One week after announcing the new a7R IV full-frame mirrorless camera, Sony has released another successor in its popular RX series. Debuting this morning, the Sony RX100 VII is a powerful compact camera that now boasts some of the most popular features of the full-frame a9.
“The RX100 VII sets a new standard for performance in compact cameras,” says Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Products and Solutions at Sony Electronics, in a company press release. “Sony will continue to drive innovation in the world of imaging, constantly pushing to empower creators with the most capable tools that allow them to realize their vision, and create like they have never been able to before.”
Key Features:
- 1.0-type stacked 20.1 MP Exmor R CMOS image sensor
- 24–200 mm F/2.8–4.5 zoom lens (15 elements in 12 groups)
- 8.0x optical zoom
- XGA OLED Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder (with 2.35 million dots)
- 180-degree flip touch screen
- 357 focal-plane phase-detection, 425 contrast-detection AF points
- 20fps continuous, blackout-free shooting, AF/AE tracking
- Real-time Tracking and Real-time Eye AF (for stills and movies)
- Internal 4K HDR (HLG) recording
- External microphone input (3.5mm)
Auto-Focus Upgrades:
The new RX addition houses a new 1.0-type stacked 20.1 MP Exmor RS CMOS image sensor, as well as the most recent generation of the BIONZ X image processor. Both features combine to produce autofocus and speed improvements that are first-time additions to the compact camera.
The built-in ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T 24-200mm F/2.8-4.5 zoom lens features high magnification, and auto-focus speeds of 0.02 seconds, as well as 357-point phase detection and 425-point contrast-detection AF. The camera can also capture at 20fps with AF/AE tracking, and even allows for blackout-free shooting (including at 20fps), bringing the A9’s beloved feature to the new RX100 VII.
The camera is also loaded with a new mode — Single Burst Shooting — which employs the anti-distortion shutter to capture quick action shots up to 90fps in JPEG/RAW. The final result will be seven images, at 90fps, 60fps or 30fps, giving the photographer the option to choose the ideal format.
Sony’s real-time tracking and real-time eye autofocus (for both humans and animals) features have also been added into the RX100 VII, and using artificial intelligence-based object recognition, the camera is able to detect subjects and accurately track them across the frame.
Filmmaking Powers:
The same real-time tracking and real-time eye autofocus that’s available for stills is also present in video mode, but more notably, Sony has brought 4K in-body movie recording to the RX100 VII, with a full pixel readout and no pixel binding.
The camera also has a vertical-position data recording for portrait films, and a 180-degree flip-out screen that can be adjusted for vlogging and monitoring purposes.
The Sony RX100 VII also now includes a microphone input (standard 3.5mm), so videographers can plug in external microphones to create higher-quality audio projects.
The Sony RX100 VII will be available for preorder for , starting at 6PM EDT on July 25, 2019 at Adorama.
