Sony RX100 Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is a fixed lens compact camera that was officially introduced in June 2012 and is equipped with an one-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20 megapixel.

Is the Sony RX100 a good camera? The RX100 has a Camera Elo of 1604. This rating puts the RX100 below average of all travel zoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (one inch cameras), the RX100 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony RX100 is more than 11 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2012.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Sony RX100 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony RX100 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony RX100	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	240 g	330	n	Jun 2012	649	ebay.com
2.		Canon G9 X Mark II	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	206 g	235	n	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
3.		Canon G9 X	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	209 g	220	n	Oct 2015	529	ebay.com
4.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	999	ebay.com
5.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	549	ebay.com
6.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	799	ebay.com
7.		Sony RX10	129 mm	88 mm	102 mm	813 g	420	Y	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX100 II	102 mm	58 mm	38 mm	281 g	350	n	Jun 2013	749	ebay.com
9.		Sony NEX-5R	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2012	749	ebay.com
10.		Sony NEX-5N	111 mm	59 mm	38 mm	269 g	460	n	Aug 2011	699	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-C3	110 mm	60 mm	33 mm	225 g	400	n	Jun 2011	599	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony RX100 was launched in the US market at a price of $649. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check RX100 offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony RX100 features an one-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony RX100 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative 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	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
2.		Canon G9 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.9	12.5	522	65
3.		Canon G9 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.5	12.3	495	63
4.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
5.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
6.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
7.		Sony RX10	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.9	12.6	474	69
8.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
9.		Sony NEX-5R	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	910	78
10.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77
11.		Sony NEX-C3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	720/30p	22.7	12.2	1083	73

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The RX100 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the RX100 can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony RX100 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	none	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G9 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	8.2/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon G9 X	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	6.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
6.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Sony RX10	1440	Y	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony RX100 II	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Sony NEX-5R	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
10.		Sony NEX-5N	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
11.		Sony NEX-C3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	n	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the RX100 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection 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 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	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon G9 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon G9 X	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Sony RX10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Sony RX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony NEX-5R	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Sony NEX-5N	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony NEX-C3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

The RX100 has a zoom lens built in (10.4-37.1mm f/1.8-4.9), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 28 to 100mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the RX100 can be found in the free online Sony RX100 Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the RX100 in practical situations. 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. This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony RX100	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4/5	5/5	Jun 2012	649	ebay.com
2.		Canon G9 X Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
3.		Canon G9 X	3.5/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	529	ebay.com
4.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	999	ebay.com
5.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	549	ebay.com
6.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	799	ebay.com
7.		Sony RX10	5/5	+	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX100 II	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	749	ebay.com
9.		Sony NEX-5R	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2012	749	ebay.com
10.		Sony NEX-5N	3/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2011	699	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-C3	3/5	+ +	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	599	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check RX100 offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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