Sony RX100 MKVII Pocket Camera Review Chris Keeney

Years ago I bought the Sony RX100 Mark III and loved it. Unfortunately, I was using it in an underwater housing and somehow I got a leak and the camera got wet and no longer worked. I’m not sure why I didn’t replace it but time passed.
In 2025 I decided to pull the trigger and get the newer model (MKVII) for a trip I was about to take to Japan. I was sad that the lowest aperture was no longer f/1.8 but was now f/2.8 but I was happy that it had a 200mm zooms. Honestly I didn’t think I would use that zoom that much, but oh was I wrong. I also thought I wouldn’t use the pop-up viewfinder but I found when composing shots that were zoomed in, it was very helpful. Do I wish it had a faster lens, sure, but I found that f/2.8 was adequate for most low light scenarios and the loss of that extra stop wasn’t a deal breaker for me.
Ergonomically it’s a bit difficult to hold compared to other 1″ sensor camera’s in its league but that hasn’t been a problem for me. I do like how easy it is to deploy and put away whenever I feel the urge to use the camera. The image quality is what you would expect from a Sony camera and I have been pleased with the results I get. I shoot primarily in RAW and I’m always impressed with the 20 megapixel images it produces. It’s a great travel camera and compliment to my full size mirrorless camera. My only complaint is why didn’t Sony change the micro USB to USB C? Come on Sony.