Upgrade Guide
Sony RX1R II→Sony A5000
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the RX1R II. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the A5000
-
Battery life~420 shots (CIPA) vs ~220 shots (CIPA)
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 | RX1R II | A5000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -1.2 | ||
| Street | -0.9 | ||
| Travel | +0.4 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -2.2 | ||
| Documentary | -0.9 | ||
| Landscape | -0.3 | ||
| Casual | +0.3 | ||
| Food | -0.5 | ||
| Macro | +0.5 | ||
| Architecture | -0.4 | ||
| Astrophotography | +0.2 | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | RX1R II | A5000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £623 used | £78 used | |
| Released | 2015 | 2014 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame CMOS | 20.1MP APS-C CMOS | |
| Resolution | 42MP | 20MP | ↓ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/60 (XAVC S) | Full HD 1080 (60i / 25p AVCHD), 1440×1080/30p MP4 | |
| Autofocus | 399-point phase-detect + 25-point contrast hybrid AF, Eye AF | 25-point contrast AF with face detection | |
| Stabilisation | Optical SteadyShot (in the lens), no IBIS | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps (2.5fps with AF-S per frame) | 3.5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~420 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 507g (with battery and card) | 269g (with battery) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Not weather sealed | |
| Viewfinder | Pop-up OLED EVF, 2.36M dots | None (rear screen only) | |
| Screen | 3.0" LCD, 1.23M dots, tilts 109° up / 41° down | 3.0" 180° flip-up LCD, 460k dots | |
| Mount | Fixed Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 | Sony E-mount | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / Memory Stick slot | Single SD slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See RX1R II and A5000 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 A5000 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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