Sony RX0 Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX0 is a fixed lens compact camera that was officially introduced in August 2017 and is equipped with an one-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 15.4 megapixel.

Is the Sony RX0 a good camera? The RX0 has a Camera Elo of 1995. This rating puts the RX0 below average of all prime lens compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (one inch cameras), the RX0 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony RX0 is more than 7 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2017.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Sony RX0 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony RX0 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony RX0	59 mm	41 mm	30 mm	110 g	240	Y	Aug 2017	US$ 699	ebay.com
2.		Fujifilm X70	113 mm	64 mm	44 mm	340 g	330	n	Jan 2016	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Nikon W300	112 mm	66 mm	29 mm	231 g	280	Y	May 2017	US$ 389	ebay.com
4.		Ricoh WG-60	123 mm	62 mm	30 mm	193 g	300	Y	Oct 2018	US$ 279	ebay.com
5.		Sony HX95	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	242 g	370	n	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
6.		Sony HX99	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	242 g	370	n	Aug 2018	US$ 449	ebay.com
7.		Sony RX0 II	59 mm	41 mm	35 mm	132 g	240	Y	Mar 2019	US$ 699	amazon.com
8.		Sony RX10 III	133 mm	94 mm	127 mm	1051 g	420	Y	Mar 2016	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX10 IV	133 mm	94 mm	145 mm	1095 g	400	Y	Sep 2017	US$ 1 699	amazon.com
10.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
11.		Sony WX800	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	233 g	370	n	Oct 2018	US$ 399	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony RX0 was launched in the US market at a price of $699. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony RX0 features an one-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony RX0 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony RX0	1-inch	15.4	4800	3200	1080/60p	22.4	12.4	548	68
2.		Fujifilm X70	APS-C	16.0	4896	3264	1080/60p	23.7	13.0	1608	80
3.		Nikon W300	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.5	12.0	938	50
4.		Ricoh WG-60	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.6	12.2	1072	51
5.		Sony HX95	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1057	51
6.		Sony HX99	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1058	51
7.		Sony RX0 II	1-inch	15.4	4800	3200	4K/30p	22.1	12.4	555	65
8.		Sony RX10 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	23.1	12.6	472	70
9.		Sony RX10 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	408	63
10.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
11.		Sony WX800	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.2	1070	51
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The RX0 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the RX0 can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony RX0 and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony RX0	none	n	1.5 / 230	fixed	n	..	5.5/s	n	n
2.		Fujifilm X70	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
3.		Nikon W300	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Ricoh WG-60	none	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
5.		Sony HX95	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Sony HX99	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Sony RX0 II	none	n	1.5 / 230	tilting	n	..	5.5/s	n	n
8.		Sony RX10 III	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	14.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Sony RX10 IV	2359	Y	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony WX800	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX0 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony RX0	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Fujifilm X70	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Nikon W300	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Ricoh WG-60	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Sony HX95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Sony HX99	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Sony RX0 II	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Sony RX10 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony RX10 IV	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony WX800	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the RX0 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The RX0 has a prime lens built in (7.7mm f/4.0), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length of 24mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic of similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the RX0 can be found in the free online Sony RX0 Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the RX0 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony RX0	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2017	US$ 699	ebay.com
2.		Fujifilm X70	4.5/5	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Nikon W300	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	May 2017	US$ 389	ebay.com
4.		Ricoh WG-60	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	US$ 279	ebay.com
5.		Sony HX95	..	..	..	..	..	..	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
6.		Sony HX99	..	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 449	ebay.com
7.		Sony RX0 II	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	US$ 699	amazon.com
8.		Sony RX10 III	5/5	+	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2016	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX10 IV	5/5	+	3.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2017	US$ 1 699	amazon.com
10.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
11.		Sony WX800	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	US$ 399	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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