Upgrade Guide
Sony NEX-7→Sony RX100
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the NEX-7. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the RX100
-
Generation1 year newer (2012 vs 2011)
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution20MP (down from 24MP — 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 | NEX-7 | RX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -2.0 | ||
| Street | -0.8 | ||
| Travel | -0.2 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -1.4 | ||
| Documentary | -0.6 | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Landscape | -1.0 | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Casual | — | ||
| Food | -1.6 | ||
| Macro | -1.9 | ||
| Architecture | -1.6 | ||
| Astrophotography | -2.1 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | NEX-7 | RX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £90 used | £74 used | |
| Released | 2011 | 2012 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C sensor | 20.2MP 1-inch CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 20MP | ↓ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/60 | Full HD 1080p/60 | |
| Autofocus | 25-point contrast-detect AF, face detection | 25-point contrast-detect AF with face detection | |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens OSS) | Optical SteadyShot (in the lens), no IBIS | |
| Burst Rate | 10fps (3fps with AF) | 10fps (focus fixed at the first frame) | |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~330 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 350g (with battery and card) | 240g (with battery and card) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Not weather sealed | |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 100%, 1.09x | No viewfinder | |
| Screen | 3.0" LCD, 921k dots, tilts 90° up / 45° down | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots | |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9 | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / Memory Stick slot | Single SD / Memory Stick slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See NEX-7 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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