A7R IIvs Sony RX100 VII
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
Sony
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
Starting from £1099 new
Best for Travel & versatility
View Sony RX100 VII
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): 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.
Travel & Versatility — Sony RX100 VII (2019): The most versatile compact camera ever made — 24-200mm zoom, 20fps burst, and 960fps slow-motion in a jacket pocket.
Who should buy what
A7R II (2015)
- 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
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
- Travel photographers who want the most capable 1-inch compact available
- Vloggers who need fast AF and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket body
- Photographers who want a high-quality compact backup to a mirrorless system
- Anyone who wants professional AF performance without carrying a large camera
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. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7R II (2015) | Sony RX100 VII (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS (stacked) |
| Resolution | 42.4MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p HLG, FHD/960fps super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection | 357-point phase-detect + 425 contrast, Eye AF, tracking |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) | 3-stop Optical SteadyShot |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 20fps AF/AE tracking (90fps short burst) |
| Battery Life | ~290 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 625g (with battery and card) | 302g with battery and card |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 42.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | Pop-up EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7R II | Sony RX100 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Family & Everyday | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A7R II
Camera family history