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Sony RX100 VA

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) front
 
  • 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
Portability
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.

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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.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-VII front thumbnailSony RX100 VII
RX100 VA vs RX100 VII
24-200mm
F2.8-4.5
20MP1"2019
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-V(A) front thumbnailSony RX100 VA24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2018
Photography Glossary
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-VI front thumbnailSony RX100 VI
RX100 VA vs RX100 VI
24-200mm
F2.8-4.5
20MP1"2018
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-V front thumbnailSony RX100 V
RX100 VA vs RX100 V
24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2016
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-IV front thumbnailSony RX100 IV
RX100 VA vs RX100 IV
24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2015
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-III front thumbnailSony RX100 III
RX100 VA vs RX100 III
24-70mm
F1.8-2.8
20MP1"2014
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-II front thumbnailSony RX100 II
RX100 VA vs RX100 II
28-100mm
F1.8-4.9
20MP1"2013
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100 front thumbnailSony RX100
RX100 VA vs RX100
28-100mm
F1.8-4.9
20MP1"2012

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.

comes with phase detect autofocus
decently wide (24mm)
delivers RAW files
does have HDMI port
fast at the tele end (f2.8)
fast shooting (24.0 fps)
flash built-in
flash sync is higher than normal (1/2,000s)
good zoom range (24-70mm 2.9 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (299 grams)
manual focus
NFC support
quiet shutter (1/32,000s)
resolution is good (20MP)
screen size is good (3 inches)
screen tilts
selfie friendly display
sensor size is decent (1")
supports face detection autofocus
supports tracking autofocus
very good maximum aperture (f1.8)
very good screen resolution (1,229 k dot)
video res high (3840 x 2160 resolution)
bad battery life (220 CIPA)
cannot use external flash
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
missing external mic port
missing headphone port
missing Time Lapse function
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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.

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The 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.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) sensor size Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

To get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

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.

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Underneath is a picture of the Sony RX100 VA alongside a softdrink to help you to get a sense of its size.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) dimensions scale

The top view underneath will illustrate the button design on the RX100 VA.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) topview buttons dials

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) screen and viewfinder Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The 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.

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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.

Photography Glossary

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.

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manual focus
flash sync is higher than normal (1/2,000s)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
features face detect autofocus
supports RAW files
external flash not possible

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.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is decent (1")
delivers RAW formats
lighter than competition (299g)

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.

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quiet mode (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (24.0 frames per second)
image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (20MP)
decent sensor size (1")
has tracking autofocus
has phase detect autofocus
terrible battery (220 shots)

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.

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lighter than competition in class (299g)
MP count good (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
selfie friendly screen
decently wide (24mm)
fast max aperture (f1.8)
lack of Timelapse mode
not so great battery life (220 per charge)

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.

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focusing manually
decently wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
good sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (1")
delivers RAW formats
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
low battery life (220 shots)
missing Time Lapse function

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.

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rather wide (24mm)
very good maximum aperture (f1.8)
display is selfie friendly
has image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focus
good video quality (3840 x 2160 pixels)
lighter than competition (299 grams)
no external mic port

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.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A)
Type
Large Sensor Compact
Revealed
2018-07-13
Body design
Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Powered by
Bionz X
Sensor size
1"
Sensor dimensions
13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area
116.2mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
5472 x 3648
RAW support
Highest native ISO
12800
Highest enhanced ISO
25600
Minimum native ISO
125
Minimum enhanced ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points
315
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
24-70mm (2.9x)
Largest aperture
f/1.8-2.8
Macro focus distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
2.7
Screen
Display type
Tilting
Display diagonal
3 inches
Display resolution
1,229k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.59x
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Fastest quiet shutter speed
1/32000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed
24.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
10.20 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash settings
Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Rear Sync, Flash Off
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync
1/2000 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions
3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Highest video resolution
3840x2160
Video data format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
NP-BX1 lithium-ion battery & USB charger
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
299 gr (0.66 lbs)
Physical dimensions
102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
Other
Battery life
220 photos
Type of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-BX1
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots
1
Retail price
$998