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Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II

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Sony RX100 VII

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

Sony RX100 VII
$1198.00

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Sony A7 II

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

Sony A7 II
$898.00

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony RX100 VII, which was introduced in July 2019 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1" sensor whereas Sony A7 II, which was introduced in November 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, A7 II is 5 years older than RX100 VII. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

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.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony RX100 VII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-07-25
  • 20MP - 1" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • 24-200 mm F2.8-4.5 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 960 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 302g. 102 x 58 x 43 mm
  • Replaced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI Compare

Sony A7 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-11-20
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-51200)
  • Sony E (NEX) Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 599g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7 Compare

Sony A7 II was replaced by Sony Alpha A7 III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7 III vs Sony Alpha A7 II
Sony Alpha A7 III vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII over Sony Alpha A7 II
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Continuous Shooting 20.0fps vs 5.0fps 15 fps faster
Weight 302 g vs 599 g 297 g lighter
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution 2360k dot vs 2359k dot 0% higher resolution
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Bluetooth Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Real time Animal Eye AF Tracking Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7 II over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
External Flash Shoe Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Max Sensor Resolution 24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO 25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution 1.230k dots vs 921k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life 350 shots vs 260 shots 90 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area 35.65µm2 vs 5.82µm2 512% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII and Sony Alpha A7 II
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Optical vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 921k dots vs 1.230k 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
NFC Connection Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs UHS-I Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII and Sony Alpha A7 II
Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II: 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 VII and Sony A7 II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II. Sony RX100 VII is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 25mm narrower, 38mm shorter and 17mm thinner than Sony A7 II. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony RX100 VII has a built-in lens but Sony A7 II doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7 II, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II.

Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II.
Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 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 RX100 VII is significantly lighter (297g ) than the Sony A7 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 A7 II, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A7 II, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to RX100 VII.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II: Sensor Comparison

Sony RX100 VII has a 20.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony A7 II has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Below you can see the RX100 VII and A7 II sensor size comparison.

Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 II Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Sony A7 II has a 7.4x Larger sensor area than Sony RX100 VII. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony RX100 VII and Sony A7 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 RX100 VII for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7 II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Wireless Connection
200 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
117 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
8.3X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
302g
Body Thickness 43mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
599g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7 II for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Sony RX100 VII vs Sony A7 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 RX100 VII and Sony A7 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 RX100 VII and Sony A7 II scores compare:

Sony RX100 VII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 58 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #90 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Sony A7 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #29 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Sony A7 II scores higher than the Sony RX100 VII in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Sony RX100 VII. On the other hand, Sony RX100 VII is more portable and has more features than Sony A7 II.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Sony A7 II.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Sony RX100 VII is the right choice for you.

Sony RX100 VII
Sony RX100 VII
$1198.00

Sony A7 II
Sony A7 II
$898.00

Sony A7 II vs Sony RX100 VII Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII Sony Alpha A7 II
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2019-07-25 2014-11-20
Body Type Large sensor compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1" Full frame
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 35.8 x 23.9 mm
Area 116.16mm2 855.62mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 51200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 64 ISO 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 n/a 117
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony E (NEX)
Number of Available Lenses n/a 115
Lens Focal Range 24-200 mm (8.3x) no lens
Max Aperture F2.8-4.5 no lens
Macro Focus Range 8cm no lens
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3
Resolution 921k dots 1,230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.59 0.71
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.90 m (at Auto ISO) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/2000s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 302g 599g
Dimensions 102 x 58 x 43mm 127 x 96 x 60mm
Battery Life 260 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 90
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.9
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.6
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2449
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