Only a year has passed since Sony rolled out its ultra-compact RX100 VI with blazing fast autofocus, but the company has already deemed it fit for a refresh. The RX100 VII arrives with the same 24-200mm telephoto lens as its predecessor, but packs a few new tricks up its sleeve, including a built-in microphone port and a new burst shooting mode.
Packed inside the 302-g (10-oz) RX100 VII is a 20-megapixel, 1-inch stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor, which works alongside a BIONZ X image processor. Enhanced auto-tracking means the camera carries out 60 calculations per second, which again ups the model's impressive autofocus game and puts it in a9 territory.
It offers 357 phase detection AF points creating a 0.02 second autofocus time. Last year's model offered 315-phase detect autofocus points for a 0.03 autofocus time, which Sony billed as the world's fastest at the time.
The new model carries over the pop-up electronic viewfinder and the included 24-200mm zoom lens again offers a f/2.8 aperture at the wide end.
The integrated microphone jack is new and will be welcome news for those hoping to making use of the camera's 4K video capabilities. Sony has also chosen the RX100 VII to debut its new "Single Burst Shooting Drive Mode," which snaps seven stills at up to 90 fps with a single press of the shutter.
The Sony RX100 VII will ship in August, with an "approximate" price tag of €1,300 in Europe and US$1,200 in the US.
Source: Sony
