Upgrade Guide
Sony RX1R II→Sony A7C
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
→
Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the RX1R II. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the A7C
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
-
Burst rate10fps with AF/AE tracking vs 5fps (2.5fps with AF-S per frame)
-
Battery life~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless vs ~220 shots (CIPA)
-
Generation5 years newer (2020 vs 2015)
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution24MP (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 | A7C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +2.0 | ||
| Street | +0.1 | ||
| Travel | +1.3 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +1.7 | ||
| Documentary | +2.6 | ||
| Landscape | +1.5 | ||
| Casual | +1.5 | ||
| Food | +1.4 | ||
| Macro | +1.9 | ||
| Architecture | +1.1 | ||
| Astrophotography | +3.0 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | RX1R II | A7C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £623 used | £1,699 | |
| Released | 2015 | 2020 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | 42MP | 24MP | ↓ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/60 (XAVC S) | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 | |
| Autofocus | 399-point phase-detect + 25-point contrast hybrid AF, Eye AF | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | |
| Stabilisation | Optical SteadyShot (in the lens), no IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps (2.5fps with AF-S per frame) | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless | ↑ |
| Weight | 507g (with battery and card) | 509g (with battery and card) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Pop-up OLED EVF, 2.36M dots | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF | |
| Screen | 3.0" LCD, 1.23M dots, tilts 109° up / 41° down | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots | |
| Mount | Fixed Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 | Sony E-mount | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD / Memory Stick slot | Single SD UHS-II |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See RX1R II and A7C 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 A7C against your specific genres — not just specs.
Other upgrades from the RX1R II
Related buying guides
Camera family history