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Sony RX100 Series Comparison (I, II, III, IV, V and VI)

Since the original release of the Sony RX100 back in 2012, the company has been pushing updates to the camera and releasing one new iteration every year. Which means that as of today, we have had a total of 6 such releases: RX100, RX100 II, RX100 III, RX100 IV, RX100 V and RX100 VI. Sporting a 1″ sensor and superb optics from Zeiss, these point and shoot cameras have been widely popular among photographers. And thanks to their compact size and low weight, the RX100 series cameras have been highly regarded as very capable, and yet pocket-able cameras that are perfect for such needs as travel photography. Unfortunately, due to the number of the RX100 series cameras, their differences in pricing and features, it has become increasingly difficult for potential buyers to understand the main differences between these cameras. In this article, I will be comparing the key features and specifications of the RX100-series cameras, which will hopefully make it easier to see what has changed between all the releases we have seen so far.

Below is a table that we put together for our readers, showing each iteration of the Sony RX100 cameras, along with their key specifications. Please note that we have marked the superior features in darker blue, while the key missing features are marked in light red.

Specification	Sony RX100 I	Sony RX100 II	Sony RX100 III	Sony RX100 IV	Sony RX100 V	Sony RX100 VI

Announcement Date	06/06/2012	06/27/2013	05/28/2014	06/10/2015	10/06/2016	06/05/2018
Sensor Type	CMOS	BSI CMOS	BSI CMOS	Stacked CMOS	Stacked CMOS	Stacked CMOS
Sensor Resolution	20.2 MP	20.2 MP	20.1 MP	20.1 MP	20.1 MP	20.1 MP
Sensor Size	13.2 x 8.8mm (1″)	13.2 x 8.8mm (1″)	13.2 x 8.8mm (1″)	13.2 x 8.8mm (1″)	13.2 x 8.8mm (1″)	13.2 x 8.8mm (1″)
Native ISO Range	125-6400	160-12,800	125-12,800	125-12,800	125-12,800	125-12,800
Image Processor	Bionz	Bionz	Bionz X	Bionz X	Bionz X	Bionz X
Phase Detection Autofocus	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Phase Detection Autofocus Points	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	315 AF Points	315 AF Points
Lens Focal Length	10.4-37.1mm	10.4-37.1mm	8.8-25.7mm	8.8-25.7mm	8.8-25.7mm	8.8-74.0mm
Focal Length in 35mm Equiv	28-100mm	28-100mm	24-70mm	24-70mm	24-70mm	24-200mm
Lens Aperture	f/1.8-f/4.9	f/1.8-f/4.9	f/1.8-f/2.8	f/1.8-f/2.8	f/1.8-f/2.8	f/2.8-f/4.5
Optical Image Stabilization	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (up to 4 stops)
Integrated ND Filter	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Maximum Shutter Speed	1/2000 sec	1/2000 sec	1/2000 sec	1/32000 sec	1/32000 sec	1/32000 sec
Startup Time	2.8 sec	2.8 sec	2.0 sec	2.0 sec	2.0 sec	2.0 sec
Anti Distortion Shutter	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto ISO Min Shutter Speed	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
EVF	N/A	Optional	1.44 Million Dot EVF	2.36 Million Dot EVF	2.36 Million Dot EVF	2.36 Million Dot EVF
Flash Hotshoe	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Built-in Flash	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Continuous Shooting Speed	10 fps	10 fps	10 fps	16 fps	24 fps	24 fps
Buffer Size	13 JPEG / 13 RAW	13 JPEG / 13 RAW	48 JPEG / 26 RAW	48 JPEG / 26 RAW	150 JPEG + RAW	233 JPEG + RAW
LCD Screen	3.0″ Fixed	3.0″ Tilting, +90°/-40°	3.0″ Tilting, +180°/-45°	3.0″ Tilting, +180°/-45°	3.0″ Tilting, +180°/-45°	3.0″ Tilting, +180°/-90°
LCD Touchscreen	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Video Recording	1080p, up to 60 fps	1080p, up to 60 fps	1080p, up to 60 fps	4K, up to 30 fps	4K, up to 30 fps	4K, up to 30 fps
4K HDR Video Recording	No	No	No	No	No	Yes, with HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma)
S-Log2/S-Gamut	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slow Motion Video	N/A	N/A	Yes, Up to 120 fps	Yes, Up to 960 fps	Yes, Up to 960 fps	Yes, Up to 960 fps
Slow Motion Video Duration	N/A	N/A	29 min	4 sec	8 sec	8 sec
Built-in WiFi	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	330 shots	350 shots	320 shots	280 shots	220 shots	240 shots
Weight	240g	281g	290g	298g	299g	301g
Size	102×58×36mm	102×58×38mm	102×58×41mm	102x58x41mm	102x58x41mm	102x58x43mm
Current Price (as of 06/05/2018)	$368	$548	$648	$848	$948	$1198

As expected, the latest generation Sony RX100 series cameras are obviously going to have the richest feature-set and specifications compared to their predecessors. With a superior Stacked CMOS sensor capable of producing excellent images that surpass all the previous generation RX100 cameras, faster Bionz X processor capable of handling up to 24 fps shooting speed, 315 phase-detection autofocus points, 4K video recording at up to 30 fps (and now with 4K HDR on the RX100 VI), excellent OLED EVF and very respectable slow motion video recording capability up to 960 fps, this is a point-and-shoot powerhouse. The latest RX 100 VI packs a 24-200mm equivalent lens, offering the best reach among the RX100 series cameras. Keep in mind, however, that this comes at the expense of slower maximum aperture – f/2.8-f/4.5 compared to f/1.8-f/2.8 seen on the previous III-V models. Sony says that the new OIS is supposed to be excellent though (compensating up to 4 stops), so perhaps the camera won’t suffer as much in low-light conditions.

The newest Sony RX 100 VI is priced pretty highly compared to its predecessors, especially the first three models that can still be bought today from B&H and other retailers. Which begs the question – is the latest and greatest really worth spending so much more money on? I guess it depends. If you really need more reach, faster and more accurate autofocus, ability to shoot 4K / 4K HDR / slow motion video, the RX 100 VI might be worth the price premium. However, if you are just looking for a solid point-and-shoot camera, I would say the previous generation models are worth looking into. The RX100 and RX100 II are obviously great bargains, but for a reason – they are a bit longer on the wide end (28mm vs 24mm is a huge difference in field of view), their image quality is not as great as on the latest models, they lack built-in viewfinders and their LCD screens are not as versatile. So keep all this in mind when deciding what route to take.

reprint from https://photographylife.com/sony-rx100-series-comparison Nasim Mansurov

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