Sony A6100 vs RX1R II

The Sony Alpha A6100 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2019 and October 2015. The A6100 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the RX1R II is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on an APS-C (A6100) and a full frame (RX1R II) sensor. The A6100 has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the RX1R II provides 42.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony A6100		Sony RX1R II
Mirrorless system camera		Fixed lens compact camera
Sony E mount lenses		35mm f/2.0
24 MP – APS-C sensor		42.2 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-25,600 (50 - 102,400)
Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 1229k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
11 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
420 shots per battery charge		220 shots per battery charge
120 x 67 x 59 mm, 396 g		113 x 65 x 72 mm, 507 g

Check A6100 offers at
ebay.com
Check RX1R II offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A6100 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Sony A6100 and the Sony RX1R II is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A6100 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the RX1R II is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony RX1R II is notably smaller (9 percent) than the Sony A6100. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the A6100 nor the RX1R II are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the RX1R II has a lens built in, whereas the A6100 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the A6100 and their specifications in the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the A6100 gets 420 shots out of its Sony NP-FW50 battery, while the RX1R II can take 220 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-BX1 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A6100	120 mm	67 mm	59 mm	396 g	420	n	Aug 2019	EUR 899	ebay.com
2.		Sony RX1R II	113 mm	65 mm	72 mm	507 g	220	n	Oct 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
3.		Canon 5DS	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
5.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	EUR 779	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-T30	118 mm	83 mm	47 mm	383 g	380	n	Feb 2019	EUR 999	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X-T200	121 mm	84 mm	55 mm	370 g	270	n	Jan 2020	EUR 749	ebay.com
8.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	EUR 299	ebay.com
9.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	EUR 549	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	EUR 1 049	amazon.com
11.		Sony H300	128 mm	89 mm	92 mm	590 g	350	n	Feb 2014	EUR 219	ebay.com
12.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX1	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Sep 2012	EUR 3 099	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX1R	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Jun 2013	EUR 3 099	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
16.		Sony ZV-1	105 mm	60 mm	44 mm	294 g	260	n	May 2020	EUR 799	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E10	115 mm	64 mm	45 mm	343 g	440	n	Jul 2021	EUR 749	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Sony A6100 features an APS-C sensor and the Sony RX1R II a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the RX1R II is 133 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 42.2MP, the RX1R II offers a higher resolution than the A6100 (24MP), but the RX1R II nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.50μm versus 3.91μm for the A6100) due to its larger sensor. However, the A6100 is a much more recent model (by 3 years and 10 months) than the RX1R II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the RX1R II has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony RX1R II implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the RX1R II for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 39.8 x 26.5 inches or 101 x 67.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 31.8 x 21.2 inches or 80.8 x 53.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 26.5 x 17.7 inches or 67.3 x 44.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony A6100 are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The A6100 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A6100 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 32000, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-102400.

In terms of underlying technology, the A6100 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the RX1R II uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
2.		Sony RX1R II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	1080/60p	25.8	13.9	3204	97
3.		Canon 5DS	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.7	12.4	2381	87
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
5.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
6.		Fujifilm X-T30	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.1	13.5	1895	83
7.		Fujifilm X-T200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1991	84
8.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
9.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
10.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
11.		Sony H300	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
12.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
13.		Sony RX1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.1	14.3	2534	93
14.		Sony RX1R	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	13.6	2537	91
15.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
16.		Sony ZV-1	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.6	669	66
17.		Sony ZV-E10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2134	85
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A6100 provides a higher video resolution than the RX1R II. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the RX1R II is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the RX1R II offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A6100 (2360k vs 1440k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A6100, the Sony RX1R II, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony A6100	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony RX1R II	2360	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
3.		Canon 5DS	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
6.		Fujifilm X-T30	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
7.		Fujifilm X-T200	2360	n	3.5 / 2780	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
8.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
9.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
10.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
11.		Sony H300	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
12.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony RX1	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Sony RX1R	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony ZV-1	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
17.		Sony ZV-E10	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The A6100 has one, while the RX1R II does not. While the built-in flash of the A6100 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the A6100 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Sony A6100 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the A6100 and the RX1R II write their files to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A6100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony A6100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Sony RX1R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon 5DS	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	3.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Fujifilm X-T30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
7.		Fujifilm X-T200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
8.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Sony H300	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Sony RX1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony RX1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony ZV-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
17.		Sony ZV-E10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y

Both the A6100 and the RX1R II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A6100 was replaced by the Sony A6600, while the RX1R II does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the A6100 and RX1R II can be found, respectively, in the Sony A6100 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony RX1R II Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Sony A6100 better than the Sony RX1R II or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A6100:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More flexible: Accepts interchangeable lenses, so that lens characteristics can be altered.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (420 versus 220) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 10 months of technical progress since the RX1R II launch.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (42.2 vs 24MP), which boosts linear resolution by 33%.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
• Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2360k vs 1440k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.70x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1229k vs 922k dots).
• Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the A6100 necessitates an extra lens.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in October 2015).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A6100 emerges as the winner of the contest (13 : 11 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A6100 and the Sony RX1R II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best Prime Lens Compact Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A6100 or the RX1R II. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A6100	..	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	5/5	Aug 2019	EUR 899	ebay.com
2.		Sony RX1R II	5/5	..	..	82/100	..	4.5/5	Oct 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
3.		Canon 5DS	..	+	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
5.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 779	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-T30	5/5	+ +	5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	EUR 999	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X-T200	3.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2020	EUR 749	ebay.com
8.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	EUR 299	ebay.com
9.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	EUR 549	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	EUR 1 049	amazon.com
11.		Sony H300	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2014	EUR 219	ebay.com
12.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX1	5/5	..	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	EUR 3 099	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX1R	5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	EUR 3 099	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
16.		Sony ZV-1	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2020	EUR 799	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E10	4/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2021	EUR 749	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

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