Upgrade Guide
Sony RX100 VI→Sony A7S II
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The A7S II improves across 3 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most RX100 VI owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the A7S II
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
-
StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
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Battery life~370 shots (CIPA) vs ~240 shots (CIPA)
Unchanged or similar
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Resolution12MP (down from 20MP — 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 | RX100 VI | A7S II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +0.4 | ||
| Street | -1.8 | ||
| Travel | -1.7 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +1.9 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Filmmaking | +2.1 | ||
| Documentary | +1.0 | ||
| Sports & Action | -1.4 | ||
| Landscape | +0.7 | ||
| Wildlife | -0.7 | ||
| Casual | -3.1 | ||
| Food | -0.2 | ||
| Macro | +1.0 | ||
| Architecture | +0.3 | ||
| Astrophotography | +3.1 | ||
| Fun & simple | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | RX100 VI | A7S II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £670 | £369 used | |
| Released | 2018 | 2015 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 20.1MP 1-inch BSI Stacked CMOS | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS | |
| Resolution | 20MP | 12MP | ↓ |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p, 960fps HFR | 4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3 | |
| Autofocus | Fast Hybrid AF, 315 phase-detect points, Eye AF | Contrast-detect AF, 169 points; limited by modern standards | |
| Stabilisation | Optical SteadyShot | 5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS) | |
| Burst Rate | 24fps | 5fps continuous | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~240 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 267g (body only) | 584g (body only) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Pop-up EVF, 2.35M dots | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots | |
| Mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / Memory Stick PRO Duo slot | Dual SD UHS-I slots |
Compare side-by-side
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