Sony RX100 Mark VII review

The Sony RX100 Mark VII is an amazing technical achievement, but so was the Apollo space program, and look what that cost

Sony RX100 Mark VII
(Image: © Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World Verdict

On paper, the RX100 VII is amazing. Its size is amazing, its 24-200mm lens is pretty amazing, its high-speed shooting is amazing and its latest-gen AF system is amazing. The only thing that’s not amazing is the experience of actually using it. This is still a cramped and awkward little camera with an average sort of sensor, but with some highly specialised skills that push its price way up into the stratosphere. If you definitely need everything it does, go for it, but otherwise you’ll wonder what all the fuss is about.

Pros

  • +

    Ultra-high-speed shooting

  • +

    Fast, high-tech AF

  • +

    Great 4K video

Cons

  • -

    Fiddly EVF

  • -

    Slippery finish

  • -

    Small controls

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The Sony RX100 Mark VII is the latest iteration of Sony's diminutive RX 100 series cameras. It's a pocket powerhouse that combines a 28-200mm equivalent zoom with 20fps shooting (up to 90fps in a new short Single Burst shooting mode), 4K video capture now with human and animal eye AF and the performance (says Sony) of its flagship full frame mirrorless sports camera, the A9.

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Rod Lawton
Contributor

Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com