Sony RX100 III vs Canon 7D Mark II

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Sony RX100 III vs Canon 7D Mark II

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1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 70.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX100 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX100 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX100 III.
Compare Sony RX100 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX100 III conclusion.

APS-C 337.5mm²
20.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 7D Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 7D Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 7D Mark II.
Compare Canon 7D Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 7D Mark II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony RX100 IV
Compare RX100 III vs RX100 IV
Compare Sony RX100 IV vs Canon 7D Mark II

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Differences

Sony RX100 III advantages over Canon 7D Mark II

Less expensive
$748* vs $1799
Save money for lenses or accessories
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Thinner
41 mm vs 78 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Less shutter lag
0.15 vs 0.25 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Canon 7D Mark II advantages over Sony RX100 III

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 4.11 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

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.
7D Mark II test data on DxO Mark RX100 III test data on DxO Mark

1,082 vs 495 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras 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

670 vs 320 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bigger JPEG buffer
103 vs 48 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.5 fps vs 6.7 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity

User reviews

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Buy the Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 Mark III

All RX100 III Deals

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Buy the Canon 7D Mark II

Body Only

Body Only
Body with W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter
Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-135mm Lens and Wi-Fi Adapter

All 7D Mark II Deals

Review Excerpt

Pocket-friendly design; Popup electronic viewfinder; Bright lens across the zoom range; Great performance with very fast autofocus; Very high resolution gives lots of detail in good light; High ISO noise levels much better than most pocket camera rivals; Wi-Fi wireless networking
Feels a little unbalanced without an accessory grip; Not as much telephoto reach as its siblings; Noise processing is heavier-handed than in earlier models; Quite pricey for a fixed-lens camera
Read our Sony RX100 III Review

Excellent image quality; High ISO performance improved over predecessor; Excellent burst speeds (up to 10fps); Significantly improved buffer depths; 65-pt AF system; Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Can focus down to f/8 (great for teleconverters); 1080/60p video; Headphone and mic jacks; Rugged build quality.
Autofocus speed (AF shutter lag) slower than 7D and 70D; Mediocre battery life for a pro DSLR; Dynamic range at low to moderate ISOs not as good as competitors; Phase-detect AF did not perform as well as expected in our low-light AF tests; No built-in Wi-Fi; No autofocus for 1080/60p video.
Read our Canon 7D Mark II Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 7D

Sony RX100 III

Canon 7D

$748
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1499
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Canon 7D

Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 7D

$1799
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Built-in GPS

$1499
APS-C

Less expensive
Less shutter lag

Compare Canon 7D Mark II vs Canon 7D

Compared to Sony RX100

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Tiltable Screen

$1074
1 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Faster RAW shooting

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100

Canon 7D Mark II

Sony RX100

$1799
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$1074
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 7D Mark II vs Sony RX100

Compared to Canon 6D

Sony RX100 III

Canon 6D

$748
1 inch

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$1699
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Canon 6D

Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 6D

$1799
APS-C

On-sensor phase detect
More telephoto lens reach

$1699
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon 7D Mark II vs Canon 6D

Compared to Sony RX100 II

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Fast startup

$598
1 inch

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100 II

Canon 7D Mark II

Sony RX100 II

$1799
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$598
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 7D Mark II vs Sony RX100 II

Compared to Canon G7X

Sony RX100 III

Canon G7X

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
In-camera panoramas

$1239
1 inch

Touchscreen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Canon G7X

Canon 7D Mark II

Canon G7X

$1799
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$1239
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 7D Mark II vs Canon G7X

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