Sony RX1 has a
24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony RX1R II has a
42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features BIONZ X processor.
Sony RX1R II's sensor provides 18MP more than Sony RX1'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.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Sony RX1R II's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the RX1 and RX1R II sensor size comparison.
Sony RX1 and Sony RX1R II have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Sony RX1 and Sony RX1R II sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that RX1R II has a better overall score of 97, 4 points higher compared to RX1's score of 93.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Sony RX1 |
93 |
25.1 bits |
14.3 Evs |
2534 ISO |
Sony RX1R II |
97 |
25.8 bits |
13.9 Evs |
3204 ISO |