted much like a computer, with a really old analog throwback feature sprinkled in- almost like it doesn't belong there. But I absolutely love it! 

In many ways it's a do it all little digicam with a very good sensor (that never had issues with dust adhesion btw) that punched way above it's weight. I have a 30'x45" print of the below image of Convict Lake on stand out sitting right above my headboard in my room. It's definitely capable of pro level images on print.

I call this one the rule breaker. Late morning/mid-day shot, no clouds, centering the composition- no rule of thirds or drama. Just pure color and contrast in the glory of full sun.

I found the RX10 to be a great little lightweight companion on long arduous hikes back into the Sierra Nevada mountains. It packed a punch much lighter and smaller than a camera should ever be able too. I've made plenty of images that I sold with this camera and never once questioned the quality of it's output.

I remember this solo trip vividly on the John Muir trail. 

On the way to the trail I pulled over in Lone Pine to grab this shot of the sunrise... Whitney can be seen in the background.

This shot of Mt. Morrison is also a print on my wall in the living room. 

Crowley lake on my way back the next day after the long John Muir trail hike n camp. Sweep panorama isn't a gimmick feature, it actually works.

Now back to my personal RX10, there was still one more thing about it that needed to be fixed. When I had it converted, I had Spencer's remove those irritating camera metal post style strap lugs on either side of the camera (in case the opening image of the camera looked odd to you, this is why). I am not a fan of camera straps and even less of those post lugs that dig into the shooting hand. 

I did this because when I hike, I carry my camera in my right hand almost 100% of the time- I'm about being ready to shoot as quickly as possible, packing and unpacking a camera is a no-go for me, and I hate dangling cameras around my neck bouncing around on the trail. But doing that modification left two open holes in the camera. 

I didn't really care, other than the eyesore that it presented, since the lens and sensor unit are sealed separate from the body. However, it was still an eye sore that needed remedied. So today, just before I started writing this article, I filled in the two holes with Permatex silicon sealant, which worked perfectly. 

Bingo, holes filled up. Cant' even tell there were supposed to be posts there. That modification made it so much more comfortable for my right hand on long hikes without a metal post digging into a bone into my right hand.

This concluded the last remaining item that needed attention on my old RX10. After that, I ordered a couple more 62mm filters for the little RX10- A hot mirror filter from Kolari Vision so I could do normal color photography with it, and an adjustable 530nm-720nm IR cutoff filter so I could alternate IR looks on the fly! I don't believe these two filters existed on the market when I first had the RX10 modified- perhaps Kolari Vision had one, but I hadn't heard of it.

This was shot yesterday. I plan on getting really creative this go around!

So on to the next era with the little RX10 that refuses to die. I have no idea how much longer it will survive but it does have a second life, at least for now. I may have to buy a third party battery at some point again, but that should be all I need to do until it's gone. 

Too bad I didn't get the playmemories app that allowed for time lapse in camera before Sony cancelled those, but I can always use an external intervalometer for it if I get the urge to do IR timelapse videos. I'm excited to get creative again with experimental full spectrum IR photography, perhaps more than ever!

I'll end this article this way. 

The original RX10 series are probably my favorite digicams of all time if I were forced to make a decision on that. Especially so with the first two versions. It's really a shame what Sony removed on the new RX10V, it's a real disaster in my opinion. Some of the most endearing and genuinely helpful design aspects of the original RX10 series cameras have been wiped out of it's design.

Helpful items such as the pop up flash, af assist lamp, high speed HFR video settings, top mounted LCD (and backlight), threaded shutter release, on/off switch around the shutter release, legacy picture effect modes, DMF setting on a dial, and A-FA setting all gone. So if those things matter, it's best to grab a used model for yourself.

With those changes and omissions, they should have called the new version a completely new name, is how I see it. Sony will not entice me to buy this new version: it's a much larger, heavier, much more expensive version of a camera that was neutered so terribly. There are some improvements with the new model, sure, but to me they are not worth the tradeoffs at any cost. 

Maybe Sony (and other manufacturers) should start reading more blog articles and comments from photographers on what they really want and stop cost cutting and price gouging on new camera designs. They might sell more cameras instead of photographers looking at the used market ;).

Stay focused (and long live my little RX10!).

-Carl