Sony RX100 VII

The RX100 VII is a pocket-size compact that Sony launched in 2019. It measures 102 x 58 x 43 mm and weighs 302 g, so it travels in a jacket pocket or a small bag rather than demanding a dedicated camera case.

The lens is fixed to the body, so you carry one camera rather than a camera plus a bag of glass. A one-inch sensor and an electronic viewfinder sit behind that zoom, an arrangement that favours portability over lens choice.

Owning one involves planning around a battery rated at 260 shots and a single card slot, though charging over USB eases things on the road.

The 20 megapixel one-inch CMOS sensor sits at the heart of the stills output. Its resolution leaves room for cropping.

The specification lists a maximum of 20 frames per second for burst shooting. Treat that as the peak rate rather than a pace the camera promises to hold through every sequence, but it still gives you plenty of frames to choose from when action peaks.

Image stabilisation counteracts camera shake, which helps with handheld work in dim rooms or toward the long end of the zoom. It does not stop subject movement, so a fast shutter remains useful for freezing motion.

Framing comes from the zoom rather than lens swaps, and the 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder offers an eye-level alternative to the rear screen. The autofocus system provides 357 focus points, while ISO runs from 100 to 12800.

Video is a genuine strength of this camera. Our assessment rates it very good at 91 out of 100, which places it in the top 18% of cameras in our database for video.

It records in 4K, its maximum video resolution, and it can also capture at up to 120 frames per second. Footage shot at that high rate plays back slowed at normal speed, letting you study or dramatise fast movement. Treat the resolution and the frame rate as separate maximums rather than a single recording mode.

A built-in timelapse function rounds out the movie tools. Recordings can be written in MPEG-4, AVCHD or XAVC S, which gives you some choice over file formats.

Handling centres on the 3 inch LCD. It responds to touch and flips out, supporting composition from different angles.

Wireless options include both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, giving the camera two ways to connect to other devices.

A built-in flash provides light when needed, though there is no external flash option. The camera also lacks built-in GPS, so it does not record location data by itself.

The feature set scores 68 out of 100, which we assess as good. The screen's 921,000 dots are workable rather than exceptional, and the body has no weather sealing, so keep it out of the rain.

Storage and battery is a weak point, scoring 29 out of 100, which we assess as limited. There is a single card slot, taking SD, SDHC and SDXC cards or Memory Stick Pro Duo, so there is no second card waiting inside the camera.

The NP-BX1 battery is rated at 260 shots per charge, though that figure is a specification rather than a promise for a full day. A busy shoot or heavy video use calls for a spare battery or a charging plan.

On the plus side, the battery charges over USB, which offers a convenient way to top it up between shoots or during a travel day.