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Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II

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Sony RX1R

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony RX1R
$2,399.99
14%
off
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Sony A7R II

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R II
$2,398.00
Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony RX1R is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sony A7R II is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor.
Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Sony RX1R is ranked #9 out of 46 Large Sensor Compact cameras with an overall score of 75 whereas Sony A7R II is ranked #3 out of 30 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 96.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony RX1R Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-06-26
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 35 mm f2.00 Prime Lens
  • 3″ Fixed Type Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 482g. 113 x 65 x 70 mm

Sony A7R II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-06-10
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 625g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7R Compare

Sony A7R II was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R III vs Sony Alpha A7R II
Sony Alpha A7R III vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R over Sony Alpha A7R II
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight 482 g vs 625 g 143 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area 35.65µm2 vs 20.33µm2 75% larger pixel area
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R II over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R
Wireless Connection Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Electronic vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution 42 MP vs 24 MP 75% more pixels
Number of Focus Points 399 vs 25 374 more focus points
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster shutter speed
Battery Life 290 shots vs 270 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth 26.0 vs 25.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 13.9 vs 13.6 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 3434 vs 2537 better High ISO performance
Price $2,398 vs $2,400 $2 cheaper
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R and Sony Alpha A7R II
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 24 MP vs 42 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 1.229k dots vs 1.229k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R and Sony Alpha A7R II
Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II. Sony RX1R is 14mm narrower and 31mm shorter than Sony A7R II but it is also 10mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony RX1R has a built-in lens but Sony A7R II doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7R II, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II.
Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony RX1R is significantly lighter (143g ) than the Sony A7R II which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A7R II, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II: Sensor Comparison

Sony RX1R has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony A7R II has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R II's sensor provides 18MP more than Sony RX1R's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Sony A7R II and Sony RX1R sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the RX1R and A7R II sensor size comparison.

Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II Sensor Size Comparison


Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony RX1R for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A7R II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
External Flash Shoe
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony RX1R for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony A7R II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony RX1R for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7R II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
External Flash Shoe
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
35 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
399 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
Read the details

Sony RX1R for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Compact Body
482g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
625g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Sony RX1R for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony A7R II for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Sony RX1R vs Sony A7R II: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony RX1R and Sony A7R II scores compare:

Sony RX1R
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #8 out of 44 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #119 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Sony A7R II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #5 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Sony A7R II is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony RX1R in all criterias except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Sony RX1R. Otherwise, Sony A7R II is the better camera overall.

Sony RX1R
Sony RX1R
$2,399.99
14%
off

Sony A7R II
Sony A7R II
$2,398.00

Sony A7R II vs Sony RX1R Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R Sony Alpha A7R II
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2013-06-26 2015-06-10
Body Type Large sensor compact SLR-style mirrorless
Price $2,399.99 $2,398.00
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 855.62mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 42 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 7974 x 5316
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 25 399
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony E
Number of Available Lenses n/a 83
Lens Focal Range 35 mm (1×) no lens
Max Aperture F2.0 no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic and Optical (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.78
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.00 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/4000s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 482g 625g
Dimensions 113 x 65 x 70mm 127 x 96 x 60mm
Battery Life 270 shots 290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 91 98
DxO Color Depth 25.0 26.0
DxO Dynamic Range 13.6 13.9
DxO Low Light ISO 2537 3434
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