Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VA

Advanced point-and-shoot cameras

A 20-megapixel camera from Sony with a 1 inch sensor, a 3-inch LCD, and an image stabilizer.

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CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

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Current Range of Tested Advanced point-and-shoot cameras

What goes into the Overall Score?

Image quality

/ 5

Ease of use

/ 5

Video quality

/ 5

LCD quality

/ 5

Viewfinder

/ 5

Flash photos

/ 5

Image stabilization

/ 5

Color

/ 5

Sensor types

/ 5

Battery life (shots)

/ 5

4K video

/ 5

WiFi

/ 5

Megapixels

/ 5

Test lens

/ 5

Weight (oz.)

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

PHOTO QUALITY. This 20-megapixel advanced point-and-shoot camera captured images with very good quality. Pictures were sharp, which means you can see most details and subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations without a flash, pictures were sharp. We judged this model very good for outdoor performance, such as shooting landscapes in the daytime; very good for indoor performance, such as photographing a well-lit basketball game in a gym; and very good for low-light performance without a flash, such as capturing a birthday party. Photos taken in our low-light performance tests displayed very little image noise; subjects retained correct detail and color.FLASH. The Cyber-shot RX100 VA captured flash shots that were good. In our distance test, we found the camera's flash could illuminate most subjects that are closer to the camera, but had some problems with distant subjects. The flash also has very good, even coverage.LENS. This camera has a standard 3x optical zoom lens. The lens also has very wide-angle (24mm) capability that's very useful for landscapes and group portraits, although you may notice a bit of distortion when you're shooting faces up close, for instance. The lens has a bright f/1.8 aperture (at its maximum), which gives you a shallower depth of field for producing more professional looking portraits and images.IMAGE STABILIZATION. This is an important feature; taking hand-held shots at the telephoto end of the zoom range can generally blur or soften images due to the slight movement of your hands. Shooting telephoto in well-lit scenes, this model did an excellent job of minimizing the effects of camera shake. In low-light settings, it performed excellently and almost never produced blurry photos. Overall, the shake reduction results from our tests were excellent.SPEED. In terms of performance, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VA powers up in a moderate amount of time. It has a very short interval between shots, which can be important when shooting fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.VIDEO. The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VA takes very good video. It also captures 4K-UHD video at 3840 x 2160 100p or 30i. As for sound, it captures very good audio in stereo.ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. Like most advanced point-and-shoot models, this camera does include an electronic viewfinder, which means you have flexibility when composing your photo or video; this viewfinder has excellent quality. This advanced point-and-shoot is much smaller, thinner and lighter than most in its class.

About

The Cyber-shot RX100 VA is a 20-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 24mm-70mm. It has a 3-inch LCD (1,228,800 pixels). It also includes an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when composing in bright light. Because it does not accept interchangeable lenses, we consider this model an advanced point-and-shoot camera. The camera has a maximum aperture of f/1.8. The camera's shutter speed range is 30 seconds to 1/2000 of a second. The Cyber-shot RX100 VA stores photos and video but has no on-board storage. It captures images as JPEG or RAW files at a top resolution of 5472 x 3648 and UHD-4K-resolution video as MP4 files at a top resolution of 3840 x 2160 and a frame rate up to 100p or 30i. Like most digital cameras, this model comes with a proprietary rechargeable battery. This advanced point-and-shoot has 340 autofocus points, 20 exposure modes, and an exposure compensation control that can be set at +/-3 EV. The image stabilization system for this camera is optical. The Cyber-shot RX100 VA measures 4 inches wide by 2.3 inches high by 1.6 inches deep, and weighs 11 ounces (with battery, memory card, strap, and tested lens).

Features & Specs

Features

Full frame

Swivelling screen

Exposure modes

Color space

sRGB/Adobe RGB

Hot shoe

Optical zoom

Touch screen

Live view

Wireless remote

PC flash sync jack

Specs

Image stabilizer

LCD size (in.)

LCD pixel count

1229k

35mm equivalent multiplier

2.7

Shutter speed range

30 - 1/2000

Max. buffer size JPEG/RAW

unlimited

Max. ISO

25600

Memory card

SD/SDHC/SDXC, MemoryStick Duo

Total weight (oz.)

Height (in.)

2.3

Width (in.)

Depth (in.)

1.6

Memory card slots/type

Still image formats

Price & Shop

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VA

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

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