Sony RX100 II vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II and the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in June 2013 and February 2019. Both the RX100 II and the FZ1000 II are fixed lens compact cameras that are equipped with an one-inch sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 20 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony RX100 II		Panasonic FZ1000 II
Fixed lens compact camera		Fixed lens compact camera
28-100mm f/1.8-4.9		25-400mm f/2.8-4.0
20 MP – 1" sensor		20 MP – 1" sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-12,800 (100 - 25,600)		ISO 125-12,800 (80 - 25,600)
Viewfinder optional		Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1229k dots		3.0" LCD – 1240k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)		Swivel touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
350 shots per battery charge		350 shots per battery charge
102 x 58 x 38 mm, 281 g		136 x 97 x 131 mm, 810 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II and the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Sony RX100 II and the Panasonic FZ1000 II. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic FZ1000 II is considerably larger (123 percent) than the Sony RX100 II. Moreover, the FZ1000 II is substantially heavier (188 percent) than the RX100 II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the RX100 II nor the FZ1000 II are weather-sealed.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony RX100 II	102 mm	58 mm	38 mm	281 g	350	n	Jun 2013	US$ 749	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	136 mm	97 mm	131 mm	810 g	350	n	Feb 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
3.		Canon G7 X	103 mm	60 mm	40 mm	304 g	210	n	Sep 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
4.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	US$ 1 049	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic FZ1000	137 mm	99 mm	131 mm	831 g	360	n	Jun 2014	US$ 899	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic FZ2500	138 mm	102 mm	135 mm	915 g	350	n	Sep 2016	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	US$ 999	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic ZS200	111 mm	65 mm	45 mm	340 g	370	n	Feb 2018	US$ 799	amazon.com
9.		Ricoh GR	117 mm	61 mm	35 mm	245 g	290	n	Apr 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	240 g	330	n	Jun 2012	US$ 649	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	US$ 799	ebay.com
12.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX100 VII	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	302 g	260	n	Jul 2019	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
15.		Sony ZV-1	105 mm	60 mm	44 mm	294 g	260	n	May 2020	US$ 799	ebay.com
16.		Sony ZV-1 II	106 mm	60 mm	47 mm	292 g	290	n	May 2023	US$ 899	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The RX100 II was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 17 percent) than the FZ1000 II, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an one-inch sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 20 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the RX100 II and the FZ1000 II have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the FZ1000 II is much more recent (by 5 years and 7 months) than the RX100 II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II are ISO 125 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with BSI-CMOS (Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
2.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.4	546	65
3.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
4.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
5.		Panasonic FZ1000	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	11.7	517	64
6.		Panasonic FZ2500	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	538	70
7.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
8.		Panasonic ZS200	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	449	64
9.		Ricoh GR	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.5	972	78
10.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
11.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
12.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
13.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
14.		Sony RX100 VII	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.8	12.4	418	63
15.		Sony ZV-1	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.6	669	66
16.		Sony ZV-1 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.3	12.9	965	67
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the FZ1000 II provides a better video resolution than the RX100 II. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the FZ1000 II has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the RX100 II relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the RX100 II can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the FDA-EV1MK. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony RX100 II, the Panasonic FZ1000 II, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony RX100 II	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1240	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon G7 X	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	6.5/s	Y	Y
4.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Panasonic FZ1000	2359	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Panasonic FZ2500	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
8.		Panasonic ZS200	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Ricoh GR	optional	n	3.0 / 1230	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
10.		Sony RX100	none	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony RX100 VII	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	Y	1/2000s	90.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony ZV-1	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
16.		Sony ZV-1 II	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The FZ1000 II has a touchscreen, while the RX100 II has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the FZ1000 II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Panasonic FZ1000 II has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Both the RX100 II and the FZ1000 II have zoom lenses built in. The RX100 II has a 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9 optic and the FZ1000 II offers a 25-400mm f/2.8-4.0 (focal lengths in full frame equivalent terms). Hence, the Panasonic provides a wider angle of view at the short end, as well as more tele-photo reach at the long end than the Sony. The RX100 II offers the faster maximum aperture.

The RX100 II writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the FZ1000 II uses SDXC cards. The FZ1000 II supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the RX100 II cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II and Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony RX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon G7 X	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Panasonic FZ1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Panasonic FZ2500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Panasonic ZS200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Ricoh GR	Y	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Sony RX100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony RX100 VII	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony ZV-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony ZV-1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the FZ1000 II has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The RX100 II does not feature such a mic input.

The FZ1000 II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the RX100 II has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the RX100 II was succeeded by the Sony RX100 III. Further information on the features and operation of the RX100 II and FZ1000 II can be found, respectively, in the Sony RX100 II Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic FZ1000 II Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony RX100 II and the Panasonic FZ1000 II? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II:

• Better light gathering: Has a lens with a wider maximum aperture (f/1.8 vs f/2.8).
• More compact: Is smaller (102x58mm vs 136x97mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 529g or 65 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (17 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in June 2013).

Reasons to prefer the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 10 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Wider view: Has a wider-angle lens that facilitates landscape or interior shots.
• More tele-reach: Has a longer tele-lens for perspective compression and subject magnification.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 7 months of technical progress since the RX100 II launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the FZ1000 II is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 6 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony RX100 II and the Panasonic FZ1000 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Superzoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the RX100 II or the FZ1000 II. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony RX100 II	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	US$ 749	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	..	..	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
3.		Canon G7 X	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
4.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	US$ 1 049	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic FZ1000	4/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	US$ 899	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic FZ2500	..	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2016	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 999	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic ZS200	..	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 799	amazon.com
9.		Ricoh GR	5/5	..	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4/5	5/5	Jun 2012	US$ 649	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	US$ 799	ebay.com
12.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX100 VII	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	4/5	5/5	Jul 2019	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
15.		Sony ZV-1	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2020	US$ 799	ebay.com
16.		Sony ZV-1 II	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	83/100	3.5/5	4.5/5	May 2023	US$ 899	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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