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Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Sony RX100 VA

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony RX100 VA
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Canon G9 X

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Canon G9 X
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Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing RX100 VA and G9 X, two Large Sensor Compact cameras from Sony and Canon. Sony RX100 VA was introduced to market in July 2018 and Canon G9 X was launched in October 2015. As you can see, G9 X is 3 years older than RX100 VA. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony RX100 VA Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-07-13
  • 20MP - 1″ BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 80 - 25600)
  • 24-70 mm F1.8-2.8 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 24.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 1000fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 299g. 102 x 58 x 41 mm

Canon G9 X Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-10-12
  • 20MP - 1' BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • 28-84 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 209g. 98 x 58 x 31 mm

Canon G9 X was replaced by Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II vs Canon PowerShot G9 X
Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 VA00 over Canon PowerShot G9 X
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Tiltable Flash
Yes vs No Bounce built-in flash off the ceiling
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
LCD Screen Resolution
1.229k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
24.0fps vs 6.0fps 18 fps faster
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 28mm 4 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
1.80 vs 2.00 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
2.80 vs 4.90 faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage
10.2m vs 6.0m 4.2m longer range
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Built-in ND Filter
3.0-stops vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
CHECK RX100 VA PRICE


Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G9 X over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 VA00
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Weight
209 g vs 299 g 90 g lighter
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele
84mm vs 70mm 14 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
3x vs 2.9x more flexible focal coverage
CHECK G9 X PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 VA00 and Canon PowerShot G9 X
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting
24.0fps vs 6.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 VA00 and Canon PowerShot G9 X
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony RX100 VA has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 41 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.61″) and weighs 299 g (0.66 lb / 10.55 oz) (including batteries). Canon G9 X has external dimensions of 98 x 58 x 31 mm (3.86 x 2.28 x 1.21″) and weighs 209 g (0.46 lb / 7.37 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X. Sony RX100 VA has the same height with Canon G9 X. On the other hand, with a width of 102mm, it is 4 wider and also with a thickness of 41mm, it is 10mm thicker than Canon G9 X.

Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X.

Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X.
Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G9 X is significantly lighter (90g ) than the Sony RX100 VA which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

RX100 VA
G9 X
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

RX100 VA
G9 X
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) nor Canon PowerShot G9 X provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Sony RX100 VA features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Canon G9 X has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to RX100 VA.
Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Sony RX100 VA's sensor is 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) and Canon G9 X's sensor is 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ).

Since Canon G9 X's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Sony RX100 VA.

Below you can see the RX100 VA and G9 X sensor size comparison.

Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X Cameras


Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X Lens Specs Comparison

Sony RX100 VA features a 24-70 mm F1.8-2.8 2.9x zoom lens whereas Canon G9 X features a 28-84 mm F2.0-4.9 3x zoom lens.

Sony RX100 VA has 4mm wider coverage than the Canon G9 X. At f1.80, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Canon G9 X has 14mm longer telezoom reach than the Sony RX100 VA. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Sony RX100 VA is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

RX100 VA
G9 X
Widest - Canon G1 X II
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

RX100 VA
G9 X
Longest - Panasonic ZS200
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

RX100 VA
G9 X
Fastest - Leica X (Typ 113)
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

RX100 VA
G9 X
Fastest - Panasonic LX10
Average
What types of Photography are Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony RX100 VA and Canon G9 X 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 RX100 VA for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G9 X for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony RX100 VA for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon G9 X for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony RX100 VA for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G9 X for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 24.0fps
315 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
70 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
84 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Sony RX100 VA for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon G9 X for Daily Photography

GOOD
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
299g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Body Thickness 41mm
2.9X Optical Zoom
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
209g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
3.0X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Sony RX100 VA for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G9 X for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony RX100 VA vs Canon G9 X: 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 RX100 VA and Canon G9 X, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 RX100 VA and Canon G9 X scores compare:

Sony RX100 VA
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #26 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #251 out of 1243 in all Cameras
Canon G9 X
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #9 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #293 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Sony RX100 VA is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon G9 X in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Sony RX100 VA.

Sony RX100 VA
Sony RX100 VA
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Canon G9 X
Canon G9 X
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Canon G9 X vs Sony RX100 VA Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 VA00 Canon PowerShot G9 X
Brand Sony Canon
Announced 2018-07-13 2015-10-12
Body Type Large sensor compact Compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1″ 1'
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 116.16mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 125 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 80 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 315 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 24-70 mm (2.9x) 28-84 mm (3x)
Max Aperture F1.8-2.8 F2.0-4.9
Macro Focus Range 5cm 5cm
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.59x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/2000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/32000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 10.20 m (at Auto ISO) 6.00 m (at Auto ISO)
Max Flash Sync 1/2000s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 24.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 299g 209g
Dimensions 102 x 58 x 41mm 98 x 58 x 31mm
Battery Life 220 shots 220 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 63
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.5
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 495
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