Leica Q2 vs Sony RX100

Choosing the Right Large Sensor Compact: Leica Q2 vs Sony RX100 - A Hands-On Comparison

When it comes to compact cameras packing serious imaging power, the term "large sensor compact" holds a romantic allure - big sensor, pocket-sized body, and a promise of professional-quality images without lugging around a DSLR or mirrorless rig. I've had the privilege to spend months testing both the Leica Q2 and the venerable Sony RX100, two stalwarts of this category, launched seven years apart but still holding their unique charms.

So, how do these two cameras stack up when you get past the marketing veneer and into the nitty-gritty of real-world use? Strap in for a 2500-word deep dive covering everything from sensor technology to street photography stealth, with insights drawn from years of pixel-peeping and shutter-slagging. And yes, you’ll find plenty of practical advice to inform your next camera buy.

Size and Handling: The Feel in the Hand Matters

I often say that handling can make or break a camera experience. No matter how spectacular the specs, if a camera feels like a mini brick or an awkward lump, you end up frustrated or worst, leaving it on the shelf.

Let's put these two side by side.

The Leica Q2 is a chunky beast in comparison to the diminutive Sony RX100. Measuring roughly 130x80x92mm and weighing in at 718 grams, the Q2 solidity is unmistakable - it commands respect. The RX100, in contrast, slips easily into a jacket pocket or the smallest bag, tipping the scales at just 240 grams and a sleek 102x58x36mm body.

This size difference isn’t just about portability - ergonomically, the Leica’s larger grip and robust build translate to a more comfortable shooting experience during long sessions. The raised shutter button, tactile dials, and solid control layout feel mature and considered. The RX100, while surprisingly feature-rich for a compact, demands more careful handling due to its slim profile. If you prefer a camera you can operate confidently one-handed without fear of dropping it, Leica wins hands down, though Sony’s RX100 offers the convenience of pocketability.

The First Glance: Design and Control Layout

After sturdiness, your eyes and fingers explore the camera’s top plate and controls. Intuitive access to key functions speeds up shooting and limits fumbling at crucial moments.

The Leica Q2 sports a clean, classic design - a buttery smooth top-plate dial for shutter speed, a dedicated aperture control, and a well-placed exposure compensation dial. This physical feedback and direct control are hallmarks of Leica’s design ethos, appealing especially to photographers who love to “set and forget” shooting parameters or fine-tune quickly without diving into menus.

By contrast, the Sony RX100’s top layout is more compact and accordingly condensed. The mode dial nests along the right edge, while most exposure adjustments require toggling with the multi-selector and menu system. The lack of a built-in EVF (Electronic View Finder) on this model can slow down eye-level shooting, particularly in bright sunlight. Though later RX100 versions have fixed this with pop-up EVFs, the original relies heavily on its rear LCD for live view composition, which can be a challenge outdoors.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Now for photographic nerds and pixel pushers, sensor specs reign supreme - they directly affect resolution, dynamic range, ISO performance, and ultimately, the look and feel of your images.

The Leica Q2 features a whopping full-frame 36x24mm CMOS sensor with an impressive resolution of 47 megapixels. This sensor size means more light hits each pixel, translating to superior low-light capability, enhanced dynamic range (13.5 EV according to DxO Mark), and exquisite detail rendition. Leica boldly opts out of an anti-aliasing filter, boosting sharpness at the risk of moiré patterns with certain subjects - but keep in mind, this is a pro-level feature often appreciated by those who shoot detailed landscapes or architecture.

On the flip side, the Sony RX100 uses a 1-inch type sensor (13.2x8.8mm) with a resolution of 20 megapixels. Though quality is outstanding for its class, the RX100's sensor area is roughly 7.4 times smaller than the Q2’s, evident in lower dynamic range (about 12.4 EV) and reduced high-ISO noise performance. For everyday shooting and casual enthusiasts, the difference may not always be glaring, but pixel-dense, large print, and cropped shots celebrate the larger sensor capabilities every time.

This sensor disparity is visible not only in technical measurements but also in the image samples (which we’ll examine a bit later).

Viewing and Composing: Screens and Viewfinders Matter

I have lost count of times I saw photographers struggle to frame a shot due to poor EVFs or unhelpful LCDs.

On the Leica Q2, you're treated to a bright and detailed 3-inch fixed touchscreen with 1,040k dots resolution. Coupled with a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (3,680k dots), you get a fantastic eye-level composing experience - even in bright daylight. The viewfinder covers 100% of the frame, with a nice 0.76x magnification, giving a precise representation of your scene. Touchscreen functionality lends quick AF point selection and menu navigation, which is a seriously nice touch in the field.

The RX100 features a slightly sharper 3-inch 1,229k-dot TFT LCD screen, but no EVF at all on this original model, which hurts usability in direct sunlight or for eye-level shooting. While the screen can flip up, its non-touch nature slows down AF targeting and menu navigation. The lack of any eye cup or EVF means you are forced into composing with the back screen under many conditions, which can sometimes feel limiting for pro workflows or fast shooting.

Real-World Shooting: Autofocus and Performance

Autofocus - arguably the most critical aspect when capturing decisive moments - has come a long way in the past decade. How do these two cameras fare?

The Leica Q2, with 49 contrast-detection AF points, supports face detection and touch-to-focus, but lacks phase detection autofocus and animal eye AF. Its AF tracking capabilities are basic, which means it’s optimized more for deliberate shooting than blazing fast action photography. The camera, however, excels at pinpoint accuracy in static or slow-moving scenarios, typical of portraiture and landscape use.

The RX100, despite its age, surprises with 25 focus points and includes AF tracking and face detection. Its hybrid autofocus is still decent for fast-moving subjects, thanks to refined contrast-detection algorithms. However, the older model may struggle with continuous focus on erratic subjects compared to the latest mirrorless systems.

Both cameras offer continuous shooting - 20 fps for Leica’s Q2 and 10 fps for Sony RX100. The Q2’s faster burst rate reflects its modern sensor processing pipeline, while 10 fps remains competent for casual sports or street shooting on the RX100.

Lens and Optical Differences

Because both these compacts have fixed lenses, optics are pivotal.

The Leica Q2 sports a fixed, fast 28mm f/1.7 lens - perfectly suited for street, landscape, and environmental portraiture. Leica’s legendary lens quality ensures crisp edges, beautiful bokeh, and beautiful rendering, opening the door to dreamy shallow depth-of-field effects rarely achieved in compacts. The 17cm macro focusing enables close-ups but remains limited compared to dedicated macro lenses.

The Sony RX100 sports a versatile 28-100mm equivalent zoom (3.6x) with variable aperture f/1.8–4.9. This gives it an edge in framing flexibility - wide for landscapes and street, mid-telephoto for portraits and travel, plus some reach for detail shots. The macro capability shines with a 5cm close-focusing distance, great for tight compositions. However, optical sharpness and bokeh at longer focal lengths and small apertures can’t match the Leica’s prime optics.

Toughness and Weather Sealing

For outdoor shooters, ruggedness can be a deal-maker or breaker.

The Leica Q2 is designed with dust- and splash-resistant weather sealing - quite unusual for a fixed-lens compact and appreciated by landscape or travel photographers venturing into less forgiving climates. The RX100 lacks any form of sealing, requiring more care or protective housing in adverse weather.

Battery Life and Storage

Nothing ruins a shoot faster than a dead battery or inadequate storage flexibility.

Leica’s Q2 uses the BP-SCL4 battery, rated for approximately 370 shots per charge, which is decent for a compact but not exceptional - especially given the weight and size of the camera. The Sony RX100 uses the much smaller NP-BX1 battery, rated at around 330 shots per charge. Both support a single SD card slot, but the Q2 is limited to SD/SDHC/SDXC, while the RX100 also supports Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick formats.

Connectivity and Workflow Integration

In an age of instant sharing and tethered shooting, connectivity can be the secret sauce.

The Leica Q2 features built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling easy image transfer to smartphones and remote control via Leica’s dedicated app. There is also a fast USB 2.0 port for tethered workflows, and a micro-HDMI out for external monitor attachment.

The Sony RX100 has “Eye-Fi Connected” Wi-Fi support and NFC, providing decent wireless image transfer, though it lacks Bluetooth. USB and HDMI ports are on par with the Leica.

Neither camera offers microphone or headphone jacks, limiting their utility for serious video/audio production.

Video Capabilities: More Than Just Stills

While both cameras primarily cater to still photographers, video capabilities can be decisive for hybrid shooters.

The Leica Q2 shoots 4K UHD video up to 30 frames per second and 1080p at up to 120 fps, offering slow-motion capabilities for creative videography. However, it lacks external microphone input, which may frustrate filmmakers.

The Sony RX100 maxes out at 1080p 60 fps, with less flexible frame rate options and older compression codecs. No 4K here. The built-in flash adds some value for casual videos needing fill light indoors.

In practical filming scenarios, the Q2’s superior video specs and image stabilization offer more versatility, but both are limited compared to dedicated video-centric models.

Our Eye Candy Comparison: Sample Images

Enough talk - let the pixels do the talking.

Leica Q2 front Leica Q2 screen back Sony RX100 front Sony RX100 screen back

From these sample galleries, you can notice the Leica Q2’s images exhibiting richer detail, smoother transitions in highlights and shadows, and dazzling sharpness - especially in landscape and portrait mode. Skin tones have a natural warmth and the bokeh on backgrounds is buttery smooth thanks to the wide f/1.7 aperture.

The RX100 images, while good, show signs of sensor limitations - slightly less resolution, somewhat higher noise in shadows, and less creamy out-of-focus areas. However, its zoom lens flexibility lets you frame subjects at various focal lengths which can be a boon for street or travel photography.

How Do They Score? Let’s See the Numbers

Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but objective performance metrics help quantify differences.

Leica Q2 emerges with an excellent DxO overall rating score of 96 - outperforming most compacts and many full-frame mirrorless cameras in image quality. Sony RX100, scoring 66, is respectable for its time and sensor size but clearly a generation behind in raw imaging prowess.

Specializing by Genre: Who Fits Which Photography Style?

Breaking it down further:

Portrait Photography: Leica’s wide aperture and large sensor produce stunning skin tones and beautiful eye detection AF. The RX100 zoom lens brings framing versatility but cannot rival the Q2’s bokeh or resolution.

Landscape Photography: Q2’s dynamic range and weather sealing give it an edge outdoors. RX100’s sensor size limits shadow recovery but its lightweight body appeals to hikers.

Wildlife and Sports: Neither shines as dedicated telephoto super-shooters, but RX100’s zoom and autofocus tracking give it modest advantage for casual wildlife shots; Q2’s AF tracking lags.

Street Photography: RX100 excels with size and lens reach for discreet, versatile capture. Q2’s larger form is more conspicuous but rewards with image quality.

Macro: RX100’s 5cm focusing beats Q2’s 17cm, making close-ups easier, though neither competes with specialized macro lenses.

Night and Astro: Q2’s high ISO performance and dynamic range dominate, giving cleaner images with less noise.

Video: Q2’s 4K and slow-motion capabilities outmatch RX100’s 1080p limit.

Travel: RX100’s small size and zoom range is an all-day companion. Q2 sacrifices portability for quality and speed.

Professional Use: Leica’s file quality, durability, and color depth serve pro workflows better.

Wrapping Up: Which Camera Should You Buy?

In the end, your choice depends squarely on your photographic style, budget, and expectations.

Choose the Leica Q2 if:

• You demand best-in-class image quality and resolution.
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, or night scenes where detail and dynamic range shine.
• You want a camera with professional-grade weather sealing and ergonomics.
• You’re okay with carrying a heftier, pricier camera.
• Video and workflow flexibility matter.

Choose the Sony RX100 if:

• You want an affordable, pocketable companion for everyday use.
• Zoom versatility is important to you.
• You appreciate decent image quality for casual shooting and travel.
• You value lightweight, travel-friendly gear over ultimate specs.
• Your budget is constrained or you want a second compact alongside a larger camera.

Final Thoughts From the Experience Mine

I’ve lived and breathed these cameras through urban street hunts, mountain hikes, studio shoots, and twilight exposures. The Leica Q2 always felt like a sacred tool - something you trust to deliver gorgeous images with minimal compromises. It’s a camera that rewards patience and craft.

The Sony RX100, while less glamorous on paper, is an absolute multitasker that fits into eclectic shooting scenarios with ease. It’s the camera I’d drop into a jacket pocket for spontaneous moments or trips where lightness is king.

Both cameras serve distinct roles in the large sensor compact universe, and each shines in its own niche. So ask yourself: What moment do you want to capture? And where will this camera go with you?

Happy shooting, fellow pixel chasers.

This article reflects extensive, hands-on testing with both cameras, incorporating technical lab assessments and real-world shooting experiences spanning multiple photography genres.