Sony RX100 VI Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI is a fixed lens compact camera that was officially introduced in June 2018 and is equipped with an one-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20 megapixel.

Is the Sony RX100 VI a good camera? The RX100 VI has a Camera Elo of 2440. This rating puts the RX100 VI among the top 20 percent of all travel zoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (one inch cameras), the RX100 VI ranks among the top 30 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4.5-star performance rating.

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 RX100 VI 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 RX100 VI 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 RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
2.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	EUR 399	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	EUR 399	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X100F	127 mm	75 mm	52 mm	469 g	390	n	Jan 2017	EUR 1 399	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	EUR 499	ebay.com
6.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic TZ90	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	EUR 429	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	EUR 849	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 VII	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	302 g	260	n	Jul 2019	EUR 1 299	amazon.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 RX100 VI was launched in the US market at a price of $1,199. 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.

Check RX100 VI offers at
ebay.com

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 RX100 VI 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 RX100 VI 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 following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
2.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
3.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
4.		Fujifilm X100F	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
5.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
6.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
7.		Panasonic TZ90	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
8.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
9.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
10.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
11.		Sony RX100 VII	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.8	12.4	418	63
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 also of capturing video footage. The RX100 VI indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the RX100 VI can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the RX100 VI has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2359k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.59x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Sony RX100 VI along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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 RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Fujifilm X100F	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
5.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
6.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Panasonic TZ90	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony RX100 VII	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	Y	1/2000s	90.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

One convenient feature of the RX100 VI is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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-RX100 VI 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 RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Fujifilm X100F	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Panasonic TZ90	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony RX100 VII	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the RX100 VI offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The RX100 VI has a zoom lens built in (9-72mm f/2.8-4.5), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 200mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the RX100 VI can be found in the free online Sony RX100 VI Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the RX100 VI handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known 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 RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
2.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	EUR 399	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	EUR 399	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X100F	5/5	+	3.9/5	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 1 399	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	EUR 499	ebay.com
6.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic TZ90	..	+ +	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	EUR 429	ebay.com
8.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	EUR 849	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 VII	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	4/5	5/5	Jul 2019	EUR 1 299	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check RX100 VI offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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