Sony RX100 VII Brings Advanced Video Features In A Compact Point-And-Shoot

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These days, no one really looks at a point-and-shoot and thinks of it as a powerhouse. If you spend much of your days creating video and photographic content, though, the Sony RX100 VII could very well qualify for one as far as your gear requirements are concerned.

The latest version of Sony’s compact shooter, the point-and-shoot retains the pocket-friendly size of its predecessors, all while integrating several video capture capabilities previously found only in the outfit’s larger SLRs. That means, you get premium features normally available only in Sony’s bigger and more expensive consumer models, making it a great option for content creators looking at more affordable hardware.

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The Sony RX100 VII is equipped with a 20.1-megapixel 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor and the outfit’s latest BIONZ X image processor, a combo that gives it shooting speed and autofocus capabilities on par with those on full-frame cameras. It pairs that hardware with a 24-200mm optics made up of four AA lenses and two ED glass elements, all of which work together to achieve superb resolution throughout the entire telephoto range. The sensor can perform continuous shooting at up to 20fps for some serious high-speed image capture, while the autofocus can track subjects at a rate of 60 times per second, making it ideal for use when taking action shots.

Sony claims the new camera boasts the fastest autofocus in the world, locking in subjects in as little 0.02 seconds, all while covering 357 focal-plane phase detection AF points and 425 contrast-detection AF points. It also integrates the real-time tracking found in the outfit’s mirrorless and DSLR models, using AI to track subjects on the move, helping you maintain a constant and steady focus while your subject moves around freely.

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The Sony RX100 VII has optical image stabilization to ensure it can properly compensate for shaky movements, along with an image stabilization algorithm that, the outfit claims, is equivalent to a 4-stop faster shutter speed at 200mm for even steadier results. While it doesn’t have the ridiculous zoom of the Mark VI, the integrated lens has 8x optical zoom, so you can close in on subjects at quite a far distance, while the 3-inch touchscreen display in the rear can be adjusted upward 180 degrees and downward by 90 degrees, giving you plenty of options in shooting angles.

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It can record video footage at up to 4K resolution, complete with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, as well as do it with both real-time eye autofocus and subject tracking on, so you can really make the most of the camera’s integrated talents. There’s a mic input, so you can plug in your sound pickup hardware of choice, along with a vertical shooting option for those who create content for Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and similar platforms. Sony is also offering an optional shooting grip that’s tailor made for the camera’s dimensions, allowing for more convenient handling, whether you’ve got the lens pointed in your direction or elsewhere.

Slated to come out next month, the Sony RX100 VII is priced at $1,200, although you can buy it along with the shooting for just an extra $100 more.

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12 Responses

  1. A 1” sensor in a camera that fits into your pocket is the best feature of this camera. It will be popular with vloggers obviously, but also professional photographers who can easily take this into concert venues where a DSLR might be banned. Street photographers are sure to love this camera too.

    The fast autofocus will hopefully put pressure on Canon so they can get it faster in the future. The Canon G7x Mark II is a great camera. but the autofocus could be real wonky at times. They did improve it for the G7X Mark III that was just released, but the Sony RX100 VII still has it beat by a longshot, as long as the fast autofocus also works for macro shots.

    It’s a great camera, but for $1,200 they should have added the camera grip in with it and not made it optional.

  2. I used to shoot a lot with my Rebel DSLR, entry-level kit lens. I loved it and was looking to upgrade to a better DSLR, then I began hiking a lot. In order to cut down on weight, I bought a Canon G7X Mark II. It is much easier to carry the camera with me when I am out hiking and I find that I actually get a lot more images because my camera is always ready to be pulled out at a moments notice. Try hiking with a DSLR around your neck for 20 miles a day for a week and you will begin to hate photography. If you keep your DSLR in the pack then you will miss out on shots that suddenly pop up such as a deer fording a river. Smaller cameras such as these with a large sensor are extremely popular because you can literally put the camera in your pocket and have it ready at a moments notice.

      1. I can, but with camera phones, the image sensor is much smaller. A larger image sensor allows for much better images in lower-light. With my G7X Mark II, I have a star mode that makes it simple to get pictures of the Milky Way as long as I use it with a tripod. The images I get with the G7X Mark II are literally impossible for me to capture with a smartphone camera.

  3. My only problem with these high-end pocket cameras with large sensors is that it is much more difficult to capture good bokeh because the depth of field is multiplied by too much. It works great for most images until you want to get bokeh and then you have to get extremely close to your subject which is impossible if you are trying to take a picture of a deer in the forest. I like a lot of bokeh, even with wildlife images.

  4. I love these cameras and how they keep improving, but for $1,200 I can buy an amazing DSLR that will shoot in low-light conditions even better. I like the portability factor of the camera, but for the price, I would rather lug around a heavy DSLR with a couple of extra lenses and then I would be prepared for shooting in any conditions that may pop up.

  5. 4K video is limited to 5 minutes at a time. That sucks for vloggers who want to create 4K content for Youtube. I highly recommend looking at this camera unless you are wanting to record in 4K.

    1. 4K also needs a lot more storage for your video, so you’ll need a large hard drive or a bunch of external hard drives. 4K also takes longer to upload, so if you are stuck with slower Internet than there is nothing wrong with just uploading 720-1080 HD.

      As an avid Youtube watcher with fast internet, I watch most videos in 720P, but with nature docs or outdoors related content I will often watch in 4K. If you are a daily vlogger I watch, then I rarely feel the need that I need to watch that type of content in 4K.

    2. The Sony RX100 VII has a mic jack which is a must. So many of these cameras are rendered virtually useless for advanced vloggers because of no mic Jack. (Cough Cough G7x Mark II)

      You can turn off the video recording limits, but then the camera will overheat. How long will you get before it overheats? It varies, but still less than 20 minutes For true 4K videography I still suggest you look at something else.

  6. Sony has released o many smaller cameras with large image sensors in the past couple of years that it is hard to keep track of them. I am glad that Sony and Canon are both creating a lot of niche audiences, although there are so many vloggers nowadays I don’t think that vloggers are a small niche anymore.

    Not a fan of them removing the f/1,8 aperture, but at least the zoom is much better now.

    A lot of reviewers are calling this camera and similar cameras point-and-shoot cameras. While the Sony RX100 VII can be used as a point-and-shoot camera, it can also has enough manual controls that you can truly step up your photography levels if you are willing to get out of “automatic” mode.

    1. In automatic mode, you might as well just stick with your camera phone. The benefits to these advanced pocket cameras won’t really come into play unless you are willing to get out of automatic mode and start learning the manual adjustments you can do. The exception would be for low-light photography. In low light conditions, a smartphone cannot compete with these cameras, even if being used in automatic mode. The large sensors are truly worth it because you cannot always control the lighting and flash is often not allowed to be used, such as at Christmas concert at the school that your child is in.

      1. School plays and concerts are the worst because everyone is using flash and not even using it properly. I feel bad for the kids when they are trying to sing and 100’s of cell phone flashes continue to go off. Then you have the parents with a Canon Rebel entry-level DSLR with kit lens who keep messing with the controls but cannot get it set properly. The time to learn how to use your DSLR is BEFORE the event in which you plan to shoot.

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