Do you love your Sony RX100 vii? (Page 2): I've owned both cameras. I sold the Panasonic a while back - honestly can't remember why, but I think I had GSA for a Nikon DSLR and needed...

jcwall396 Loc: Roswell, GA

HardwareGuy wrote:

I'd sure like some opinions on those who have this camera. We're traveling to Switzerland in December and I want to go light with a quality camera but not use my phone. I currently own a Lumix DMC ZS100. Nice little camera, but will the Sony be worth it for size and quality?

I've owned both cameras. I sold the Panasonic a while back - honestly can't remember why, but I think I had GSA for a Nikon DSLR and needed the cash. I now own the Sony RX100 VII (along with a DSLR, mirrorless, yada yada yada) and it's a great little camera. I use it on short trips or hikes when I don't want to carry a full kit and it does a great job, even if I just put it into Auto Mode. As far as which is better, the Panasonic or the Sony, I think it's a personal preference. The Sony is newer, but the Panasonic has a little bit better reach at 250mm vs. 200mm for the Sony. The Sony is a terrific camera, but if I still had my Panasonic, I don't know if I would have upgraded. Again, personal preference.

Rick from NY Loc: Sarasota FL

HardwareGuy wrote:

I'd sure like some opinions on those who have this camera. We're traveling to Switzerland in December and I want to go light with a quality camera but not use my phone. I currently own a Lumix DMC ZS100. Nice little camera, but will the Sony be worth it for size and quality?

Fabulous camera. I use it frequently when I can’t or don’t want to carry my big gear. Only negatives I will point out are -

Very small buttons for menu changes.

Difficult menu system. A definite learning curve, so don’t buy one and expect to just start shooting intuitively. Requires some serious study time. Along the same lines, I’d bet there are a dozen features on the camera that I don’t even know about. Sort of like my experience with Photoshop!

But - I am delighted with the results. Exceptional performer. Even the flash, which is a weak spot on most small cameras, is designed be able to be bounced, albeit it just up, not side to side or to the rear. You aren’t buying this for the flash though. It is better than most, but still very limited in usefulness. Good for pop of fill only.

Lagoonguy Loc: New Smyrna Beach, FL

My wife and I have the RX100 VI & VII for backup travel cameras and they do a great job. We recently used them on a six week trip to Iceland, The Faroe Islands and a small ship cruise from Malta to Venice so a mixture of climate and weather was confronted. We did miss not having a f1.8 aperture for indoor non flash situations but the longer zoom more than made up for that detail. We added the Sony $20 grip and it does make it easier to handle as otherwise it is a little slippery. We have Lumix M4/3 cameras as our main kit and the RX100s come close to them in terms of video & still’s rendering if you don’t crop too extensively. However, you already have a very good small camera so I might be reluctant to make the switch especially at the higher costs. Good luck.

amkras Loc: NY

I have this camera and love it. I will take it when I want to travel light. The images are incredibly sharp through out the focal range. The only limitation: it only goes up to f11.There are many situations where I like to use a smaller aperture.

jtm1943

Yeah. It is small and slippery I added the sall rig grip andit made a huge difference, but is still good for a shirt pocket. The picture quality is amazing. It rivals a DSLR IMHO. In fact, many times I have relied only on the RX100 vii. Picture quality is better than the Panasonic ZS100, which I also have, but it gets little use now, althought it has great features. So does the RX100 vii and its 1 inch sensor. Loving it.

HardwareGuy

I'm sure appreciating all this great input. Thank you.

RolandDieter

The Sony goes a just little wider, but at wide angles a little an make a big difference. At the long end the difference between 200 and 250 equivalent isn't that great. The faster lens in the Sony would be the real tie-breaker to me, especially when shooting in low light.

stevefrankel

I've had all the RX100 models, and they are designed to stay in a small shirt pocket, or in a jacket pocket if it's raining. They are unbeatable as travel cameras for fast, unobtrusive shooting. The adhesive Sony grip that fits on the left front side of the cameras is the only accessory that you need, besides 2-3 extra batteries. I've gotten 20x30" gallery prints out of mine.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I don’t view the Sony RX100VII as a point and shoot. I don’t think it fits in that category at all. I look at it as a small, very advanced camera. One of the pro reviewers likened it to an A9 in a small body, and in fact, the two share many of the same featured and internal hardware. It’s definitely not a beginner’s camera.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

HardwareGuy wrote:

I'd sure like some opinions on those who have this camera. We're traveling to Switzerland in December and I want to go light with a quality camera but not use my phone. I currently own a Lumix DMC ZS100. Nice little camera, but will the Sony be worth it for size and quality?

The faster lens of the Sony matters, the QUALITY of the Zeiss lens matters, I use the RX10m4 ......

If the quality of the LENS of the RX100 is similar to the RX10 it is a no-brainer.....

Smitty Blackstone Loc: NY or Jupiter

I wholeheartedly recommend the RX100vii.
I carry mine everywhere.
You will not be disappointed.
Safe travels.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

HardwareGuy wrote:

I'd sure like some opinions on those who have this camera. We're traveling to Switzerland in December and I want to go light with a quality camera but not use my phone. I currently own a Lumix DMC ZS100. Nice little camera, but will the Sony be worth it for size and quality?

I have had the VI for a couple of years, purchasing it as a back up to my full frame DSLR for landscape photgraphy. I find the IQ to be outstanding, almost unbelievable for such a tiny camera (at times the result is indistinguishable from that of my FF camera). The only drawback for me, and this is because of me and not a fault of the camera (at least as I view it), is that it is very complicated and difficult to learn. Part of this is probably because this is the first and only Sony I have ever used. I purchased the Guide for the VI written by Alexander White and that does help (260 pages for this tiny camera!!). However, every once in awhile I am puzzled by something. This problem is probably fairly unique to me and is also contributed to by me now being a slow learner in my old age.

If image quality is very important to you I would go for it.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

The Sony is simply a great camera with plenty of reach and lots of features. However, if you have large hands, as I do, it will be difficult to use. I had one and loved everything about it except the very small size. I gave it to my wife.

mffox Loc: Avon, CT

I would go with the Lumix; I Traveled all through Britain, Bermuda and many parts of the US with a ZS 60 and was never disappointed.

Flying Three Loc: Berthoud, CO

I have the vi and truly love it and don't miss my larger cameras at all. For image quality, check out my photos from the last 3 years. I have large hands, and it took me awhile to learn to handle this small camera, but now it is fine. Yes, extra batteries, and expect a learning curve with the Sony menu.