Sony has announced its latest bridge camera today, the Cyber-Shot RX10, which offers a powerful zoom lens and numerous DSLR-style options, minus the need for a bag of lenses.

The powerful yet compact snapper crams in a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm lens (equivalent) with a constant f/2.8 aperture. It sounds a lot like the Panasonic Lumix FZ200, albeit in a body size typical of a compact system or DSLR camera. 

Under the hood the RX10 has a 20.2 megapixel 1-inch back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and Bionz X processor, the very same as you'll find in the Cyber-shot RX100 II camera. Big lens, big sensor, the RX10 has some seriously big features.

READ: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II

The new Bionz X processing engine is also on board, said to be three times faster than its predecessor. Sony says it offers "new detail reproduction", alongside area-specific noise reduction and diffraction-reducing smarts.

The RX10 can shoot near or far, including subjects as close to 3cms from the lens when at the widest-angle setting. And thanks to the Direct Drive SSM lock-on auto-focus can accurately track targets on the move, while Eye AF ensures the subject's eyes are always in sharp focus, even when not looking directly at the camera. It's like face detection bumped up a notch.

Video can be shot in Full HD at a 25p or 50p frame rate with control over all exposure modes. An HDMI output means your can watch anything shot directly on a TV or monitor and, if you're all high-end, then an optional XLR adapter is available for an an external mic.

The RX10 employs a 3-inch, tiltable LCD screen and comes with an eye-watering 1,228,000-dot resolution, while the OLED viewfinder up top pushes out an even more impressive 1,444,000 dots.

Wi-Fi and NFC are built-in, so your mobile can be used as a screen or to shoot remotely.

An aperture ring, which can be switched between clicking or free-moving feedback options, can also be used to adjust settings. There are also seven customisable buttons and a top-mounted LCD for instant confirmation of exposure and other settings.

The Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 will be on sale in the UK from mid-November. Pricing has not yet been announced.