Sony RX100 VII in low light

[Binky_62]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a compact camera that is small with a good optical lens range. The RX100 VII seems good (I used to have a RX100 III) and I have found a grey market one for £720. The only thing putting me off is low light quality. Does anyone have experience with it in low light and is it really that bad?

Thanks

 

[Craig Gillette]

I think you'll get a range of answers. Objectively, you can check various reviews for comparative shots and discussions of the smaller sensor, etc. Subjectively, different users will have different interests, different objectives, different compromises, different ways of using or sharing the images. You had an RX100iii. There's been some changes since then, I don't know just what changed. How did you feel about it's low light performance? The newer one maybe better but I don't know just how much, or if at all.

 

[Optimist_Eyes]

I have a Canon G5x mark II which has a similar 1" sensor but shorter and brighter lens.

The Sony RX100 VII is going to be OK up to around 800 ISO. After that it will struggle. That means in most indoor situations, it is going to struggle unless you have it's lens at its widest and brightest aperture.

It is a great travel camera and I keep my Canon in my car so I always have it with me. But at sunset, after dark and indoors, I know it is going to struggle.

You might consider a small micro four thirds camera like the EM5 mark III with a zoom and an f/1.8 prime like the 15 /f1.7 or 20 f/1.7? EM10 Mark 4 could work too, but the autofocus is not as sure footed as the EM5.

 

[robgendreau]

No one can really answer except to say that all other things being equal a faster lens will produce better results as light diminishes, and so will a bigger sensor, and they are somewhat inter-related (think light gathering). The camera's processor and how well it handles noise makes a difference, and these days so an post processing work.

But in the real world? Hard to say. A very dim room or night sky? might not matter since you can use a tripod, etc and low shutter speeds. A brightly lit stage? maybe, since you don't care about bringing up the shadow areas. Fast action in a dimly lit arena? yeah, noise, but maybe post processing software can make it acceptable for your use.

Or use flash.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a compact camera that is small with a good optical lens range. The RX100 VII seems good (I used to have a RX100 III) and I have found a grey market one for £720. The only thing putting me off is low light quality. Does anyone have experience with it in low light and is it really that bad?

Thanks

The VII's smaller aperture makes it uncompetitive in low light relative to your old III, Panasonic's LX100II and Ricoh's GRIII. That's the price you pay for squeezing an 8x zoom range into a tiny body. You might be better off with another RX100III if low-light poses challenges for you.

Alternatively, Panasonic's LX100 MkI and MkII, with their larger sensors and bright lenses, seem to me to be the kings of fixed-zoom compacts for low-light image quality. To do better, I think you'd have to go for an APS compact with a fixed prime, such as Ricoh's GRIII, and even then the smaller aperture partially offsets the advantage of the larger sensor.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/image-comparison?attr18=daylight&attr13_0=sony_dscrx100m3&attr13_1=sony_dscrx100m7&attr13_2=panasonic_dclx100ii&attr13_3=ricoh_griii&attr15_0=raw&attr15_1=raw&attr15_2=raw&attr15_3=raw&attr16_0=1600&attr16_1=3200&attr16_2=1600&attr16_3=3200&normalization=full&widget=1&x=0&y=0

 

[Paje K]

Can use a slow shutter in the low light you are thinking of?

Download some examples from this and other sites and also a trial copy of DxO software with Deep Prime, It does wonders for removing noise in photos. The RX100 may meet your needs.

 

[rich_cx139]

The sony 1 inch sensors are pretty good sensors - I have one in a Nikon 1 J5 but also use the 1 inch Aptiva sensor in the other Nikon 1s.

The general "low light ISO" value quoted by DXOmarkis around 400 -500 cf 800 for most m43 except the em1.2 etc which are higher. Later RX100 versions seem to score higher

It depends on your attitude to noise among other things. I regularly take the Nikon 1s to 3200 and use DXO Deeprime NR or equivalents like Topaz AI noise reduction to clean things up.

 

[Ed B]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a compact camera that is small with a good optical lens range. The RX100 VII seems good (I used to have a RX100 III) and I have found a grey market one for £720. The only thing putting me off is low light quality. Does anyone have experience with it in low light and is it really that bad?

Thanks

Okay, you're asking in the wrong forum. The experts are over at the Sony Cyber-shot forum.

I can tell you a couple of things; the Sony RX100V or RX100VA are much better in low light, but I can also say I've seen some very good indoor images from the RX100Vl and the RX100Vll.

Just the same, if lower light is your preference over a long zoom rage, the RX100V or RX100VA are excellent small cameras.




Post your question over at the Sony forum, and I'm sure the people who have used both models will be very helpful. They're an honest bunch and give good advice about which model to buy.

 

[Paje K]

The sony 1 inch sensors are pretty good sensors - I have one in a Nikon 1 J5 but also use the 1 inch Aptiva sensor in the other Nikon 1s.

The general "low light ISO" value quoted by DXOmarkis around 400 -500 cf 800 for most m43 except the em1.2 etc which are higher. Later RX100 versions seem to score higher

It depends on your attitude to noise among other things. I regularly take the Nikon 1s to 3200 and use DXO Deeprime NR or equivalents like Topaz AI noise reduction to clean things up.

I saw some examples from the RX100 and DXO deepprime and they were very detailed with most of the noise gone.

 

[YWG]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a compact camera that is small with a good optical lens range. The RX100 VII seems good (I used to have a RX100 III) and I have found a grey market one for £720. The only thing putting me off is low light quality. Does anyone have experience with it in low light and is it really that bad?

Thanks

It wouldn't be my first choice for low light with the slower F2.8-4.5 lens.

If you've used the RX100 with a F1.8-2.8 lens, then you are already losing 1-1/3 stops on the wide end. Depending on the drop off, you'll be at least a stop behind on the long end.

I have a Canon G5x mkI with a Sony 1" sensor and F1.8-2.8 lens. I find it getting noisy, but acceptable at ISO 800. 1600-3200 benefit from a light pass of noise reduction from something like DXO prime set to 0 luminance. Still, the details are getting softer and softer.

 

[PieterB]

I have the RX100VA.

It has a faster lens but a lot less reach.

Here a some images all taken above ISO 800. If you click on the i symbol, you can see the details.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/F52kGmCiR4ZJToFYA

Here are some other examples taken at much lower ISO.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/F52kGmCiR4ZJToFYA