The Sony RX100 VII is good for travel photography. Image quality out-of-the-box is excellent, and the camera's wide shutter speed range makes it easy to capture both long-exposure shots and stills of fast-moving subjects.

Lightweight, portable design., Superb autofocus performance in photography and video., Excellent image quality.

Uncomfortable to hold., Short battery life.

A fantastic pocket-friendly camera that gives you a huge amount of power in a teeny tiny package. There’s a hell of a lot to love about the Sony RX100 VII - but the price will be a big stumbling block for many.

Pocket friendly; Good flexible zoom; Added video functionality

Slightly slippery design; Maximum aperture is f/2.8

Models in the popular Sony Cyber-shot RX100 compact camera line share a similar body design and a 20MP 1-inch type sensor; they differ mainly by lens choice. As the seventh iteration (or eighth, if you count the VA), the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII is an updated version of the VI, which was the first...

There are some great little cameras in the Sony RX100-series, and the RX100 VII is arguably the best of all of them. However, it’s expensive for a camera with a 1-inch type sensor and it could use some form of grip on the front.

Best-in-its-class AF system; Stabilised 4K video; Great focal length range

Front lacks grip; Limited use of the touchscreen functionality

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII point-and-shoot is a modest update to the RX100 VI, offering better autofocus and video stabilization for a bit more money.

Sharp 8x zoom lens; Electronic viewfinder; 1-inch sensor design; 20fps capture with subject tracking; Eye detection for people and pets; Tilting touch screen; 4K video with external microphone port.

Expensive; Can't start video while images are writing to card; Limited touch functions.

The Sony RX100 series represents the top tier of the point-and-shoot market. The seventh-generation model, the Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII ($1,299.99), sports the 8x lens introduced in its predecessor, along with an autofocus system that puts the camera on the same footing as the company's high-end interchangeable lens models. It's a premium camera, with a price match, but backs it up with top-notch speed and optics. That earns it our Editors' Choice. Pocket-Sized Powerhouse Smartphone cameras continue to get better thanks to advancements in image processing—computational photography—but there are some who simply prefer the feel of a dedicated camera in their hands, or want a bit more zoom power than you get from a multi-lens iPhone. The RX100 VII offers plenty of zoom power, with a lens that matches a full-frame 24-200mm in terms of coverage. It's longer than the 24-70mm design used in some others in the series, including the RX100 VA, but only captures about half the light. If yo...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII point-and-shoot is a modest update to the RX100 VI, offering better autofocus and video stabilization for a bit more money.

Sharp 8x zoom lens; Electronic viewfinder; 1-inch sensor design; 20fps capture with subject tracking; Eye detection for people and pets; Tilting touch screen; 4K video with external microphone port

Expensive; Can't start video while images are writing to card; Limited touch functions

Super flexibility to control the shot... once you have understood the menu structure and programmed the various buttons to allow quicker access to the most used items

About as perfect as small-scale, high-end compact cameras get. If you can afford one, that is, as this has never been a budget series.

Powerful video/stills quality; Image stabilisation; Mic input; Fast and accurate autofocus; Decent low-light performance; Tiny size considering its 1in sensor; Useful pop-up viewfinder

Battery doesn't last all that long; Shutter button needs more feedback/travel and buttons are too small; Zoom limits maximum aperture at longer focal lengths; It's really expensive

About as perfect as small-scale, high-end compact cameras get. If you can afford one, that is, as this has never been a budget series.

Powerful video/stills quality; Image stabilisation; Mic input; Fast and accurate autofocus; Decent low-light performance; Tiny size considering its 1in sensor; Useful pop-up viewfinder;

Battery doesn't last all that long; Shutter button needs more feedback/travel and buttons are too small; Zoom limits maximum aperture at longer focal lengths; It's really expensive;