But as I've continued to use it, I find myself drawn to its small size (compared to a DSLR or even an NEX camera) and consisently impressed with its still and video image quality. Indeed, Sony's RX100 gives us very nearly the image quality of a DSLR in very nearly a pocket-sized package.

The RX100 lives up to the hype in many of the reviews you may read online. It is a significant improvement over the current crop of smartphone cameras (2018). The low light performance if excellent, and allows you to enjoy the moment, rather than focus (pardon the pun) on getting good shots.

Bought one of these three or four years ago and thought it so good I bought one for my son as well. Although seldom used, both worked well until both developed exactly the same fault, which makes them unusable. This fault seems to be well documented on forums and cannot be fixed via Sony helpline.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 ($649) may look like just another compact camera, but if you were to pry off the lens and take a look inside, you'd see what makes it stand out from the crowd.

Bought this camera a couple years ago. It had great reviews and takes great pictures, but it has started whirring non-stop (like it is constantly trying to track or focus), and that is audible in all videos and makes it difficult to hear anything in the video over the whirring.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 ($649.99 direct) is the point-and-shoot camera that many an enthusiast has dreamed of. It's got an image sensor that's the same size as the mirrorless Nikon J1 and a 3.6x zoom lens that opens up to f/1.8 on the wide end, all packed into a camera that can slide into your back pocket. The only thing large about the 20-megapixel RX100 is its price tag, but the image quality it delivers justifies the cost, even if it doesn't pack bells and whistles like GPS or Wi-Fi. The camera is not without flaws, but its photo quality is so far beyond any other pocket camera that it easily earns our Editors' Choice award for high-end compacts. Design and Features When powered down, the RX100 looks a lot like a black version of the Canon PowerShot S100. It's got the same lines, a similar button layout and control ring around its lens. It measures 2.4 by 4 by 1.4 inches and weighs 8.5 ounces, slightly larger on all sides than the 7-ounce, 2.3-by-3.9-by-1.1-inch S100. Th...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 packs a relatively huge 1-inch image sensor into a point-and-shoot body, delivering close-to-SLR-quality images from a camera you can fit in your back pocket. It's expensive, but worth it.

Large image sensor; Superb image quality, even at high ISOs; Fast lens; Customizable controls; Large, extra-sharp LCD; Virtually no shutter lag; Raw shooting support

As expensive as some D-SLRs; No EVF option, GPS, or Wi-Fi; Limited zoom range; In-camera battery charging only

Modern smartphones have all but killed the inexpensive pocket camera market. It's not a surprise—for casual snapshots, there are few more convenient tools than your phone, and the results are more than adequate for most folks. But there are still people out there who prefer to use a dedicated camera. You might want some zoom capability, or simply find it more comfortable to work wih physical controls. If that's you, you'll want to think about a model that outpaces your phone in image quality. The RX100 Concept The original Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100—we're just going to call it the RX100 from here on out—debuted in 2012. It was an iteration on an existing concept—an expensive point-and-shoot with features to match. If you're summing it up in a few words, they're obvious: big sensor, bright lens. The 1-inch sensor format, now used by many camera makers, is about four times the size of the imager behind your smartphone lens, and more than twice the size of the 1/1.7-inch design tha...

Large 1in CMOS Exmor sensor ; Fantastic image quality; Quality zoom lens; Build quality;

A bit expensive;