Sony RX100 VA
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 125 - 12800 (Bump to 25600)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
- 299g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
- Revealed July 2018
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
89 Imaging
54 Features
77 Overall
63
Sony RX100 VA summary
Sony RX100 VA is Sony's Large Sensor Compact camera first introduced on July of 2018. The camera includes a 20MP, BSI-CMOS 1" size sensor with a full resolution of 5472 x 3648.
The RX100 VA stands at #22 out of 65 in Large Sensor Compact cameras & over-all #257 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please try our Advanced camera filter to find camera results based on your personalized requirements.
Below is a graph of specific factors used in the rating system.
Sony RX100 VA family
The Sony RX100 VA is part of a family of cameras. You can see the detailed list underneath.
F1.8-2.820MP1"2018
Sony RX100 VA Gallery
You can look at the RX100 VA from various angles in the gallery below.
Sony RX100 VA Pros and Cons
Here is a checklist of pros and cons of the Sony RX100 VA based on factors which are usually regarded as essential in a camera.
Sony RX100 VA Sensor features
The Sony RX100 VA features the Bionz X chip. The sensor spec in the Sony RX100 VA is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor can capture 5472 x 3648 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter might produce cropping.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe BSI-CMOS sensor has 20MP and features a native ISO range of 125 - 12800. The ISO can be expanded electronically to 80 - 25600. RAW photos are supported so the user has more room to maneuver in post.
The graphic underneath illustrates the RX100 VA's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The RX100 VA sensor has a crop factor of 2.7 and is presented in green.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesTo get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.
Sony RX100 VA dimensions
Sony RX100 VA weighs about 0.66 lbs (299 grams or 10.55 oz) & the physical size of the camera is 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6"). The weight of average Large Sensor Compact camera is 396 grams so the Sony RX100 VA is less heavy as compared with other competitors.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneUnderneath is a picture of the Sony RX100 VA alongside a softdrink to help you to get a sense of its size.
The top view underneath will illustrate the button design on the RX100 VA.
Sony RX100 VA Lens features
The RX100 VA has an inbuilt lens having a focal range of 24-70mm making it a 2.9 x zoom which won't be great however it will be convenient in a few scenarios.
At it's widest 24mm, the lens features an aperture of f1.8 which is great for low light conditions and getting a shallow depth of field. It is going to also enable you to set a lower ISO to get clearer photographs. Towards the long end, 70mm comes at f2.8 which is quite good and helps you keep higher shutter speeds.
Sony RX100 VA Connectivity
The RX100 VA has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- NFC Yes
- HDMI Yes
Digital cameras that contain NFC or Bluetooth support can easily be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to transfer photos and in some cases alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.
Certain apps also stream a Liveview and release the shutter whenever you are not near the camera. If the camera has a HDMI port, it could be connected to an external screen. Many cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack through the USB socket.
Sony RX100 VA Video features
The highest possible video quality in the Sony RX100 VA is 3840 x 2160 and you can record in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S format. 2160p gives you a great quality for video recording. You are able to downsample to 1080p in order to get cleaner results. Be wary of the considerable file sizes and make sure you have good SD cards with good write speed. The body does not offer a microphone or headphone jack so you have got absolutely no control over the audio. It is perhaps best to have a look at another model in case you require better audio for your video clips.
Sony RX100 VA Weather Sealing
There is no environment sealing on the Sony RX100 VA so you have to be careful in wet or dusty conditions.
Sony RX100 VA Display and Viewfinder
The Sony RX100 VA includes a 3" tilting display having a resolution of 1,229k dots.
It possesses a selfie friendly display for self portraits and group photos when required. Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe ViewFinder specifications for Sony RX100 VA are the following:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- Resolution 2,359k dots
- Coverage 100 percent
- Magnification 0.59x
Viewfinders are really useful for sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera display washed out and very difficult to see.
Sony RX100 VA Shutter features
Sony RX100 VA can shoot continuously at 24.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000 sec. The camera also provides silent electronic shutter of 1/32000 sec. Keep in mind that the electronic shutter might cause "rolling shutter" in some situations.
Sony RX100 VA Flash and Hot shoe features
Sony RX100 VA features just inbuilt flash lacking external flash support. The highest flash sync is 1/2000 sec.
Sony RX100 VA Autofocusing features
Sony RX100 VA features both Phase Detect Autofocus plus Contrast Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot quicker and accurate as compared with Contrast Detect focusing. The camera includes Face detect which is useful for taking photos of people.
The AF system includes 315 focus points to select from. It also includes Tracking Autofocus for subjects that move. Sony RX100 VA boasts manual focus when required for low light scenarios or you want to have more precise control on focus.
Sony RX100 VA Battery life
The battery life (NP-BX1) on the Sony RX100 VA is made to last for 220 shots as per the CIPA standards making it lower when compared with it's competition. The average Large Sensor Compact camera battery life is 301. Leica X-U features the best (450) battery life for this type of cameras.
Underneath is a list of Large Sensor Compact cameras having the best battery life:
Sony RX100 VA for varying forms of photography
The following illustration gives a summary of the Sony RX100 VA for varying forms of photography. To view more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.
Sony RX100 VA Portrait photography details
The Sony RX100 VA has a score of 66 which is nice, and means the camera is a very decent pick for portraits. Photographing portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support in addition to the potential to use off-camera flash.
Sony RX100 VA Street photography factors
Coming in at a great points tally of 86, the Sony RX100 VA is a superb choice to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of picture quality plus portability.
Sony RX100 VA Sports photography highlights
A above average sports photography rating of 70 suggests the Sony RX100 VA is a respectable option for photographing sports. A camera needs good tracking plus continuous shooting for sports photography.
Sony RX100 VA as a Travel photography camera
Portability is pretty critical in buying a camera for travel. All round, the Sony RX100 VA gets a brilliant 76 for a travelling camera which makes it a terrific fit to purchase for your trips.
Landscape photography with Sony RX100 VA
When you are looking to buy a camera for landscape pictures, the most important aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Sony RX100 VA at it's above average score of 66 for a landscape camera is a good fit compared to its competitors.
Sony RX100 VA Vlogging factors
A vlogging camera ought to have a moving display screen, microphone port and preferably image stabilization. Considering everything, the Sony RX100 VA is a awesome pick as a vlog camera as it receives a great rating of 81.
Sony RX100 VA Alternatives
If you are looking for replacements to the RX100 VA, here is a selection of the top rated cameras which fall into the family of Large Sensor Compact.
The line chart followed below will give you a summary of the RX100 VA vs it's top scoring rivals shown above.
There are a bunch of cameras you might look into as alternate options. To browse through a full comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.