Sony NEX-6 vs Sony RX100 VII

On this page, we will be reviewing the Sony NEX-6 vs Sony RX100 VII, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both sold by Sony. The image resolution of the NEX-6 (16MP) and the RX100 VII (20MP) is relatively comparable but the NEX-6 (APS-C) and RX100 VII (1") offer different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-6 was unveiled 7 years prior to the RX100 VII and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony NEX-6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VII being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the NEX-6 scores against the RX100 VII with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-6 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII. The full galleries are available at Sony NEX-6 Gallery & Sony RX100 VII Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-6 features outside measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 345 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 VII has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 43mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.7") and a weight of 302 grams (0.67 lbs).

See the Sony NEX-6 vs Sony RX100 VII in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the NEX-6 vs the RX100 VII.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the NEX-6 and RX100 VII is 85 and 88 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by going through technical specs. The graphic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the NEX-6 and RX100 VII.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The NEX-6 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony RX100 VII will show greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older NEX-6 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.