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Sony QX100

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 front
 
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • " Fixed Screen
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-100mm (F1.8-4.9) lens
  • 179g - 63 x 63 x 56mm
  • Introduced September 2013
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
92
Imaging
51
Features
44
Overall
48

Sony QX100 overview

Sony QX100 is Sony's Lens-style digital camera originally launched on September of 2013. The camera has got a 20MP, BSI-CMOS 1" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 5472 x 3648.

The QX100 is placed #2 out of 4 in Lens-style cameras & all around #463 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can use our Advanced camera finder to see camera results based on your personalized criteria.

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Below is a diagram of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony QX100 Pros and Cons

Below is a list of advantages and disadvantages of the Sony QX100 based on features that are typically seen as important in a digital camera.

fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
good zoom range (28-100mm 3.6 x zoom)
has touch to focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20MP)
NFC connectivity
nice sensor size (1")
offers face detect autofocus
reasonably wide (28mm)
screen is touchscreen
you can focus manually
bad battery power (200 shots)
can't use external flash
has no phase detect autofocus
has no RAW files
lack of HDMI socket
lack of headphone socket
lack of manual exposure
lack of mic socket
lack of Time Lapse recording
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
no articulating screen
screen is not selfie friendly
screen is small ( inches)
slow at full zoom (f4.9)
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Sony QX100 Sensor specifications

The sensor measurement on the Sony QX100 is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 5472 x 3648 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter can produce cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 20MP and provides a standard ISO range of 160 to 6400. Unfortunately, RAW files are not saved therefore the user has less margin for error.

The graphic below displays the QX100's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The QX100 sensor has a crop factor of 2.7 and is highlighted in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 sensor size Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony QX100 dimensions

Sony QX100 has a weight of 0.39 lb (179 grams / 6.31 ounces) & has outside dimensions of 63mm x 63mm x 56mm (2.5" x 2.5" x 2.2"). The weight of general Lens-style camera is 173 grams and the Sony QX100 is very similar when compared with other competitors.

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Below is a pic of the Sony QX100 beside a softdrink so you're able to get a sense of its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 dimensions scale

The top view here will show you the button arrangement on the QX100.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 topview buttons dials

Sony QX100 Lens specifications

The QX100 includes a built in lens and it has a focal range of 28-100mm giving it a 3.6 x zoom which isn't ideal but it would certainly be valuable in a few situations.

At the widest 28mm, it comes with an aperture of f1.8 which will be beneficial for low light events and capturing a shallow depth of field. It would also enable you to choose a lower ISO to get more clean images. For the tele end, 100mm comes with f4.9 which is really slow and you might need to utilize slower shutter speeds.

Photography Glossary

Sony QX100 Connectivity

The QX100 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes

Cameras which include NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can easily send files and in some cases alter settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.

Many applications even provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external display. Most cameras will allow you to recharge the battery with the USB port.

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Sony QX100 Video specifications

The highest video quality on the Sony QX100 is 1920 x 1080 and you can shoot in MPEG-4 file format. 1080p quality is an excellent balance in video quality and file sizes but FULL HD isn't going to give you any room to crop. The camera doesn't include a microphone and / or headphone socket which means that you have little control over the sound. It is perhaps best to find a different camera should you need decent sound for your videos.

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Sony QX100 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing on the Sony QX100 so you need to be cautious in rainy and dusty conditions.

Sony QX100 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony QX100 has got a inch fixed display supporting a resolution of 0 thousand dots.

Moreover the display is touch friendly which means you can adjust focus point and change settings with your finger.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The ViewFinder specifications for Sony QX100 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor conditions which make the camera screens washed out and challenging to see, viewfinders will be pretty helpful.

Sony QX100 Shutter specifications

The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Sony QX100 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Sony QX100 comes with neither built in flash nor external flash ability.

Sony QX100 Autofocus specifications

Sony QX100 comes with just Contrast Based Autofocus & lacks Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier & precise in comparison with Contrast Based focusing. The camera has got Face detection which is valuable for portraits.

Sony QX100 has tap to focus. You are able to use your fingers to switch focus points. Sony QX100 includes manual focusing in case it is needed in low light conditions or you want to have more exact control on focusing.

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Sony QX100 Battery life

The battery power (NP-BN,) on the Sony QX100 is made to last for 200 shots as per the CIPA specifications which is lesser compared with it's competitors. The typical Lens-style camera battery life is 265. Sony QX1 features the highest (440) battery life in this category of cameras.

Here is a listing of Lens-style cameras having the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-QX100 front thumbnailSony QX100200 noyesno

Sony QX100 for different forms of photography

The following chart provides a analysis of the Sony QX100 for different forms of photography. To look at more, have a look at the specific section below.

Portrait photography with Sony QX100

The Sony QX100 gets a score of 53 which is decent, meaning that it is somewhat adequate for portrait images. Photographing portrait images favors heavily to sensor specs, RAW support and ability to work with off-camera lighting.

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manual focus
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (1")
has face detection autofocus
no manual exposure
external flash not possible
does not have RAW support

Street photography with Sony QX100

Coming in at a above average score of 71, the Sony QX100 is a good option for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
nice sensor size (1")
comes with focus via touch
screen does not articulate
has no RAW files

Sony QX100 Sports photography factors

A average sports photography points tally of 55 suggests the Sony QX100 is fairly suited for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs excellent autofocus and shutter speeds for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (20MP)
sensor size is decent (1")
not so great battery pack (200 shots)
no phase detect auto focus

Sony QX100 Travel photography advice

Size is very important in choosing a camera for travel. On the whole, the Sony QX100 gets a nice 69 for a travelling camera which makes it a fine choice to take on your holidays.

Photography Glossary
boasts focus by touch
decent MP (20MP)
really wide (28mm)
fast max aperture (f1.8)
does not have Timelapse function
bad battery (200 shots)
screen is not selfie friendly

Sony QX100 as a Landscape photography camera

For anybody who is planning to buy a camera for landscape photos, the most essential aspect will be image quality. The Sony QX100 and it's average rating of 54 as a landscape camera is relatively suitable among its competitors.

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you can focus manually
quite wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
screen is somewhat small ( inches)
no manual control
no RAW files
low battery (200 CIPA)
does not have Time Lapse mode

Vlogging with Sony QX100

A camera for vlogging should posses a articulating display screen, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Sony QX100 is just not acceptable for vlogging as it delivers a low score of 38.

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quite wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
has touchscreen
has image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detection focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does not have a selfie friendly display
doesn't have external mic support

Sony QX100 Alternatives

If you are searching for alternatives to the QX100, below is a collection of the top rated cameras which fall within the category of Lens-style.

The diagram down below provides you an overview of the QX100 versus it's top ranked competitors suggested previously.

Following are additional cameras you might check out as alternative options. To read through a complete comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model type
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100
Category
Lens-style
Introduced
2013-09-05
Physical type
Lens-style
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Sensor size
1"
Sensor dimensions
13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area
116.2mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution
5472 x 3648
RAW images
Highest native ISO
6400
Minimum native ISO
160
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Cross type focus points
0
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
28-100mm (3.6x)
Max aperture
f/1.8-4.9
Macro focusing distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
2.7
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Resolution of screen
0 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen technology
Depends on connected smartphone
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
4 secs
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 secs
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash options
None
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
179 gr (0.39 lb)
Dimensions
63 x 63 x 56mm (2.5" x 2.5" x 2.2")
Other
Battery life
200 photographs
Battery type
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NP-BN,
Self timer
Yes (2, 10 secs)
Time lapse recording
Storage type
microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC, Memory Stick Micro
Card slots
One
Launch price
$268