Canon G7X Mark II vs. Sony RX100 IV

[homecoming]

I was torn between these two cameras.

Can anyone give me some advice on which one I should pick in terms of functionality, reliability and image quality?

 

[Chaplain Mark]

So, your post doesn't include any info on what are your preferences or intended uses for the camera.

The aspects you did mention, well, both cameras offer those, as most any cameras do of late.

I have the Canon G3X and G5X, both of which have a user interface similar to the G7XII, and we have a Sony RX100IV in the house, which belongs to a family member.

My immediate and lasting impression of the Sony: while it's a beautiful camera, it sorely lacks a touch screen, and its menu system is not intuitive or user-friendly at all.

With as easy to use as are my Canons are, I pretty much lost interest in trying to figure out the Sony; I found the Sony ultimately has nothing to offer me that warrants the menu-diving apparently necessary to operate the camera.

That said, the Sony has 4K which the Canons do not, and a still photos frame rate of an amazing 24 fps, which far exceeds Canon's stills frame rate.

The Sony has a built-in EVF which the G7XII does not, but that EVF has the silly function of shutting off the camera when being stowed after use.

I hope this helps..!!

--
Thank You,
Chaplain Mark
-----
'Tis better to have a camera and not need one than to need a camera and not have one.

 

[damian5000]

G7x

significantly stronger bokeh is possible due to the extra zoom.

Touch display great for focus and focus pull in video

RX100IV

4k

Better burst

EVF

For me, easy choice is g7x.

 

[telefunk]

Having had both

Sony: ultimate IQ due to better lens, processing and shorter zoom.

Canon: much better handling and zoom good at longer end. Not so great at wide end.

Both have focussing issues. Sony at long end. Canon in low light.

I would go for the Canon because it is nicer tool to use.

 

[homecoming]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

1. Does Canon have any shutter lag problem?

2. How bad is the focusing when shooting low light?

A lot of reviews on amazon claimed that Sony has pre-existing manufacturing issues but Sony simply don't stand behind the consumers. Canon has noise issuer with auto focusing and some said that focusing is not reliable.

While the price difference is not the main issue, I just don't know which cam I should bet on.

 

[Chaplain Mark]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

1. Does Canon have any shutter lag problem?

2. How bad is the focusing when shooting low light?

A lot of reviews on amazon claimed that Sony has pre-existing manufacturing issues but Sony simply don't stand behind the consumers. Canon has noise issuer with auto focusing and some said that focusing is not reliable.

While the price difference is not the main issue, I just don't know which cam I should bet on.

My two Canon PowerShot cameras do not have any issues with shutter lag nor low-light focusing.

I suggest that you if possible, handle the camera(s) in person at a street-level camera store.

A few minutes hands-on with a Canon and a Sony will reveal the answers to you..!! ;-)

 

[bmike]

I thought I was going to jump to a Sony when I went out to replace my G12 with something new. Handled the G7X ii and several Sonys in the store. Went back a second and third time to 2 different brick and mortar stores and preferred the Canon. Maybe its the menu familiarity coming from the G12, or just how things felt in hand...

 

[Prairie Pal]

I tried the Sony for two weeks and almost everything about it frustrated me. I returned it for the G7x m2. I can't find anything about the Canon that bugs me. Maybe it's different for different people and how they mentally process the controls and menus. I hate it when a cameras operation gets in my way of creative process and the Sony did just that in spades.

 

[Kharan]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

1. Does Canon have any shutter lag problem?

2. How bad is the focusing when shooting low light?

A lot of reviews on amazon claimed that Sony has pre-existing manufacturing issues but Sony simply don't stand behind the consumers. Canon has noise issuer with auto focusing and some said that focusing is not reliable.

While the price difference is not the main issue, I just don't know which cam I should bet on.

I own an RX100M4 and absolutely love it. The lens at the wide end is incredible, especially in the quality of the OOF areas. The pop-up EVF is a lifesaver for me. The camera is extremely compact and fits anywhere, while also being quite full-featured.

Still, for me, the decisive factor is video. If you have even the slightest interest in video, the Sony is the only choice. The 4K footage out of it rivals much larger cameras, the 1080p is class-leading, and the HFR options kick all competition to the curb (5 minutes of 120 FPS, and 2 seconds of 240/480 FPS at lower resolution). It has S-Log 2 and broadcast profiles, zebra stripes, and pretty effective video AF even in low light. It’s a ridiculously good video machine for its diminutive size.

 

[damian5000]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

1. Does Canon have any shutter lag problem?

2. How bad is the focusing when shooting low light?

A lot of reviews on amazon claimed that Sony has pre-existing manufacturing issues but Sony simply don't stand behind the consumers. Canon has noise issuer with auto focusing and some said that focusing is not reliable.

While the price difference is not the main issue, I just don't know which cam I should bet on.

I own an RX100M4 and absolutely love it. The lens at the wide end is incredible, especially in the quality of the OOF areas. The pop-up EVF is a lifesaver for me. The camera is extremely compact and fits anywhere, while also being quite full-featured.

Still, for me, the decisive factor is video. If you have even the slightest interest in video, the Sony is the only choice. The 4K footage out of it rivals much larger cameras, the 1080p is class-leading, and the HFR options kick all competition to the curb (5 minutes of 120 FPS, and 2 seconds of 240/480 FPS at lower resolution). It has S-Log 2 and broadcast profiles, zebra stripes, and pretty effective video AF even in low light. It’s a ridiculously good video machine for its diminutive size.

 

[Joachim Gerstl]

I was torn between these two cameras.

Can anyone give me some advice on which one I should pick in terms of functionality, reliability and image quality?

Hi,

I owned a RX100 when it came out. Image quality was fine but I was never happy with the ergonomics. This is what I wrote after my first trip with the G7X:

http://www.littlebigtravelingcamera.com/?p=8393

If you don't want to read all of it here is a summary: if you don't have any problems with the slightly bigger size the Canon is the better camera to shoot with.

 

[Yannis1976]

Of all 3 cameras it’s the best I think:

- sharper lens than both my G7x mk1 and mk2

- 4K photo modes

- f1.4 at 24mm

- touch screen and good ui

- fast AF even in low light

 

[rpm40]

Of all 3 cameras it’s the best I think:

- sharper lens than both my G7x mk1 and mk2

- 4K photo modes

- f1.4 at 24mm

- touch screen and good ui

- fast AF even in low light

 

[GeraldW]

I had the RX100 Mk I and an HX80 for a while, and replaced it with the G7X Mk II and an older Canon SX260HS. Why, and how does that relate to the Mk IV? The Mk IV has pretty much the same menu system and fussy controls. The Sony HX80 has the same kind of pop up and pull out action for its EVF as the RX100 IV. I quickly learned to hate it. Also, 70 mm is just not long enough for my use. I don't know if it applies to the later RX10's; but the stabilization on the Mk I was pretty weak at around 2 stops. The IS on the G7X II is a lot stronger.

 

[Kharan]

But still can't tap to pull focus. Ugh.

What for? I don't do cinema with such a tiny body, and don't expect anyone to do so, either. Flexible spot with AF-C is more than good enough in my experience, especially with the large focus box. Focus pulls with the front ring are also doable, especially when it's just for effect (i.e. to emphasize a product or location, and not a transition between two characters in dialogue).

And vast majority of people will never notice the difference in IQ unless comparing frame grabs, or viewing full screen on 4k. If mostly uploading to YouTube or Facebook or social sharing, difference will never be noticed.

Oh, how wrong you are! I can tell them apart on a 720p monitor in a blind test (yes, really). My wife can, too, and I'm guessing anyone with healthy eyes can. The superior color sampling and effective resolution of a UHD file is evident, even when downsampled. There's no contest, really.

Really depends what the video is needed for.

Yeah, sure, but 4K is an advantage for everything if the processing power is there (and it's becoming more common). Crop, rotation, noise reduction, stabilization, exposure and color adjustments - it's just so much more flexible.

 

[damian5000]

But still can't tap to pull focus. Ugh.

What for? I don't do cinema with such a tiny body, and don't expect anyone to do so, either. Flexible spot with AF-C is more than good enough in my experience, especially with the large focus box. Focus pulls with the front ring are also doable, especially when it's just for effect (i.e. to emphasize a product or location, and not a transition between two characters in dialogue).

And vast majority of people will never notice the difference in IQ unless comparing frame grabs, or viewing full screen on 4k. If mostly uploading to YouTube or Facebook or social sharing, difference will never be noticed.

Oh, how wrong you are! I can tell them apart on a 720p monitor in a blind test (yes, really). My wife can, too, and I'm guessing anyone with healthy eyes can. The superior color sampling and effective resolution of a UHD file is evident, even when downsampled. There's no contest, really.

Really depends what the video is needed for.

Yeah, sure, but 4K is an advantage for everything if the processing power is there (and it's becoming more common). Crop, rotation, noise reduction, stabilization, exposure and color adjustments - it's just so much more flexible.

--
"Chase the light around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light" - Rush, 'Available Light'

Of course you don't have the feature, so you're not going use it. I certainly don't do cinema, but use focus pull and tap to focus very often. Hoping Sony enters 2012 at some point and adds touch.

Regarding IQ, I'd have to say "oh how wrong you are" as well. Have asked several to look at the difference and they can never tell. I can only tell when doing frame freezes and looking back and forth. We'll have to agree to disagree here.

Regarding 4k, again this comes down to a user's needs. If OP plans to do video cropping or watching fullscreen on 4k, might be worth it.

 

[Kharan]

Of course you don't have the feature, so you're not going use it. I certainly don't do cinema, but use focus pull and tap to focus very often. Hoping Sony enters 2012 at some point and adds touch.

I've had Canon and Panasonic bodies with it. Never used it except to test it, so I really don't miss it (steady AF-C is far more important to me). I'd love a touchscreen, though, but for other reasons.

Regarding IQ, I'd have to say "oh how wrong you are" as well. Have asked several to look at the difference and they can never tell. I can only tell when doing frame freezes and looking back and forth. We'll have to agree to disagree here.

Regarding 4k, again this comes down to a user's needs. If OP plans to do video cropping or watching fullscreen on 4k, might be worth it.

 

[damian5000]

Of course you don't have the feature, so you're not going use it. I certainly don't do cinema, but use focus pull and tap to focus very often. Hoping Sony enters 2012 at some point and adds touch.

I've had Canon and Panasonic bodies with it. Never used it except to test it, so I really don't miss it (steady AF-C is far more important to me). I'd love a touchscreen, though, but for other reasons.

Regarding IQ, I'd have to say "oh how wrong you are" as well. Have asked several to look at the difference and they can never tell. I can only tell when doing frame freezes and looking back and forth. We'll have to agree to disagree here.

Regarding 4k, again this comes down to a user's needs. If OP plans to do video cropping or watching fullscreen on 4k, might be worth it.

 

[Widdldo]

I had a G7Xii and replaced it with a RX100IV because I was disappointed with the IQ of the Canon.

my (subjective) list of pros and cons:

G7Xii:

• longer zoom allows for decent subject isolation
• lens is a little brighter at certain focal lengths
• very good skin colors (in natural lighting only)
• touchscreen
• better controls (exposure compensation dial, larger buttons, switch to toggle click of lens dial)
• in-camera raw processing
• good image stabilizer
• good build quality
• destructive detail rendering in JPEGs (customizable, but I could not find good settings)
• lens is heavily software corrected to such an extent that it compromises IQ of wide angle shots
• curved focus plane in wide angle can cause weird results in close-up shots
• fiddly manual focus
• dynamic extension not very effective
• poor battery life

RX100iv:

• very good lens over the whole zoom range
• excellent JPEG detail rendering even at high ISOs
• good colors in all kind of lightings, but see below
• 4K and lots of video functions
• impressive slo-mo videos
• high-res viewfinder
• faster bursts
• good build quality
• camera stays operable while charging over USB
• ingenious auto ISO implementation
• in-camera apps (though registration and download procedure were designed by apes)
• convoluted menus. This is pointed out a lot, but in practice it is not much of an issue for me because of the very handy customizable F-menu.
• Lightroom does not go well with the RX100iv. That’s because Adobe completely screwed the color profiles they deliver for the RX100 series. They are waayyy off the built-in JPEG colors. That makes it hard to get pleasing colors in Lightroom. And this might be the source for the „Sony‘s got bad colors“ rumour. No, it‘s Adobe, not Sony.
• slow and ineffective image stabilizer. This is the weak point that nearly nobody talks about but bugs me the most. It ruins so many snapshots.
• poor battery life

Over all, the results I got from the Sony were better than those from the Canon. So I decided to accept some usability issues in favor of better IQ.

 

[Widdldo]

S.

The Sony has a built-in EVF which the G7XII does not, but that EVF has the silly function of shutting off the camera when being stowed after use.

Starting with the mark IV this function can be turned off.