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A7R II vs RX100 VA
Quick take: The A7R II has the highest resolution at 42MP; the A7R II is the most affordable; only the A7R II is weather sealed.
Where the A7R II wins
- Price: £420 used
- Resolution: 42.4MP
- Battery Life: ~290 shots (CIPA)
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Portrait: 7.1 vs 5.1
Where the RX100 VA wins
- Burst Rate: 24fps with AF/AE tracking
- Weight: 299g (with battery and card)
- Street: 7.6 vs 5.8
- Travel: 6.7 vs 5.6
- Casual: 4.7 vs 3.9
16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
A7R II — Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography: The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
Who should buy what
A7R II (2015)
is the right camera for you if…
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A7R IISony · 2015 | RX100 VASony · 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £420 usedBest | £434 used |
| Sensor | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | 20.1MP 1-inch CMOS |
| Resolution | 42.4MPBest | 20.1MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (XAVC S), 1080p HFR up to 960fps, S-Log2 |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection | 315-point phase-detect + 25-point contrast hybrid AF, Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) | Optical SteadyShot (in the lens), no IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 24fps with AF/AE trackingBest |
| Battery Life | ~290 shots (CIPA)Best | ~220 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 625g (with battery and card) | 299g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 41mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | Pop-up OLED EVF, 2.36M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | 3.0" LCD, 1.23M dots, tilts 180° up |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD / Memory Stick slot |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | Multi / micro USB, micro HDMI (4K out), Wi-Fi, NFC |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
A7R II
RX100 VA
Portrait
7.1/10
5.1/10
Street
5.8/10
7.6/10
Travel
5.6/10
6.7/10
Wedding & Events
5.5/10
3.7/10
Filmmaking
5.9/10
4.3/10
Documentary
6.1/10
4.7/10
Sports & Action
5.8/10
—
Landscape
6.4/10
4.2/10
Wildlife
6.7/10
—
Casual
3.9/10
4.7/10
Food
6.4/10
4.9/10
Macro
5.8/10
3.7/10
Architecture
6.4/10
4.4/10
Astrophotography
6.0/10
2.9/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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