{"id":7036,"date":"2025-05-04T00:00:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T00:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/?p=7036"},"modified":"2025-05-04T11:31:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T11:31:33","slug":"sony-rx100-v-vs-canon-g7x-mark-ii-battle-high-end-compacts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/buying-guides\/sony-rx100-v-vs-canon-g7x-mark-ii-battle-high-end-compacts","title":{"rendered":"Sony RX100 vs Canon G7X – Battle of the High End Compacts!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sony<\/p>\n

High end compacts are the hottest thing in underwater photography these days. They’re tiny, boast incredible specs, large sensors, sharp optics, loads of features, rapid focusing and overall astonishing quality. What else does an underwater photographer need?<\/p>\n

Undoubtedly, the two market leaders currently producing the best compact cameras are Sony, with their legendary RX100 series and Canon, with the rival GXX series. Underwater photographers have officially adopted these tiny and very capable cameras as their favorites, and housing manufacturers are working around the clock to develop the best products to take these cameras underwater, safely and without compromising on functionality.<\/p>\n

These days, divers worldwide are mostly discussing two specific models for underwater photography – Sony RX100 Mark VII<\/strong><\/a> and Canon G7X Mark III<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

We took these two popular cameras to the test, to help you decide\u00a0which one fits your needs.<\/p>\n

\n

UPDATE May4, 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hard to believe these two cameras are still on the market.\u00a0 The truth is the industry is moving away from compacts which are basically being replaced by smartphones and the high end compacts are now becoming the low end mirrorless.<\/p>\n

This article was originally written for the RX100 II and G7X II but we do have a brief and updated comparison between the Sony RX100 VII and the Canon G7X III for underwater photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My bottom line (This is Tal commenting) is that Sony has better video and a slightly sharper lens but that hardly justifies the significant price difference.\u00a0 If you are an amateur photographer, you are far better off spending the money on lighting and lenses than you are on the Sony vs the Canon.<\/p>\n

BTW worth mentioning is that since the RX100 VII has a 24-200mm lens, its much harder to accommodate that in a housing and as such this range is limited in the Fantasea housing and requires different ports in housings like Nauticam and Isotta.\u00a0 Ikelite was able to accommodate this full zoom range.<\/p>\n

Since these two cameras are on the verge of being discontinued for good, let me show you the mirrorless cameras that are going to replace them: OM Systems EM10 IV vs Canon R100 vs Canon R10<\/a><\/p>\n

Also worth mentioning is that in order to truly replace the compacts with a mirrorless, one needs to have the ability to switch lenses underwater which means it has to be a mirrorless that supports wet lenses.<\/p>\n

Up until now, it was only the OM systems EM10 IV but now it is also the Sony a6700 housing that supports wet lenses.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

UPDATE Sep 10, 2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Several new models have been released since this article was written originally, such as the RX100 VA, VI and VII as well as the Canon G7X Mark III. The RX100 V is no longer available and has been replaced with the RX100 VA instead. We’ve updated the specification chart below accordingly to help you with your decision.<\/p>\n

This comparison is still very relevant as the essentials of the cameras have remained similar, but technology has improved. One important change though is Sony’s lens update to a 24-200mm zoom lens, which has been quite a challenge for underwater housing manufacturers. The RX100 VA remains relevant<\/strong> due to the original 24-70mm lens which is easier to attach wide angle wet lenses to. Make sure you take that into consideration when choosing the best model for you.<\/p>\n

Check out these brief comparisons between:<\/p>\n

Sony RX100 VI vs Canon G7X II<\/a><\/p>\n

Sony RX100 VI vs Sony RX100 V<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

The Sony RX100 V<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Sony RX100 V is the latest model in the ultra-successful RX100 series, which brought compacts up to a whole new level. The new Mark V retains the excellent 4K video capabilities, as well as super slow motion at 960fps. The AF system on the RX100 V is worth noting –\u00a0blazing-fast 0.05-second autofocus, 315 AF points said to be the\u00a0“world\u2019s most comprehensive phase-detection coverage of its kind”.<\/p>\n

Read our full review on the Sony RX100 V here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Taken
Taken with the Sony RX100 V in Gardens of the Queen, Cuba (by: Ran Mor)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

The Canon G7X Mark II<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Canon are slightly behind Sony, which has taken the lead on high-end compact cameras, but they manage to keep up pretty well, offering a more competitive price and better usability, with very user-friendly cameras, easier to use than their Sony rivals.<\/p>\n

The Canon G7X Mark II is currently the market leader by Canon. This pocket-sized camera boasts fantastic image quality, delivered by a\u00a020.1MP 1″ CMOS Sensor and a Digic 7 processor. While it lacks 4K video capabilities, compared to the RX100 V, it makes up for it with a longer lens range (x4.2 zoom), more competitive price point and easier interface.<\/p>\n

The longer zoom range is regarded highly among\u00a0macro lovers, who need the most magnification possible with an add-on diopter \/ macro lens.<\/p>\n

Read our full review on the Canon G7X II here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Arrow
Arrow Crab, Cozumel shot with G7XII + Nauticam<\/a> CMC-1 (by: Ran Mor)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Specification Comparison<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/th>\nCanon G7X Mark II<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/th>\n		Sony RX100 Mark VA<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
MSRP (US$)<\/td>\n$649\u00a0(as of Sep 2019)<\/td>\n$898 (as of Sep 2019)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sensor \/ MP<\/td>\n1.0″ inch (0.52″ x 0.35″) – 20.2MP<\/td>\n1.0″\u00a0inch (0.52″ x 0.35″) – 21MP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lens<\/td>\n24 – 100mm F1.8 – F2.8 (x4.2 zoom)<\/td>\n24 – 70mm F1.8 – F2.8 (x2.9 zoom)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Video Quality<\/td>\n1920 x 1080p: 59.94 fps, 29.97 fps, 23.98 fps<\/td>\n3840 x 2160p (4K): 30 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps (proxy video 720p)<\/p>\n

1920 x 1080p: 240 fps, 480 fps, 960 fps (Super Slow Motion)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

ISO<\/td>\n125-25600<\/td>\n80-12800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Shutter Speed<\/td>\n1\/2000s<\/td>\n1\/32000s (Electronic Shutter)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Screen Resolution<\/td>\n\u00a03.0″ LCD (1,040,000 pixels)<\/td>\n3.0″ LCD (1,228,800 pixels)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Touch Screen<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Battery Life (CIPA)<\/td>\n265<\/td>\n220<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shoots RAW<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Continuous Shooting<\/td>\n8 fps in Raw format (up to 30 frames)<\/td>\n24 fps in\u00a0raw format\u00a0(up to 71 frames)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Underwater White Balance<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes (with firmware update)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minimum Focus Distance<\/td>\n1.97″ (5 cm) – 1.31′ (40 cm)<\/td>\n1.97″ (5 cm) –\u00a011.81″ (30 cm)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions<\/td>\n4.2 x 2.4 x 1.7″ \/ 105.5 x 60.9 x 42.0 mm<\/td>\n4.0 x 2.3 x 1.6″ \/ 101.6 x 58.1 x 41.0 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Underwater Housings<\/h2>\n

Both the Sony and Canon cameras are very well supported for underwater. All the major manufacturers released excellent housings to support these high-end compacts, so there are plenty to choose from for every budget.<\/p>\n