Sony RX100 MK VI

24~200mm (equivalent) f/2.8~4.5

Silent 24 FPS @ 20MP, 4K HDR

World's Best Pocket, Travel & Vacation Camera (2018-2019)

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Sony: A9 III A1 A9 II A9 A7R V A7R IV A7R III A7 IV A7 III A7R II A7S III A7c A7 II A6600 A6400 A6100 A6000 ZV-E10 RX10/4 RX100/7 RX100/6 Flash Lenses

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 Mark VI (20 MP one inch sensor, 9-72mm f/2.8-4.5 lens (24-200mm equivalent), 10.6 oz./300g with battery and card, $1,198). bigger.

I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.

This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Sony doesn't seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, store demo, damaged, returned or used camera. My approved sources ship from remote automated warehouses where no salespeople or lookie-loos can ever get their greasy fingers on your new Sony or drop it before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection, and save yourself from a very expensive mistake. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.

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Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI, power off (lens retracted). bigger.

 

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI, finder popped up. bigger.

 

August 2018   Sony Reviews   Zeiss   Nikon   Canon   Fuji   LEICA   All Reviews

All Sony Cameras Compared

Old RX100 Mk V (2016-)

Older RX100 Mk IV (2015-)

Really old RX100 Mk III (2014-)

 

Sample Images

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(more at High ISOs)

These are all shot hand-held as Standard JPGs; no RAW or FINE JPGs or tripods were used or needed.

Here's one of my favorite photos of all time that I shot on the ancient Mark IV version of this camera back in 2015:

Lightning over resort at dusk

Lightning over resort at dusk, 14 July 2015. Sony RX100 Mk IV at 8.8mm, f/1.8 at 1 second at ISO 125, Perfectly Clear V2. bigger or Full-resolution or camera-original © file.

This new Mark VI has the same sensor if not better, and a much longer zoom range. While I spent a lot of time with my new Mark IV (that shot is in the Bahamas), I've only had my Mark VI a couple of weeks and this is the best I've seen out of it so far locally:

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

Sharp, Colorful Cactus Flag, 09 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 24mm equivalent (9mm actual), f/4.5 at 1/13 at Auto ISO 500, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

Kellogg Organic Potting Mix, 09 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 24mm equivalent (9mm actual), f/3.2 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 125, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

2018 Mercedes AMG GLE 63S 22" tire and wheel, 11 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 34mm equivalent (12.2mm actual), f/3.5 at 1/40 at Auto ISO 800, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

Japanese characters backlit against painted wood, 12 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 41mm equivalent (14.7mm actual), wide-open at f/3.5 at 1/40 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger or camera-original file.

 

Mercedes AMG GLE 63S

2018 Mercedes AMG GLE 63S, 11 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 200mm equivalent (71.5mm actual), wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 125, flash ON, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original file.

 

Ryan gets his teeth cleaned

Ryan gets his teeth cleaned, 14 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 61mm equivalent (22.9mm actual), f/4 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 640, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger.

 

Introduction

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New   Good   Bad   Missing

Adorama Pays Top Dollar for Used Gear

Amazon

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Crutchfield

I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below.

The Sony RX-100 Mk VI is the evolution of 2016's RX100 Mark V, adding a longer zoom lens while keeping the same tiny size and weight as the old model! The only gotcha is that this new lens is 1⅓ stops slower than the more limited lenses of the older versions.

At 24 full-resolution 20MP frames-per-second, the RX100 Mk VI shoots just about as fast as the world's top two professional DSLRs combined (the Canon 1DX Mk II and Nikon D5), and the RX100 Mk VI has the same resolution!

The RX100/6 works faster than just about any other camera and the pictures are always sharp and clear. This camera just gets out of the way by setting itself instantly and delivering fantastic pictures. There is no compact camera I'd rather carry around all day for shooting whatever comes my way. That's 99% of my review; the DSC-RX100 Mark VI is an absolutely superb camera.

Set the zoom ring option, and you get smooth, continuous zooming with the big ring at the base of the lens instead of preset steps with the little lever around the shutter button. Use the ring, and you can shoot it like a real camera: zoom with your left hand and fire with your right. The RX100 figures out focus areas automatically with immediate tracking facial recognition; you don't have to twiddle with selecting AF areas.

Also fantastic is how fast everything works. There is no waiting; everything just goes, and goes fast. Turn-on, autofocus and everything are immediate. It wakes up, focuses and shoots as fast as an iPhone, and this Sony can motor along silently at 24 frames per second for still photos!

Its pop-up finder makes it fast and easy to shoot in any light, and exposure and white balance are also perfect for each and every shot — better than any DSLR!

While its sensor is much smaller than a DSLR's, its sensor is larger than most other point & shoot cameras, so it usually performs better, especially in low light.

It shoots in any light, and given enough light, colors pop when turned up in the Vivid with +3 Saturation settings.

Fill-flash from the tiny built-in flash, with a 1/2,000 sync speed, also works perfectly, which is much better than most pocket cameras.

It is made in China and charges via USB.

Auto ISO works great; it's easy to set the minimum and maximum ISOs as well as the minimum shutter speeds. Better, it's just as easy to program the slowest speed to vary with focal length, and we have several options to shift it (all automatically) from there. Auto ISO settings also save and recall with the Memory Recall modes.

The electronic viewfinder is always at the perfect brightness from night to direct sunlight.

My RX100 Mk VI shoots instantly, fast enough even for drive-by-shooting, and my pictures look fantastic as-shot with no tweaking needed. This is what a camera is supposed to be; I can't help but love this Sony to death!

 

New since 2016's RX100 Mk V

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Lens now goes to 200mm equivalent instead of just 70mm equivalent.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com New longer lens is now slower; f/2.8~4.5 rather than f/1.8~2.8.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Even less finder lag (the previous model was really good, too!).

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Finder's eyepiece adjustment holds focus much better; it doesn't get knocked as much as it did in the Mark V.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com HDR added in addition to previous model's 4K video.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) video profile option. 

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Bluetooth.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Touch Screen, but only for selecting AF points or use as a shutter button.

 

Good

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Everything shoots super fast: fast focus and frame rate.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Blazingly-fast 1/2,000 flash sync allows the tiny built-in flash to work well in daylight.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Completely silent shooting.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Superb AF system finds and tracks motion and faces fantastically.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Selectable aspect ratios work flawlessly with electronic finders.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com While the new lens is slower than the old lens (f/4.5 at 200mm equivalent instead of f/2.8 at 70mm equivalent), the f/4.5 at 200mm equivalent renders backgrounds even more out of focus than the old lens could.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com NFC & WiFi.

 

Bad

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Not much other than Sony's menu system being confusing at first. It's not as well organized as Canon's DSLRs, but Canon makes nothing like this little gem.

 

Missing

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No battery percentage meter; just a four-segment battery icon.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com 1⅓ stop slower f/2.8-4.5 lens compared to the older f/1.8-2.8 lens (three times less sensitive to light).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com Doesn't focus quite as close as the older models.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more neutral density filter (the lens is slower than older models so it's not needed).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No GPS, but you may be able to get the camera to connect to your phone via Bluetooth and an app to tag your photos automatically with location.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com Touch screen only selects AF points; it can't do anything else like set menus, enter text or zoom images.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No second card slot.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No mic or headphone jack.

 

Specifications

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See also Sony's Brochure and Sony's RX100 Mark VI Specifications.

 

Lens

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

9 ~ 72mm (24-200mm equiv.) f/2.8~4.5.

 

Optical Design

15 elements in 12 groups.

2 ED elements.

8 aspherical elements, 4 of which are "advanced aspherical."

 

Diaphragm

7 blades.

 

Close Focus

0.27 feet (8 cm) at wide; 3.3 feet (1m) at tele.

 

Optical Stabilizer

Rated 4 stops improvement.

 

Image Sensor

20MP.

8.8 x 13.2mm, deceptively marketed as "one inch," which it is not. This "one inch sensor" is much smaller than a DSLR sensor, but bigger than a cell phone camera's sensor. Therefore its technical image quality falls somewhere in between the two.

5,472 x 3,648 pixels native.

3:2 aspect ratio, the wrong one. It should be 3:4, but sadly uses the too-long and too-short 3:2 (1.5:1) ratio of DSLRs. This means that just like DSLRs there's often wasted image area on the sides that gets cropped off and thrown away. If it was the correct 3:4 ratio then it would make the best use of the lens and image area.

 

ISO

ISO 125-12,800. (as low as ISO 80 in a trick mode).

 

Auto Focus

315 phase-detection points cover 65% of the image.

25 contrast-detection points.

 

Audio Sensor

Stereo microphone built in.

 

Formats

Still

JPG and/or raw.

 

Video

AVCHD, MP4, XAVC S.

It runs at 1,000 progressively-scanned frames per second at some resolutions; these aren't misprints.

3,840 x 2,160: 29.94p, 25p, 23.97p.

1,920 x 1,080: 1,000p, 960p, 500p, 480p, 250p, 240p, 59.94p, 50p, 29.97ps, 25p, 23.97p, 59.94i, 50i.

1,824 x 1,026p: 1,000p, 500p, 250p, 240p, 480p, 960p.

1,676 x 566p: 1,000p, 960p, 500p, 480p, 250p, 240p.

1,280 x 720: 29.97p, 25p.

 

Audio

AAC LC, AC3, Dolby Digital 2 channel, Linear Stereo PCM.

 

Finder

2,359,296 dot 0.39" OLED electronic pop-up finder.

0.59x at 50mm equivalent

-4 to +3 diopters.

 

Shutter

Mechanical

1/2,000 to 30 seconds in all modes except AUTO, whose maximum time is 4 seconds.

 

Electronic

1/32,000 to 30 seconds in all modes except AUTO, whose maximum time is 4 seconds.

Anti rolling-shutter mode makes this shutter work without bending moving objects.

 

Flash

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI, flash and finders popped-up. bigger.

Built-in flash.

 

Storage

SD, SDHC and SDXC.

Various Sony Memory Stick formats.

 

LCD

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

3."

3:4 aspect ratio.

Swivels up and down, but not left and right.

Anti-reflection coated LCD behind uncoated plastic.

921,000 dots.

 

Storage

One SD card slot.

 

Connectors

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

Micro USB 2.0 behind the top plastic door marked MULTI in tiny letters. You charge through this connector.

Micro D HDMI behind the second plastic door marked HDMI in tiny stylized letters.

 

WiFi

802.11b/g/n.

 

Environment

Operating: 0 ~ 40º C (32 ~ 104º F).

Storage: -20 ~ +60º C (-4 ~ +140º F).

 

Power

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

 

Sony RX-BX1 battery

Sony NP-BX1 battery. bigger.

Sony RX-BX1 battery

Sony NP-BX1 battery. bigger.

NP-BX1 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery, same as in the Mark IV.

3.6 V, 1,240 mAh = 4.5 WHr.

Charges via USB.

 

Quality

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

Made in China.

Mostly metal outer shell with plastic innards.

 

Size (lens retracted)

4.0 x 2.4 x 1.6 inches WHD.

101.6 x 58.1 x 42.8 millimeters WHD.

 

Weight

10.598 oz. (300.4g) with battery and card actual measured weight.

Rated 10.7 oz. (301g) with battery and card.

 

Announced

05 June 2018.

 

Price

$1,198, June~August 2018.

 

Getting a Legal USA Version

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This section applies in the USA only.

In the USA, be sure your box says "UC2" near the bar codes:

Sony RX100 Mark VI

USA Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI showing "UC2" on box end. bigger.

If the letters are different, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the USA, and you won't even be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!

Always be sure to check your box while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources, so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.

The legal USA version also has a limited warranty sheet from Sony USA, which specifically mentions purchases made in the UNITED STATES:

Sony RX100 Mark VI

USA Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI documents. bigger.

If there's a question, you can call the number on the warranty sheet to confirm your serial number, or just get yours from the same places I do so you don't need to worry.

The USA version includes a brief printed English manual and a second Spanish and French manual.

 

Unboxing

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The box is completely unsealed. There is no way to know if anyone else has been fiddling with your Mark VI, swapping parts and accessories, or even if it's a used camera.

That's why it's critical only to buy from an approved online source, since they ship from automated warehouses where no shifty salesmen or customers ever get to touch your new camera before it ships. While new CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays and bottles of milk and drinking water are sealed and quite obvious if anyone's opened them, paradoxically Sony doesn't bother sealing anything, so your only insurance is to buy only from a trusted online dealer.

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Box, Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

 

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Box back, Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

Open the unsealed box and first you'll see the documentation lying on a folded cardboard tray. Here I've fanned it out so you can see what you get in the USA version:

 

Sony RX100 Mark VI

USA Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI documents. bigger.

Lift up the document tray and you'll see this underneath:

 

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

In the top section you'll see the AC -> USB power adapter, USB charging cord, black wrist strap and strap niplets. The two strap niplets let you connect a full-size strap to the tiny niplets on the side of the camera. On the bottom you'll see the battery on the left and the camera wrapped in black in the middle. There's just air on the bottom right.

Unwrap your brand-new camera and it has a tag attached to it:

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI. bigger.

Remove the tag, attach your strap, plug-in your camera to charge, and off you go.

 

Performance

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Overall

Performance          top

I get great snaps with nearly no effort; I just snap away and sharp, vivid pictures come out. That's what makes this the world's best pocket camera: great pictures, fast and easy.

All the images are sharp, in-focus and well exposed; I just point and shoot. This is better than most DSLRs which often require more fiddling to get great results. I set my Mark VI for auto-everything (in Program mode, see my User's Guide), and it does everything for me.

 

Autofocus

Performance          top

Autofocus is fast and sure, even in dim light with no need for the annoying AF illuminator.

Face recognition works while shooting; it finds faces and focuses on them all by itself - and it's always right!

The AF-C (continuous) autofocus mode works great. It finds and tracks faces, and it always gets perfect focus.

 

Bokeh

Performance          top

Bokeh, the feel or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is fair. Blur circles have weird compositions, most likely due to how Sony manufactures the numerous aspherical surfaces.

Sony RX100 Mk VI Bokeh

Davis 6250 weather station, 07 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 200mm equivalent (72mm actual), wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 125, exactly as-shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

Since this is a small sensor camera with shorter lenses for any equivalent angle of view, it has much more depth of field than a DSLR or mirrorless camera. That means backgrounds are usually much more in focus than with larger cameras.

As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/4.5 at 200mm equivalent and get as close as possible.

 

Distortion

Performance          top

Shot as JPGs, there is no distortion. Straight lines always stay straight.

I presume that the RX100 6 is correcting this automatically, and therefore that raw files opened in third-party software may not correct this. If you shoot raw then watch for this if you worry about straight lines.

 

Ergonomics

Performance          top

It's a tiny little camera whose buttons are easy to feel and press.

It takes a while to set the menus, and once set, works extremely well so I can point & shoot and get what I want every time. It has the same graphics and general operation for the menus and settings as Sony's larger mirrorless cameras.

If you already know Sony, then you know this RX100 M6.

Once set, the RX100/6 is amazingly fast and easy to shoot. Once my Mk VI is set (which it usually is), it shoots faster and better than anything anywhere near it's own size and weight. It outdoes most DSLRs for speed of shooting and ability to read light, focus and exposure by itself, and the images look great compared to a DSLR.

It has quite a few programmable memory presets. I program one for my preferences for Landscapes, one for People and another for Action, and it has more I don't use (see my free User's Guide).

Once set, the Memory Recall modes let me reset my RX100 quickly to whatever I need. I wish it took fewer clicks to get from one memory to the other, but even though it takes a few clicks it's still faster than having to reset all the individual adjustments I'd otherwise have to set. It also takes some practice not to erase the memories in the process of recalling them. It needs M1, M2 and M3 memory recall settings on the top dial so I can recall these instantly. Instead it has a single MR position which, once selected allows me to select among my presets.

There are no real strap lugs, just two little holes ("niplets") for tiny threaded wrist straps. Use the included adapters to use full-size straps.

There are tiny nubbins on bottom so you can rest it on a flat surface to shoot without scratching its bottom.

The battery goes in four ways, but it only clicks-in and works one way.

Its lens retracts when off. At 24mm equivalent it pops out like this:

 

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI set to 24mm equivalent. bigger.

 

It sticks out this far when set to 200mm equivalent:

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI zoomed to 200mm equivalent. bigger.

 

Exposure & Auto White Balance

Performance          top

Exposure and auto white balance are perfect!

Much better than DSLRs, this camera like other mirrorless is almost always dead-on, just like an iPhone.

This says a lot; the Mk VI never gets fooled so I never have to retake photos. Even under screwy light, it always looks great at its default settings.

 

Finder

Performance          top

The RX100's tiny pop-up electronic finder is superb. It makes this a great camera; you can see what you're doing instead of having to hold it out in front of you.

The electronic finder is sharp, colorful and fast. Not only does it show what you're shooting; it also shows playback and menus, and easily magnifies any image you're trying to see. There's no need for the rear LCD unless you want to use the camera at arm's length or from odd angles, and the automatic eyepiece/LCD selection works flawlessly so you never have to select which you want to use.

The electronic finder automatically adjusts itself so that it's always at the perfect brightness, never too bright and never too dim, regardless of the ambient lighting. It never gets fooled and is much better than Fuji's cameras at this. It looks great from broad daylight to shooting outside in the middle of the night. Perfect!

The finder is tiny, but its picture is big. Its focus lever is even tinier so it's hard to set precise eyepiece focus. Once set it will drift. Its tiny focus lever lacks the precision you get in Sony's larger cameras, but seems to be a big improvement over the Mark V.

The RX100 Mark VI turns on and off as you pop the finder up and down. You can change this in a menu if you don't want it to turn off when you push in the finder.

There is an electronic level. It seems a little slower to respond than in Sony's top pro full-frame cameras, but just give it a tenth of a second and it works great to keep things straight.

 

Flash

Performance          top

Sony RX100 Mark VI

Sony DSC-RX100 Mark VI, flash and finders popped-up. bigger.

The tiny pop-up flash works great, fortified by the blazing-fast 1/2,000 flash sync.

It balances extremely well for fill-flash during the day indoors and outdoors. With its 1/2,000 sync speed the tiny flash usually works well even in direct sunlight.

Slide a lever on the top and it pops up. Push it back in to turn it off. It's a direct mechanical catch with no delay. Perfect!

There are no external flash connections. The tiny pop-up flash is all you have, and it works GREAT!

If the flash has to pop at full power it will take several seconds to recycle like all cameras, but the bad part is that the RX100-6 locks-up and won't take a flashless picture for the few seconds the flash is recycling. This means if the flash fires at full power that you're dead in the water for several long seconds until it's ready to fire again. The RX100M6 isn't smart enough to let you shoot without flash while it recharges; instead it locks-up the entire camera.

 

High ISOs and Low Light

Performance          top

I get very usable pictures at crazy-high ISOs. It's easy to shoot hand-held in available darkness.

If you want to count pixels, as in all cameras subtle details are smudged-over by noise reduction at high ISOs. Noise reduction removes subtle details along with the noise, that's how it works.

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

New Orleans, 19 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 39mm equivalent (14.1mm actual), f/3.5 at 1/40 at Auto ISO 1,000, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

The Eagles in concert, 10 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 200mm equivalent (72mm actual), wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 3,200, exactly as-shot. bigger or camera-original © file. Stage lighting colored their faces red.

 

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, 09 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 73mm equivalent (26.4mm actual), wide-open at f/4 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 2,000, exactly as-shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

No light? No tripod? NO PROBLEM!

 

Macro Performance

Performance          top

It gets about as close as an iPhone or other point-and-shoot cameras. No news here:

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 12 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at close-focus distance at 24mm equivalent (9mm actual), f/4.5 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 125, exactly as-shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 12 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at close-focus distance at 200mm equivalent (72mm actual), f/4.5 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 125, exactly as-shot. bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Mechanical Quality

Performance          top

It's a made-in-China of mostly plastic, with mostly aluminum outer shells and dials.

 

Lens Cover Blades

Plastic.

 

Front Telescoping Lens Barrels

Plastic functional internals covered with black anodized aluminum tubes.

 

Programmable Front Ring

Deeply knurled black anodized aluminum.

 

Top Cover

Black anodized aluminum (front) and plastic (rear strip printed with camera model number).

 

Finder Pop-Up Lever

Plastic.

 

Strap Niplets

Black metal.

 

Pop-up Finder

Plastic innards covered in black anodized aluminum.

 

Pop-up Flash

All plastic, with black anodized aluminum. top plate that lies flush when collapsed.

 

Flash Pop-up Lever

Plastic.

 

Shutter Button & Mode Dial

Metal outsides

 

Zoom Lever around Shutter Button

Plastic.

 

Front Covers

Black anodized aluminum.

 

Rear Control Panel

Plastic.

 

Rear Buttons

Plastic.

 

LCD Cover

Plastic.

 

LCD Extender Frame

Sheet metal.

 

Camera Back (behind LCD)

Plastic.

 

Bottom

Plastic.

 

Battery & Card Door

Plastic, with metal hinge.

 

Tripod Socket

Metal.

 

Identity

Lens: Laser engraved on front of lens, painted on top of lens barrel.

Camera: Painted on rear of top panel, and on sticker on bottom.

 

Markings

Paint.

 

Serial Number

Printed on sticker on bottom of camera.

 

Date Code

None found.

 

Noises When Shaken

Moderate clunking.

 

Made in

China.

 

Sharpness

Performance          top

The only limitation to picture sharpness are your skill as a photographer.

Of course it's sharp; this is 2018 and even my iPhone X is super sharp. I have no problem taking sharp pictures with my RX100 that I can enlarge to any sized mural.

Like all cameras, it's softest at High ISOs and sharpest at the lowest ISOs.

If you want the sharpest pictures, as with any compact camera be sure not to shoot above ISO 125, avoid subject or camera motion, shoot at the largest aperture to minimize diffraction and be sure that everything that you want to keep sharp is at the same distance from the camera so it's all in focus.

Sony RX100 Mk VI Sample Image

Tree, 07 August 2018. Sony RX100 Mk VI at 90mm equivalent (32.7mm actual), wide-open at f/4 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 125, Perfectly Clear v3.5. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © file.

 

Shutter

Performance          top

The shutter is nearly silent, and the electronic shutter is silent. The only person who will hear it is you.

Even niftier is that even the mechanical shutter is silent as it opens; with long exposures the only thing you hear is it closing at the end of the exposure.

 

Playback   

Performance          top

The image rotates with the camera on playback just like an iPhone, but not while zoomed. This is a flaw common to all Sony cameras as I write this in August 2018.

Other than that, no surprises.

 

Rear LCD Monitor

Performance          top

The rear LCD is nothing unusual. It's smaller than an iPhone.

The screen can tilt up or down, but cannot swing left or right.

 

Power & Battery

Performance          top

There is no battery percentage meter; just a four-segment battery icon. It's a low-performance icon that seems only to read battery voltage, so depending on load it will give different readings. It's nowhere near as good as a percentage meter, which this camera lacks.

Considering that Sony has been an innovator in batteries for many decades and pretty much invented the first percentage gauge for lithium batteries, it's weird that this camera's battery gauge is so primitive.

You'll get many more shots than rated if you make long sequences at high frame rates rather than if you stop and shoot each frame one-by-one.

It charges in the camera via USB. The power button has a tiny, dim amber LED to indicate charging, which turns off when done. It's green when the camera is on.

Since it charges via USB, it's easy to charge it from anything from a Mac, PC, wall plug, USB power stick, solar panel or rental-car USB jack. USB is everywhere!

It also can be powered to shoot over USB; no need for any other kind of AC adapter.

There is a simple battery-charge "Bolt" icon, but no percentage indicator.

My RX 100 Mk 6 draws 790 mA while charging, and 1 mA when complete.

It draws 400 mA over USB if turned on.

 

Data

Performance          top

Cards are not formatted properly. They are formatted as "NO NAME," not as SONY_RX or similar. Sony has never gotten this right.

New cards require you to let the camera diddle around creating a "picture registry" in the card.

Good news is we can set the first three characters of our file name as we like; I set mine to "MK6......," as in Mark VI.

The still image folder is at NO NAME/DCIM/100MSDCF by default.

I prefer to have the camera make a new folder each day, which then looks like NO NAME/DCIM/10080814 on 14 August 2018.

JPGs are coded efficiently, even if the file structure leaves a lot to be desired. JPGs are flagged as 350 DPI.

I set my RX100 to add my copyright information to each file.

Cards are loaded with junk folders making it difficult to find your images for download. Worse, videos are hidden in a different, weirder places, so it may take some exploration to find them. See How to Find Sony RX100 Mark VI video files.

 

Compared

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Unboxing   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

Versus Sony

See All Sony Cameras Compared.

 

Versus the iPhone

The Sony has an excellent electronic finder, while the iPhone only has its display.

The iPhone only has one screen, but if that's what you prefer over the finder, the iPhone's screen is bigger and better than the RX100 rear LCD.

The iPhone only has one or two fast, fixed lenses, while the RX100 camera zooms over a much broader range covering 24mm wide to 200mm-equivalent tele.

This Sony easily makes long exposures, raw files and all the usual manual fiddling, while the iPhone just goes.

The iPhone magically uses instant HDR to control extreme lighting as needed, while this Sony does not.

This Sony has a great built-in xenon flash for use as fill-flash, while the iPhone's LED light lacks the power for use in anything but very dark conditions. The iPhone's dim LED magically matches itself to ambient light color, while the Sony's xenon tube is always matching daylight - not tungsten and not fluorescent.

The Sony has little to no ability to optimize or edit images, while the iPhone has unlimited editing ability with the use of apps like the free Snapseed app and hundreds of others.

This Sony has only limited data connections and those only work through an app on your phone, while the iPhone is connected directly to everything on the Internet to print and share your pictures anyway you like.

Of course if you use the various apps to connect this Sony to your iPhone you get all the editing and connections of the iPhone, and you can use this Sony's images the same way once transferred to the iPhone.

 

User's Guide

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Unboxing   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

Power

The battery goes in four ways, but it only clicks-in and works one way. If it won't click-in, try it another way until it does. Hint: look for the gold contacts on the battery and match them to the ones inside the camera.

It charges via micro USB. The power button glows amber while charging, and is off when done. It's rated 2½ hours for a full charge from a dead battery. I use a 99¢ third-party micro USB cable and it works fine.

For vacation use, I always had enough charge for the day on one battery. It's always a good idea to carry a spare, charged NP-BX1 battery.

In fact, even with a 3rd-party Watson-brand battery I always had more than enough power. This battery comes in a little plastic case, so it's safe to carry everywhere in your pocket. It's rated a little less than the Sony battery but half the price. I couldn't wear one out even with a full day of shooting.

I brought a Watson-brand plug-in-the-wall charger because it also has a USB outlet. I can charge one battery in the Watson charger and charge the second inside the camera via USB from the side of the charger! This uses only one power outlet to charge both at the same time, which may be the only outlet you get when traveling with your family in one motel room.

Better, the Watson charger comes as a kit with a battery for $5 less than buying them separately.

 

Carrying

I use an American-made Op/Tech sling strap ($12) that connects to one niplet. It lets me carry my RX100 around my neck and shoulder for instant use.

It has no real strap lugs. It has but two little niplets, one on each side, that accept the threaded loop from the included wrist strap or Op/Tech sling.

The RX100/6 also comes with two niplet adapters. Each has a thread loop that can wrap through each camera niplet, and the other side is a full-sized metal loop for a standard. Therefore with the two included niplet adapters you can attach the RX100 VI to a regular DSLR strap.

I also can just throw this tiny camera in my pocket; that's why it's called a pocket camera.

 

Menus

Here's where I find these frequently-used settings:

Format: MENU > Suitcase (Setup) > page 5 of 7.

Auto Image Review: MENU > Camera 2 > page 8 of 10.

Custom Controls (to program all the buttons and the Fn menu): MENU > Camera 2 > page 9 of 10.

Audio (beeps): MENU > Camera 2 > page 10 of 10.

Memory save/recall: MENU > Camera 1 > page 3 of 12. See Memories.

 

Exposure Compensation

With everything so complex and programmable on this camera, I usually forget that this is on the bottom of the rear rotary controller by default, and marked that way.

 

Lens Ring and Zooming

At its default, the ring at the base of the lens changes exposure combinations in Program mode.

The zoom lever at the shutter button only motors the lens to fixed zoom settings. I instead program the ring around the lens to zoom it, and now and it zooms essentially continuously.

Don't set this ring to exposure compensation because it's always getting knocked. I had my ring first set to compensation, and it was always moving by itself and malexposing my pictures.

You set this at MENU > Camera 2 > page 9 of 10 > Mountain Icon Custom Key > Control Ring > Zoom.

 

Memories

Here's how and why I set my memories.

To set them, first set the camera the way you want it, and then save all this to one of the presets at MENU > Camera 1 > page 3 of 12 > (MR + camera icon) Memory, then select the location into which you'd like to save the camera's current state. This menu item should be labeled "SAVE," but instead it's called MEMORY. This erases whatever was in that memory location and replaces it with the camera's current settings, so be careful if you are trying to recall a setting rather than save it. You'll probably wind up erasing and resetting these by accident for a while until you discover that MEMORY really means ERASE MEMORY. If you're trying to recall a setting, only press things that say RECALL. Be sure it says RECALL, or you'll erase your carefully set settings in one click.

Each memory also recalls your zoom setting, so I set mine about midway between tele and wide so I'm at a normal setting at first.

To recall a saved setting you can do it the hard way: MENU > Camera 1 > page 3 of 12 > (MR + camera icon) RECALL and then select it, or the easy way: turn the top dial to "MR" and select it. If your top dial is already at MR as mine always is, click it either way and back to MR to call up the selection menu.

Here's how I set them. I only program these three; there are four more (M!, M2, M3 and M4).

Memory Setting
1
2
3
Subject
Places & Things
People
Sports & Action
Resolution
20MP
10MP*
10MP*
Aspect Ratio
3:2
4:3
4:3
Creative Style
VIVID
STANDARD
STANDARD
Color Saturation
+3
+1
+1
Auto ISO minimum speed
Vary automatically with zoom setting; typically 1/8 at wide and 1/30 at tele
1/125 to freeze people
1/250 or 1/500 to freeze action
AF mode
AF-A
AF-A
AF-C
Advance mode
Single Shooting
Continuous LO Shooting**
Continuous HI Shooting

* 10 MP is more than enough for anything and increases my workflow speed and throughput.

** at 24 FPS I almost always get a sequence of at least several images every time I tap the shutter. If you'd rather just one frame, then set LO which is only a few frames per second and lets me shoot just one frame at a time if that's what I want.

When you change anything after you've recalled a memory setting, it stays changed until you recall another setting. Turning the RX100 VI off and on won't reset the recalled memory setting.

 

Programming the Fn menu

Sony RX100 Mk VI LCD screen

You can program which items are in the 12 boxes above that appear when you press the rear Fn button.

Do this at MENU > Camera 2 > page 9 of 10 > Function Menu Set.

Now when you tap the rear Fn button, these appear and you can set these functions quickly.

 

Aspect Ratios

I prefer to shoot in 4:3 as my default, since more things fit in that shape.

I only use 3:2, the full sensor, when I'm shooting at 20MP and might want to crop carefully later.

 

Stabilizer

I never turn it off. On previous models I didn't have to turn it off, even with 30 second moonlight time exposures.

 

Displays

Press the rear DISP button while either the rear LCD or the finder are active to select among their various display options.

The LCD and finder may be set to different kinds of displays, and each remembers your setting as you use the other.

 

Playback

Just hold the PLAY button for a few seconds and it will wake directly in play mode without needing to erect the lens.

 

Downloading Video Files

Video files are in different places depending on the format you shot. If you use software to download these it will probably be easier, but I prefer to use my Mac's Finder and downlioad from a card reader. I shoot AVCHD, not 4K. Your results will vary, but here's what I do on my Mac Pro with High Sierra OS 10.13.

My video files are combined in a folder at NO NAME > PRIVATE > AVCHD (or whatever format you shoot). When you get there, my Mac Pro on OS 10.13.6 as of August 2018 shows an "AVCHD collection" there, but not any individual video files to download.

To download video files to Mac, I use my Mac's Finder and, in Column View, select my card (cryptically called NO NAME, thank you Sony). Now, in the upper-right bar in the Finder's Search window, type but one period ("."). This will have it search for all kinds of file.

Select NO NAME along the top left to search your card. Don't select the default of This Mac, which would search your computer instead

Select Arrange along the top left, and select Kind. Now you should see all the files on your card. Look towards the bottom of the column and you should see all the video files under Movies. Select them and drag them to another open Finder window to wherever you want them on your Mac.

Be sure to make a point of looking there for every download, otherwise you may erase your card before you get your video files, since they are in a completely different place from your pictures!

I'm sure Sony makes some software that might do this for me, but I don't use any camera manufacturer software as it's usually too buggy to be worth downloading and maintaining.

 

Recommendations

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Unboxing   Performance   Compared

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I review loads of cameras. This RX100/6 stands out from the rest because of how many great pictures I can make with it in such a short period of time, and how easy it is to do this: just point and shoot.

I'd pass on the old RX100 Mk V with its zoom stopping at only 70mm equivalent; that doesn't count as telephoto. While the old RX100 Mk V  has a faster lens, I never needed it, while I shoot at longer focal lengths only available on this new Mark VI all the time.

Better than most cameras today, no one takes a point-and-shoot seriously. If you need to photograph sensitive people, things or locations, people are paranoid of cell phone cameras and DSLRs, but with this little gem, no one will notice. You'll get pro shots, it works completely silently and no one will be the wiser.

This is a premium camera for premium people who deserve the best of the best. If money matters, get a Sony A6000 with 16-50mm PZ lens. It's half the price and has only half the zoom range, but also takes extraordinary pictures with very small size and a lens that retracts. See also Is It Worth It. The real question is if your life, times and vacations are worth the very best.

While not only the world's best vacation camera, it's 2018, not 2008 anymore. There's really no reason you can't use this camera for everything to replace a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The biggest difference between this gem and a larger camera is that larger sensors beget images with less depth-of-field. If you want soft backgrounds consider a larger camera as your main camera, while if you prefer everything sharp, there's no reason to have to bother with a bigger camera today.

I got my RX100 Mk VI at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.

When you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live, it helps me keep adding to this free website — but I receive nothing for these efforts if you take the chance of buying elsewhere. Sony doesn't seal its boxes so you have no idea if you're actually getting a used product if you risk buying at retail. Never buy at retail.

 

More Information

Top   Sample Images   Intro   Specs   USA Version

Unboxing   Performance   Compared

User's Guide   Recommendations   More

 

Sony's RX100 Mk VI Brochure.

Sony's RX100 Mark VI Specifications.

Sony's basic RX100 Mk VI User's Manual.

Sony's full online interactive PDF manual.

 

© Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

 

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09-14 & 20 August 2018, 05 June 2018