Best Sony cameras

Following my decision to take professional photos with a Sony camera about a year ago, I had a lot of fun experimenting with all the latest equipment.

To say there's a lot of useful and intriguing technology housed in the average Sony Alpha camera is a huge understatement.

One thing that may confuse the average shopper (aside from their notorious menus!), is the

wide variety of cameras

in the range.

Editor's Choice

Sony a7III

Incredible AF performance, incredible image quality, excellent battery life - the best value full frame camera.

Check the current price

At the time of writing here in 2021, there are 17 fixed lenses and 10 interchangeable lens bodies (including one that was released just recently!)

Choosing the best Sony cameras for your needs is clearly a rather daunting task…

In this guide, I've tried to cut through the noise to offer my recommendations of the 7 best APS-C and full-frame cameras in their current lineup.

Contents

Best Sony Cameras in 2021

1.Sony A7III | BEST ALL ROUND

Who should buy the Sony A7III?

2.Sony a9

Who should buy the Sony a9?

3. Sony a7RIV | LATEST SONY CAMERA RELEASE

Who should buy the Sony A7RIV?

4.Sony a7RIII

Who should buy the Sony A7RIII?

5. Sony a6400

Who should buy the Sony a6400?

6. Sony RX100 VI

Who should buy the Sony RX100 VI?

7. Sony RX1R II

Who should buy the Sony RX1R II?

Sony Camera Buying Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Last words p>

Picture

Product

Features

Sony a7 III

OUR #1 CHOICE

Incredible value

Excellent image quality

Fast autofocus

Great battery life

See price →

sony a9

FASTEST PERFORMANCE

Ultra-fast autofocus

Silent shooting at 20 fps

Zero power failure

Excellent battery life

See price →

Sony a7R III

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

42 megapixel resolution

Excellent picture quality

Fast autofocus

Great battery life

See price →

sony a6400

BEST APS ALLROUND-C

11 fps burst mode

Poor image quality

Excellent autofocus

Built-in flash

See price →

Sony RX100 VI

BEST COMPACT ZOOM

24 fps burst mode

24-200mm zoom lens

Good dynamic range

pocketable

See price →

Sony RX1R II p>

MOST UNIQUE

The smallest full-frame camera

Retro design

Excellent image quality

42 megapixel resolution p>

See price →

Sony a7R IV

HIGHEST RESOLUTION

61 megapixel resolution

Incredible dynamic range p>

Incredible image quality

Great battery life

See price →

1.Sony A7III |

BEST ALL ROUND

See more reviews

Editor's Choice

Cut:

127 x 96 x 74mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91′′)

Weight:

650g (1.43lbs / 22.93oz)

Sensor:

BSI CMOS Full Frame

Megapixels:

24

Advantages

Excellent image quality

Two SD card slots

Tilting touchscreen LCD

Excellent autofocus

Improved low light capabilities

High customization

Continuous shooting at 10 fps

Crisp, smooth and highly responsive EVF

Excellent video options

Good wireless connectivity

Disadvantages

Questionable ergonomics

Rear LCD does not tilt forward

No GPS

Confusing menu

Only 1 UHS-II compatible card slot

Check the current price

Make no mistake: the Sony a7III

is the camera that

started a revolution

p>

. If there was ever a camera that caused most photographers to switch to a mirrorless system,

it's definitely this one.

If you're thinking of making the switch to Sony or considering a switch to DSLR mirrorless, waste no more time - the Sony a7III is pretty much your perfect full-frame mirrorless camera. It has its quirks, but for the most part it's ideal.

Despite being the company's "entry-level full-frame" camera, the Sony a7III is still the model that has caused the most waves in the camera industry since its release in February 2018.

Sitting beneath the a7RIII/IV megapixel monster and the a9 speed demon, two expensive cameras that, while attractive, are rather specific in their use, the a7III offers cutting-edge technology at a surprisingly affordable price (see latest discounts

here

).

Under the hood, it's all about a beautiful Sony 24.2 MP BSI full-frame image sensor, which produces crisp, vivid and high-contrast JPEGs and RAWs with

tons of dynamic range

.

If you're used to incredibly high ISO performance from a flagship DSLR, you won't be disappointed with the a7III's ISO 50 to 204,800. I can shoot all day at 6400ISO if needed, where the footage is

with impressive sharpness

, with noise only appearing slightly at 12800ISO.

When it comes to autofocus capabilities, prepare to be blown away. With 693 phase-detection AF points offering 93% frame coverage, real-time eyepiece autofocus and 10fps, any subject you miss will be pure user error!

Eye-AF, a feature now common on all recent Sony alpha cameras, is akin to black magic

. Locking onto a subject's eyeball in the frame and staying there until you're ready to take the shot, Eye-AF is a feature of the Sony a7III that will have you wondering how you took pictures. of people (or animals) without front.

If you're a wedding photographer, or just someone who appreciates the ability to shoot 100% in silence, the silent shutter mode on the a7III will help you achieve those crystal-clear captures.

Silent shooting isn't new to mirrorless cameras in 2021, but the high level of customization options on the a7III means you can quickly dive in and out of it with the press of a button.

Then there's the battery life - it was the biggest dropper for me, and allowed me to take a 1700 wedding photo with just one battery!

Compare that with the best other brands have to offer, and you'll quickly realize just how far ahead Sony is in the industry with its technology.

With fully in-camera AF, you can focus on the scene.

Other notable features include a flip-out touchscreen LCD (admittedly with rather limited functionality), dual memory card slots, 5-axis image stabilization, Wifi NFC and Bluetooth, and a weather-sealed body.

All of this adds up to a

near-perfect mirrorless camera

– so what about the falls of the

? There are only a few things, and most of them are related to Sony in general.

It will take some getting used to, especially if you're coming from a DSLR. If you have large hands, you may need to invest in one of the many grips available, so your bottom finger can rest on something.

Then there's the menu, typical of Sony - deep and confusing. It will take some getting used to, but thank goodness for the “My Menu” option, which helps you organize your most used commands.

We have written a guide on the

best Sony a7III lenses

, but another problem that some photographers have with Sony cameras, in general, is the lack of lenses with

character

– they are all a bit too much

too perfect!

(Obviously, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but you don't get those crazy Canon L-lens flares, for example.)

Hmm...that's about it! I can't think of any photographer, professional or otherwise, who has switched to this awesome camera and regretted their decision - most wish they had done it sooner!

In the end, you're getting a massive amount of cameras for a very competitive price. It's my choice of

best value for money in 2021

, and also the best mirrorless camera of the year.

Anyone who wants all the benefits of a world-class full-frame sensor, coupled with incredible AF performance, body image stabilization, dual memory card slots and every other modern feature under the sun. An almost perfect camera for wedding photographers.

Check the current price

2.

sony a9

See more reviews

Editor's Choice

Cut:

127 x 96 x 63mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.48")

Weight:

673g (1.48lbs / 23.74oz)

Sensor:

Full frame BSI CMOS

Megapixels:

28< /p>

Advantages

Incredibly fast autofocus

Two SD card slots

3-axis tiltable LCD

20 fps silent shooting

Top-notch image quality

Improved low light capabilities

Extremely customizable

Full HD at 120 fps

Increased physical controls

Disadvantages

Sub-standard dynamic range

Rear LCD does not tilt forward

No lossless compressed RAW

Frozen menu when clearing buffer

Only 1 slot for UHS-II compatible card

Check the current price

Despite the recent announcement of the megapixel king the Sony a7RIV, it is this camera, the a9 which remains the real

king of the Alpha range

. (We're still reviewing the a9 II - keep your eyes peeled for our update!)

Using the proven full-frame Exmor RS 24.2 stacked CMOS sensor and BINOZ X image processor on which Sony has built its successful Alpha mirrorless cameras, the Sony a9 (

review

) is capable of truly remarkable feats.

First of all, the frame rate, which is frankly

ridiculous

- you can shoot up to 20 fps in full resolution RAW for 241 exposures. That equates to about 12 seconds of holding down the shutter button, which is more than enough to take every frame of the Olympics 100m!

Sony a9's new sensor technology enables it to read the entire sensor all at precisely the same time, so the annoying effect

rolling shutter

that plagues video shooters is gone, as is "black-out" - the momentary loss of viewfinder/LCD image when shooting.

A single photo from a sequence of 20 high images, all in focus | © Roberto Panciati

That means taking burst photos with this amazing camera

akin to filming videos

- not only do you capture 20 frames per second in a

complete silence

, but neither is there the darkening "flicker" that just about every other camera on the market suffers from.

This can be a boon when shooting fast-moving action that requires your full concentration, and no "pauses" in the scene you're watching.

Calculating exposure and autofocus at an incredible 60 frames per second means that not only is the Sony a9 capturing every quick shot in focus, but also

adjusting your exposure on the fly

– compare this to other mirrorless cameras with their 'spray now, adjust later' approach, and you'll see how much of a time saver it is.

Other cool features include two memory card slots, three memory recalls on the top mode dial, a drive mode dial

and one

focus mode dial (no other offers this), two separate AEL and AF-ON buttons (also unique to the Sony a9), 5-axis sensor-shift stabilization, silent shutter, 4k video with uncompressed HDMI output… really, Sony has packed it all into this beast!< /p>

It also has the same NP-FZ100 battery as the Sony a7III, which means around 1,500-1,900 shots, depending on how happy the shutter release is with that shutter. This impressive battery life is simply unmatched by any other mirrorless camera in 2021.

The only downside of the Sony a9 is its cost (see latest price

here

). At a good handful of dollars more than the Sony a7III, you'll be forgiven for wondering what the point is of investing so much in the a9.

Well, despite the a7III having an incredible autofocus system with eye detection and real-time autofocus, the Sony a9 is

even better

. Then there's the massive buffer size - 33 versus 241 - a clear win for the Sony a9.

Admittedly, this level of AF performance isn't required by the majority of photographers, but if you're shooting professionally or tracking very erratic subjects, it's easy to justify the a9.

Moreover, the

shooting without blackout

may be worth the price difference for some photographers, especially those shooting subjects that move so quickly that any interruption in power to the viewfinder can cost a missed frame.

Other small differences like the additional physical control dial and an Ethernet port for tethered shooting all add up to< /p>

more camera

than the a7III, and for those who have used a Sony a9 before, there's simply no going back - it's just

as well.

p>

If you're shooting fast-moving subjects and need the highest level of autofocus performance and burst/buffer rate of virtually any camera currently in production, the a9 is the camera you need. 'you need. Image quality is stunning as you'd expect from a Sony mirrorless device, but it's really all about speed, speed and more speed.

Check the current price

3. Sony a7RIV |

LATEST SONY CAMERA RELEASE

See more reviews

Editor's Choice

Cut:

127 x 96 x 74mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91")

Weight:

657g (1.45lbs / 23.17oz)

Sensor: p>

Full frame BSI CMOS

Megapixels:

61

Advantages

61 megapixel resolution

5-axis image stabilization

Excellent autofocus performance

Real-time Eye-AF in movie mode

Exceptional buffering

High resolution viewfinder

Excellent subject tracking

Disadvantages

Expensive

Limited touchscreen functionality

Massive file sizes

Check the current price

This being the most recently announced Sony Alpha camera of 2021, you better expect superlatives and world-class stats, so here they are…

The Sony a7RIV is the world's first full-frame 35mm camera with a… wait…

61 MP image sensor

!

Expect to see a frankly incredible 15 stops of enhanced dynamic range, 10 fps continuous AF/AE tracking, 567 phase-detection AF points, real-time tracking and Eye AF, 5-axis image stabilization and all the others bits and bobs of customization we've come to expect as Sony shooters. p>

Let's forget all the other impressive features for a moment and focus on what's really on offer here - a compact(-ish) full-frame mirrorless camera with the shooting performance of a machine gun and 61-megapixel pixel !

It is

average image quality

, combined with all the autofocus performance of a high-end mirrorless camera! You can film about

seventy

of those huge RAW files before the buffer takes a break!

Admittedly, the

Sony a7RIV

will only appeal to a very small market - those who need a

ridiculously detailed picture

, and those who take photos with a volume small enough to be able to edit them.

I'm talking about professional landscape photographers, publicity photographers and others...

Phenomenal image quality and higher resolution than you would ever need.< /p>

You certainly won't see any wedding or sports shooters brandishing one of these bad boys, despite the allure of being able to crop to your liking on the files - it would be like having an instant 'zoom function' in post-production!

By customizing one of the buttons on the Sony a7RIV to act as an APS-C crop (which I highly recommend you do), you'll still get 26.2MP in stunning high resolution.

Also, imagine what you can do in post-production with one of these files!!

15 stops of dynamic range

and that many megapixels will mean a big pixel shift, without needing to shoot another HDR exposure medium for as long as you live...

Another world first for the Sony alpha range is the ability to use

Real-time Eye-AF in movie recording mode

– as with shooting stills, a subject's eye is automatically tracked with impressive accuracy and reliability, allowing you to focus on the content itself rather than what's in focus or out of focus .

The improved focusing system of the

consists of 567 focal-plane phase-detection AF points and 425 contrast AF points that cover approximately 74% of the image area.

The highest AF sensor Density and refined tracking algorithms of the new camera produce a

noticeable improvement in tracking performance

, allowing complex subject movements and sudden subject movements to be reliably tracked with greater precision than ever before.

You can crop to your liking with files of this size…

The Sony a7RIV also includes the Sony viewfinder

highest resolution

ever - a 5.76 million dot UXGA OLED Tru -Finder EVF. This is about 1.6 times the resolution of the EVF of its predecessor, which I have to say already left very little room for complaints.

Another incredible feature of the a7RIV is the advanced Pixel Shift Multi-Shot mode, which composites up to 16 full-resolution images to combine them into one gargantuan beast of detail, with level of detail and color accuracy. that will leave your jaw on the floor.

I probably should have said this sooner before you got too excited, but the downside to all of this is obviously the price - more than a grand more than the a7RIII (see latest price

here

), it's definitely a camera for a certain breed of photographer, who won't settle for anything less.

That said, if you have the moolah, or are a professional who can subsidize it by offering

to your customers, this could be a great decision.

Anyone with a big wallet who needs medium format levels of detail in the most modern camera body c is currently producing.

This is a camera so powerful that it's wasted on a static subject - studio photographers shooting models in action, publicity photographers needing to capture fast-moving athletes, and so on. - you know who you are. p>

Check the current price

4.

Sony a7RIII

See more reviews

Editor's Choice

Size:

127 x 96 x 74mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91′′)

Weight:

657g (1.45lbs / 23.17oz)

Sensor:

Full frame BSI CMOS

Megapixels:

42

Advantages

Excellent resolution

Two SD card slots

3-axis tilting LCD

Excellent autofocus

Top-notch image quality< /p>

Excellent low-light capabilities

Extremely customizable

Continuous shooting at 10 fps

Good WiFi + NFC

Disadvantages

Write speed below standard

Modes Locked While Buffering

Questionable ergonomics

Only 1 slot for UHS-II compatible card

Check the current price

It was the first Sonyl ess camera mirror I ever bought and marked the end of my 10 year love affair with DSLRs.

Although a popular camera with wedding photographers like me, the Sony a7RIII (

review< /p>

) really grabbed the attention of the landscape and studio photography crowd, and for a big reason - that massive megapixel count.

(Ignore the fact that there's a newer version of this camera with an even bigger megapixel count for a moment, because the a7R III is still hot in 2021, not to mention much cheaper.)

It's all about a 42.4 MP full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor and updated BIONZ X image processor, which manages to generate an impressive 10 fps continuous shooting rate for approximately 28 RAW files. 14-bit uncompressed (76 high-resolution JPEGs).

This means you'll be able to rip 7.6 seconds and 2.8 seconds of full resolution files before the buffer drops ghost - that may not seem like much, but remember we're talking about a quick succession of 42.4 MP files here.

Compared to its predecessor, the

Sony a7RIII

can do autofocus

two times

as quick in low light situations and do the tracking and that legendary AG eye

two times

as efficiently.

All I know is that before the a7RIII came out, I never would have considered leaving my trusted DSLRs - the mirrorless format just wasn't good enough yet.

Incredible image quality paired with Eye AF to capture erratic subjects. p>

However, with the Sony a7RIII, everything changed. Not only do you get huge files with a

unprecedented level of detail and dynamic range

, but also super-fast burst mode and autofocus/autoexposure adjustment that could keep pace with those ridiculously expensive flagship DSLRs.

Photographing people with the a7RIII (or any of Sony's mirrorless cameras for that matter) is a

piece of cake

. Real-time autofocus and eyepiece autofocus let the camera know where you need to focus, even before you do.

At a wedding, where previously I crossed my fingers that the AF would capture my subject and not the object in front of it, or chase it around the screen with a single AF point, the Sony a7RIII made things so much more easy - all I had to do was compose the image, then let the camera do the focusing.

I am talking here in the past tense, because as you may have guessed, I no longer use the Sony a7RIII, being "downgraded" to the Sony a7III.

Why? Well, those 42.3 megapixel files just weren't suitable for my workflow. While I don't consider myself particularly "trigger happy," my aging Macbook Pro struggled to process the huge files after an average wedding, and my post-production speeds suffered.

Because of this, I< /p>

I would not recommend

the Sony a7RIII to wedding photographers or any high volume photographer…unless of course you have a great computer.

I do miss the ability to crop a photo and still have more than enough megapixels to deliver to a client for their wedding album, but overall I'm happy with the a7III's smaller files .

Whether you need to focus on an eye or an object, the a7RIII's AF doesn't miss a beat.

The Sony a7RIII offers all the conveniences we've come to expect from a Sony camera - touch screen, long battery life, plenty of memory boosters, dual card slots, fast refresh EVF, 425 contrast AF points, built-in 5-axis stabilization, uncompressed 4k HDMI video output and more.

He also offers some of the

best swimming beach

I've seen on a Sony camera - being able to pick up highlights and shadows stop-to-stop is incredibly liberating, especially when you don't have time to nail down exposure in the field - c It's like a lifeline in post-production.

Image quality and build quality are excellent

- that goes without saying. After all, everyone is used to this with Sony cameras.

Overall, the Sony a7RIII is another beast of a camera, not least for the immense level of detail that can be captured effortlessly.

Despite the release of

his successor

, I can still see this camera being a favorite of megapixel-hungry photographers for years to come.

I would recommend it to landscape photographers, architectural photographers, and anyone who takes commercial photos or needs tons of detail in their photos.

Check the current price

5. Sony a6400

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Editor's Choice

Cut:

120 x 67 x 60mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.36′′)

Weight:

403g (0.89lbs / 14.22oz)

Sensor:

APS-C CMOS

Megapixels:

24

Advantages

11fps burst rate

Front LCD

Excellent autofocus

Excellent image quality

Improved low light capabilities

Extremely customizable

Weatherproof

Good autonomy

Built-in bouncing flash

Good Wi-Fi/NFC

Disadvantages

Questionable ergonomics

Implementation of the tilting LCD screen

No IBIS

Only 1 UHS-1 card slot

Slow buffer clearing

Check the current price p>

Sony's a6xxx range of APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras have been a favorite of many photographers around the world, ever since the release of the a6000 in 2014 (Related:

Sony Alpha a6000 Lenses

).

Since then, each release of a new a6xx body has seen a relatively small set of updated features, typical of a camera that has been updated so frequently. Despite the recent release of the Sony a6100 (

review

) and a6600 cameras, I still think the a6400 offers the best value.

With the

a6400

, what did Sony bring this time around? Is it just a vlogging camera, or is there something for us photographers too? I spent 2 months filming with it to find out...

First of all, it's all about a gorgeous 24.2-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor, which delivers i

impressive ISO range< /p>

and excellent low-noise performance, especially for APS-C standards.

I was able to comfortably shoot at ISO 800 all night and still get clean files and accurate colors. p>

Thanks to a front-end LSI and the latest BIONZ X image processor, Sony claims processing speeds that are

1.8x faster

on the

compared to its predecessors.

In practice this means a faster buffer, allowing it to still shoot at 11fps for 46 RAW+JPG, 49 RAW or 114 JPG - that's pretty impressive considering the focus is perfectly sharp thanks to real-time Eye AF.

Choose your lenses wisely and the a6400 is an excellent compact MILC.

One downside is slow buffer performance - during testing the buffer took around 40 seconds to erase 49 photos in burst mode, even with a

fast memory card

.

the

sony a6400

has a

significantly improved build quality

, with a 180 degree rotatable LCD touch screen as its main feature, to the delight of vloggers and all those who like to take selfies!

There are surprisingly few cameras that offer a front-facing LCD screen, but the a6400 handles that relatively well, as long as you don't need to mount a hot shoe microphone, as the screen prevents you to do it without some sort of cage.

The 425 phase-detection points combined with that real-time eye AF (which even works on animals) and real-time tracking of moving subjects was derived from the a6400's full-frame big brothers, and works really great good.

Sony really makes the task

much easier for photographers

which shoot moving subjects, allowing camera settings to not prevent you from capturing the image you want. – all you have to do is aim… and shoot.

One of the main strengths of the Sony a6400 over other full-frame mirrorless cameras in the line is its compact size – choose your lens wisely and you can slip it all into your jacket pocket, with less than half the weight of some of the larger options.

Excellent image quality and bokeh when combined with

Sony FE 28mm f/2

.

Concerning the

lenses for use with the Sony a6400

, I always tend to recommend small and light lenses over zooms – impressive as they are.

Something like the FE 28mm f/2, although designed for a full-frame sensor, performs admirably on the a6400, providing a versatile 35mm field of view.

If you want to stick with more affordable lenses

Sony e-mount

which have been designed for the APS-C sensor, there are a host of excellent ones available, which pair well with the a6400 - just choose wisely to avoid unbalancing your camera body.

In terms of price, the Son y a6400 is definitely a high-end crop sensor camera, but in my opinion, its price could actually be higher

even higher

about the awesome features included.

As is typical of Sony cameras, there is

tons of features

kinda hidden in the confusing menu, but when you have the

a6400

I also really liked being able to focus and

shoot just by touching the screen

– perfect for keeping low profile when shooting “from the hip”.

Is the a6400 better than the a6500?

Yes–see comparison

here

. Is it better than the a6600?

Yes.

Is it worth

two times

the price of the a6000? p>

Certainly

. I named it the

best travel camera of the year,

and I think, whether you intend to travel with it or not, it's a great value product.

If you're a fan of the smaller APS-C camera dimensions but still want to use all those amazing Sony lenses, this is currently the best on offer. This is a great day-to-day camera or a "back-up box" for those who use one of the full-frame Sonys as their primary work tool.

Check the current price

6. Sony RX100 VI

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Editor's Choice

Cut:

102 x 58 x 43mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.69′′)

Weight:

301g (0.66lbs / 10.62oz)

Sensor:

BSI CMOS 1″ p>

Megapixels:

20

Advantages

Great long focal range

24 fps shooting

Excellent autofocus

Good image quality

Contextual viewfinder

Impressive dynamic range

Disadvantages

Bad ergonomics

Confusing AF system

Lens slower than its predecessor

No external mic input

Check current price

This is the camera I chose as

best compact camera of the year

, et je le recommande à presque tous ceux que je rencontre qui recherchent pour quelque chose de puissant et de poche.

Le terme «compact» ou «viser et tirer» est un peu vague, mais personne ne peut affirmer que les dimensions du Sony RX100 VI (

) ne le place pas dans le domaine d'un appareil photo de poche - il est si petit en fait, que vous pouvez le garder dans la poche de votre jean!

Maintenant à la 6eitération, Sony a tout mis en œuvre pour créer ce que beaucoup considèrent comme l'appareil photo compact ultime avec le

RX100 VI

.

Top of the long list of features is a

truly magnificent 8x zoom lens

, with an equivalent focal range of 24- 200mm and a variable aperture of f/2.8~4.5.

Being able to get from 24mm to 200mm in the push of a button can be handy.

What this means is that you can be standing comfortably on a beach shooting wide at 24mm to encompass all the elements of your environment, then at the hold of a button, be shooting the surfers out on the waves.

If you've ever shot with a 70-200mm lens, or even a 24-70mm for that matter, you'll appreciate just how big and heavy they are. To have all this focal range at your disposal, then to have it all sucked back up inside the camera body really is impressive.

While some owners of its predecessor may miss the f/1.8 maximum aperture (shunned in favour of more reach on the lens), shooting at 200mm and f/4 yields some

great bokeh

.

I particularly love the fact that your subject is always unaware of your presence during the shot, due to the distance you can place in between.

Auto focus performance is what we've come to expect with high end Sony cameras. Coupled with the latest 'Real Time Eye AF' functionality which searches for eyes and faces whenever there's a subject in scene, capturing people/animals in motion with the

Sony RX100 VI

is

simple and efficient

.

Whether you usually shoot video or not, you'll have a lot of fun playing with this camera's high frame rate 'HFR' mode, which lets you shoot short snippets, then play them back at 1,000fps for some

amazing super slow motion footage

.

You simply can't find a smaller camera with this many features.

As for stills, you can rattle off an insane

24 fps for 110 RAWS

(or about 220 full res JPEGs) before the buffer slows you down. TWENTY-FOUR frames per second! Come on guys –

that's like shooting a movie!

Image quality is excellent

, with everything handled by a 1 inch, 20.1MP Exmor RS Stacked BSI-CMOS sensor – the same one found in the previous 2 models of the RX100 series.

ISO looks good all the way up 1600, then degrades slowly to 3200, and much faster after that when you reach the limits of the sensor's capabilities.

As for dynamic range, you can expect to pull/push around 4 stops in post, as long as you keep the ISO as low as possible.

The pop up viewfinder seems a bit gimmicky at first, but can actually get you our of trouble on a sunny day. I also like the way that pushing it back into the camera body can turn off the camera and retract the zoom lens.

You can read more about this impressive little camera in my full review, but suffice to say, if you're willing to shell out the handsome sum for it, you won't be disappointed.

Anyone who needs a tiny camera with an impressive feature set, including above all, a 24-200mm equivalent zoom lens to get you much closer to where you want to shoot, without having to use your legs!

Check current price

Sony RX1R II

See More Reviews

Editor's Choice

Size:

113 x 65 x 72 mm (4.45 x 2.56 x 2.83′′)

Weight:

507 g (1.12 lb / 17.88 oz)

Sensor:

BSI CMOS Full frame

Megapixels:

44

Pros

Fun to use

42 MP with excellent image quality

Tilting LCD

Fast, sharp 35mm lens

Excellent AF

Excellent low light performance

Attractive design

Pop up EVF

Good Wifi/NFC

Poor battery life

Questionable ergonomics

No touchscreen

No weather-sealing

Expensive

Check current price

Let's get the elephant in the room out the way first – the Sony RX1R II is an expensive compact camera.

Its current price (check

here

) means that it's in the realms of professionals looking for a smaller full frame camera to complement their main workhorse, or the wealthy amateur who needs a travel camera with incredible performance.

If you're one of these people, keep reading, as this is one camera that you definitely need to hear about…

Released way back in October 2015, the Sony RX1R II is one of the few full frame compact cameras in existence (ie ones with a 35mm sensor).

You do pay a pretty price for it, though. Squeezing a big sensor into a small camera body still costs a lot for manufacturers, and due to the nature of the 35mm sensor size, the lens needs to be a certain size to accommodate – while compact, this still isn't a camera for your jeans pocket.

The RX1R II is a bit of an anomaly in the Sony camera line up in 2021. After all, you can buy a moreversatile full frame inter-changeable lens camera for less than the price of the Sony RX1R II, so why on earth would you invest in this one?

If you want full frame bokeh and dynamic range out of a compact camera, this is your best best.

I spent a few weeks shooting with it to find out, and was surprised to come to the conclusion that the RX1R II turned out to be

my favourite camera in the range!

A combination of stellar image quality and a rather endearing, clunky, tactile body, means that this is a Sony camera that

begs to be picked up

– dare I say it, it's got those lust-worthy 'Fujifilm ergonomics ', while still managing to house a sensor much bigger than APS-C.

Tea

Sony RX1 RII

offers

most

of the functions of a high end mirrorless camera that you'd expect – tilting LCD screen (though no touchscreen), good WiFi/NFC connectivity, decent EVF (that retracts into the body when not in use), customisable dials/buttons and a dedicated exposure compensation dial.

Build quality is excellent

, and dials and switches are reassuringly solid-feeling The on/off switch is reminiscent of an old range-finder, and far more satisfying than pushing a button, which is the usual way to fire up most compact cameras.

Start up time is a little sub-standard though, as is usability in general. Zooming in 1:1 is a painful experience, due to the 42.4 Mega Pixels, so that's understandable. Buttons feel slightly mushy and unresponsive at times too.

Auto Focus is good, and includes Sony's enviable Eye AF, though not nearly as good as the Sony a7/a9 series.

5 fps is sub-par in 2021, but this definitely isn't a camera designed for fast action…

At 100% the level of detail retained in the 42.4MP files is phenomenal.

I shot the Sony RX1 RII on auto white balance, and skin tones looked great. I actually prefer the colours out of this than other high end Sony MILCs – this might be something to do with its amazing low pass filter, which helps deliver such stellar image quality.

The razor sharp fixed 35mm f/2 lens is perfectly paired to the full frame sensor, offering

incredible performance

whether shot wide open or stopped down.

Many will wonder why Sony decided to make this a fixed-lens camera, but in my mind, it was a great decision.

Limiting yourself to just one lens can be a real moment of clarity as a photographer, encouraging you to get used to a single focal length, until you're able to view the scene well before you lift the viewfinder to your eye.

Without the temptation of the impressive Sony lens lineup to choose from, you're left to enjoy, and eventually

benefit from the limitations

of the

RX1R II

.

The Sony RX1 RII doesn't make much sense on paper... but it's still a

surprisingly enjoyable cam era

to shoot that will bring you joy every time you pick it up, not to mention whenever you view the gorgeous high-resolution files on your computer screen.

I'd recommend this endearing camera to any professional or serious amateur photographer, no matter what brand you usually shoot with. It's a Sony camera like no other Sony camera – truly unique in the line up.

Despite its high price point and slightly aging feature-set, the Sony RX1R II is a camera for enthusiasts who place value in modern performance in a retro-inspired body.

Check current price

A selection of the Sony cameras tested for this article.

If you want a short version of the reviews below, here are my recommendations of what Sony camera body to invest in:

📸Want the best resolution and image quality?

Get the Sony a7RIII or the latest Sony a7RIV – the 42.4 (or 61!) megapixels files will leave your jaw on the floor.

📸Want the best AF performance of any camera on the market?

Get the Sony a9. Any shots you miss will definitely just be user-error!

📸Want the best full frame performance out of the smallest body?

Get the Sony RX1R II, which also happens to be the most tactile, involved and enjoyable Sony camera I've ever shot with.

📸Want the best all-round mirrorless interchangeable lens camera of the year?

Get the Sony a7III – incredible performance with an attractive price to match.

📸

Want the best APS-C sensor performance?

Get the Sony a6400, which has the added benefit of a front-facing screen for vlogging/selfies.

📸

Want the best performing compact that fits in your pocket?

Get the Sony RX100 VI, a compact marvel with a wide angle to long range zoom lens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Sony camera is the best?

When it comes to Sony cameras, our number one pick is the Sony a7III. The a7III is a near-to-perfect full frame mirrorless camera that's versatile, sharp, and packs an impressive number of features for its price.

Which Sony camera is best for video?

There are a number of Sony cameras that are great for video. One of our favourites is the Sony a9, which offers 4k video and a set of powerful video-shooting features.

Is Sony a good camera brand?

There's no denying that Sony have some of the best mirrorless cameras on the market today. While

Sony may not have as many lenses or accessories

on offer as other brands, they are continually expanding their range and the quality of their products is impressive.

What are the Sony Alpha cameras?

Sony Alpha is a camera system introduced by the company back in 2006. In this range are a number of interchangeable-lens cameras, including

DSLRs and mirrorless cameras

.

One of my favourite Sony cameras – the quirky

Sony RX1R II

.

One thing that worried me about writing this guide to the best Sony cameras of the year is that deep down I know that the next Sony release is right around the corner!

This is what makes Sony such an exciting brand to shoot with – constant, regular innovation, and cameras with features that rewrite the rule book with every new release.

One thing I'm happy about is Sony's 'Kaizen' approach of continuous-improvement, which means that no matter which camera you invest in, you can expect so me impressive firmware updates.

Take '

real-time AF

' for example – this freely downloadable update further improved the already impressive AF performance of several of the Alpha cameras…

and we didn't even ask for it!

I hope you enjoyed this article. Feel free to leave me a comment or question below ;-)

Editor's Choice

Sony a7III

Incredible AF performance, amazing image quality, great battery life - best value full frame camera.

Check Current Price

Disclaimer: All recommendations are impartial and based on user experience, with no bias to the products or the brand. The products in this post may contain affiliate links.

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