Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.
Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.
You can learn more at our glossary entry.
Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
X100 test data on DxO Mark RX100 V test data on DxO MarkCameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.
Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable
Superb image quality; Dazzling Hybrid Viewfinder; Traditional mechanical controls; Mostly excellent optical performance.
Quirky interface; Manual dials turn easily; Manual focus is too difficult to use; Dramatic lens flare, especially at night.
Pocket-friendly design; Unbelievably fast burst capture; Generous buffer depth, even for raw; Fast and confident autofocus; Very high resolution gives lots of detail in good light; High ISO noise levels much better than most pocket camera rivals; High-quality 4K video with uncompressed HDMI out; Super-fast High Frame Rate video
Very pricey for a compact camera; Still no touch screen; Slow buffer clearing; JPEGs can look over-processed at higher ISOs; Lens doesn't offer much telephoto reach; Battery life is very modest; 4K movies are limited to five minute clips
