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Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Images

Here's a collection of images taken with the Sony RX100 VII at high ISOs to give a sense of how it performs in low-light conditions.

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Images

Categories: Compact Cameras, Sample Images
Tags: Sony, Sony RX100 VII Compact Camera
Last updated about 3 months ago // Originally published about 2 years ago

When you’re traveling, most of the time you’ve got to take the light as it comes. And much of the time, the level of illumination leaves something to be desired. So you want a camera that can take it in stride—there’s not much fun in putting your camera away when the sun goes down.

Sony’s new RX100 VII is a high-end compact camera that continues in a line of feature-rich and impressive compacts. I’ve recently been out shooting with it to put it through its paces. I thought it might be useful to post some real-world examples of its high-ISO performance in case it’s useful for anyone wondering how well it performs in low light.

The Sony RX100 VII doesn’t have a particularly expansive ISO range. At least, not compared to some other cameras like the full-frame models that have ISOs up into six figures. I’ve previously posted some side-by-side examples throughout the ISO range. The RX100 VII’s full range is from ISO 64 to ISO 12800. Of that, ISO 100 to 12800 is native ISO, with ISO 64 and ISO 80 in the extended range (where software takes over from the hardware’s native sensitivity).

What I’m focusing on here are some examples taken at high ISOs. I’ve posted a more general collection of sample images taken with the RX100 VII separately.

Where “high ISO” begins is obviously open for debate. For the purposes here, I’m focusing on ISO 3200 through ISO 12800. ISO 3200 isn’t really a particularly high ISO these days—certainly not compared to what it was in early digital and film days—but I’m including them here as reference points.

I’ve tried to focus here on shots that are likely to show up issues with high ISOs. So things like smooth tones through the shadows and subtle colors. I’ve also included the same shot at different ISOs to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons.

I’ve taken all of these in RAW and processed them with a light touch in Lightroom. Doing so has bypassed the in-camera processing that’s applied to the JPGs. I haven’t applied any extra noise reduction beyond Lightroom’s defaults (Luminance: 0; Color: 25; Detail: 50; Smoothness: 50).

Sony RX100 VII High-ISO Sample Images

You can click on each image to open a full-size version for a closer look.

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 3200

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 3200

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 3200

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 3200

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 3200

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 4000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 4000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 4000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 4000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 5000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 5000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 5000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 5000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 6400

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 8000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 8000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 8000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 8000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 8000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 10000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 10000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 10000

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Sony RX100 VII High ISO Sample Image

ISO 12800

Wrap Up

For a compact camera with a small sensor, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the high-ISO performance of the RX100 VII. Although it probably shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise considering it’s coming from a camera manufacturer has been consistently producing some of the best sensors in the business for several years now.

Where to Find Them

You can find the Sony RX100 VII at B&H Photo.

By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on January 17, 2021

Categories: Compact Cameras, Sample Images
Tags: Sony, Sony RX100 VII Compact Camera

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News & Deals

New Firmware for the Ricoh GR III. Ricoh has release firmware v1.31 for the GR III. Release notes are: “Corrected — When shooting with the multiple exposure, in rare cases the live view may not display correctly. Improved stability for general performance.” You can download it here.

New Canon 1D X Mark III Pro DSLR Announced. Canon has announced their new flagship model of pro DSLR, the 1D X Mark III. They’re sticking with a 20.1MP CMOS sensor, but it’s a new and improved version and boasts an incredible native ISO range of ISO 100 to ISO 102400 and an extended range that goes up to a jaw-dropping ISO 819200. With revamped autofocus, a new image processor, and all sorts of other bells and whistles, it’s no wonder that Canon is billing it as “The Ultimate EOS.”

New Manfrotto Pro Rugged Memory Cards. Manfrotto, an Italian probably best known for their tripods and studio accessories, has launched a new Pro Rugged range of high-end SD, microSD, and CompactFlash cards. While they don’t have a huge selection of sizes and speeds, the cards are aiming for very fast cards that can put up with rugged demands. For instance, they claim that their V90 rated SD cards can withstand three times the force (20kg / 45 lbs) of a regular SD card. I’ve ordered some to run through my speed tests.

New Sony Alpha a7 firmware released. A firmware update for the Sony a7R IV now lets you control external Sony flashes from the camera’s own menu system. Up to 15 flashes in five groups can be controlled via the camera. It also applies to the a7R III and a7 III.

Comments

  1. Wagner A Mateo says

    December 9, 2019 at 4:44 pm

    Does this apply for video? I have been having a hard time with mine recording video in low light. What are some of the recommended settings for video in low light? I have seen some amazing videos from this camera.

    Reply
    • David says

      December 11, 2019 at 10:31 am

      These are for photos. Sorry, but I haven’t tested the RX100 VII’s video low-light performance.

      Reply
  2. Bob says

    October 24, 2019 at 9:34 am

    The new RX100 vii has slightly lower native ISO, ISO100 vs ISO125 on the RX100 vi. I realize that this is not a big improvement, perhaps just a 1/4 of an f-stop. However, do you see an improvement In low-light or night-time photos at ISO100?

    Many thanks, – Bob

    Reply
    • David says

      October 24, 2019 at 10:35 am

      Hi, Bob. It’s not something I’ve seen, but I also haven’t been looking specifically for that, sorry.

      Reply

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I take photos. I travel. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

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