Upgrade Guide
Sony A99 II→Sony RX100
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the A99 II. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the RX100
-
StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution20MP (down from 42MP — optimised for low light)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | A99 II | RX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -3.3 | ||
| Street | +1.1 | ||
| Travel | +1.4 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -4.0 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Documentary | -1.7 | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Landscape | -1.9 | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Casual | +0.5 | ||
| Food | -2.4 | ||
| Macro | -1.8 | ||
| Architecture | -2.6 | ||
| Astrophotography | -2.6 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A99 II | RX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £749 used | £74 used | |
| Released | 2016 | 2012 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame sensor | 20.2MP 1-inch CMOS | |
| Resolution | 42MP | 20MP | ↓ |
| Video | 4K/30p full-pixel readout, 1080p/120, S-Log2 / S-Log3 | Full HD 1080p/60 | |
| Autofocus | 79-point Hybrid Cross phase-detect AF (dedicated sensor + 399-point on-sensor), Eye AF | 25-point contrast-detect AF with face detection | |
| Stabilisation | 4.5-stop 5-axis sensor-shift | Optical SteadyShot (in the lens), no IBIS | |
| Burst Rate | 12fps with AF/AE tracking | 10fps (focus fixed at the first frame) | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~490 shots (CIPA) | ~330 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 849g (with battery and card) | 240g (with battery and card) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Not weather sealed | |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78x | No viewfinder | |
| Screen | 3.0" three-way tilting / swivel LCD, 1.23M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots | |
| Mount | Sony A-mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9 | |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots: SD / Memory Stick + SD | Single SD / Memory Stick slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See A99 II and RX100 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the RX100 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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