A large-sensor pocket-size 20-megapixel camera that can shoot low-noise, high-quality images through its fast f/1.8 Zeiss zoom lens, and features DSLR-type controls that are highly customizable - sound too good to be true?

Compact; Good image quality; Fast aperture at wide-angle; Good balance of features

Fixed lens; Slow aperture at telephoto; Some time and effort to master menu and features

Sony announced its Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II alongside the Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R on 27 June this year. As the name makes clear, the RX100 II is an upgraded version of the original Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 that impressed us greatly when we tested it in AP 14 July 2012.

Sony stepped up to the plate and knocked a home run with the refined RX 100 II - this compact camera packs a big punch in image quality and overall ease of use. Sony's leading compact boasts a Carl Zeiss lens, which stands up to its Hollywood reputation, and is matched with a backlit sensor, which...

Small size; great image quality; good video options

Small size; great image quality; good video options

In the year since its release, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 has stood alone in the compact market as the only model with a 1-inch image sensor. The RX100 II ($749.99 direct) joins it; it's priced $100 higher, but offers some upgrades.

Excellent high ISO performance; 1-inch image sensor; Wide aperture lens; Customizable controls; Large, tilting LCD; Minimal shutter lag; Raw image capture; Wi-Fi; Hot shoe with EVF support

Very expensive; Limited zoom range; In-camera battery charging only; Could be sharper at the edges of the frame at 28mm

Excellent results in both stills and movies for such a compact camera. Build quality is also great, grip easy to improve with the optional addon by Sony or 3rd party. However, the general Sony UI philosophy, logic and coherence or lack thereof is a big letdown.

Last year's Sony RX100 has proven popular with both critics and consumers, becoming the top-selling premium compact camera at various points over the past 12 months. Here on TechRadar it won the title of best premium compact camera , beating the likes of the Canon G15 , Nikon P7700 and the Fuji X20...

A compact with heavyweight features yet a lightweight body. That's the proposition offered by Sony's good-looking RX100, which encases a larger than average one-inch CMOS sensor, enabling a plentiful 20.2 megapixel effective resolution within an aluminium chassis.

Palm-size compact that is reassuringly solid; Larger-than-average sensor and resolution given its proportions; Bright and fast lens; Ability to control functions via twist of the lens ring; Neatly incorporated pop-up flash.

Pricey for a compact without an interchangeable lens; Tiny rear plate buttons require fingernail precision

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 doesn't come cheap, but it looks great and produces consistently first-class stills. Low-light performance can't be faulted, colour reproduction is excellent and movies are crisp, with a well-captured soundtrack. This is the best compact you can buy right now.

Excellent stills; Impressive low-light results; Accurate colour reproduction; Large sensor; Movie mode; Wide aperture lens; Versatile control ring

Some wind noise on movies; Control ring can be a little slow; No bundled battery charging cradle; Extremely pricey

The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II isn't a casual camera purchase. It touts itself as the big gun of the compact camera world, and with an asking price of ￡650 it's about as far removed from a back pocket change purchase as a compact can be. But we're still excited by this latest version of the RX100.

Excellent image quality; customisable lens ring glides with silky smooth motion; solid build quality; great WRGB LCD screen; can add viewfinder if desired; decent image quality throughout the range; small and pocketable body considering 1-inch sensor size; f/1.8 maximum aperture at widest-angle

Pricey; no built-in neutral density (ND) filter; f/1.8-4.9 maximum aperture range may feel limited at longer focal lengths; rear buttons are small; no focus-distance in manual focus; generalised focus area in low-light conditions; response time lags in menus; no physical AF/MF switch

One of the side effects of the improvement in smartphone camera technology, and now genuine camera-smartphone hybrids like the Samsung Galaxy Zoom S4, is that manufacturers have looked to improve upon their advanced compact offerings.

New tilting screen is useful; Impressive build quality; Hot shoe accessory support; Large; 1-inch sensor

Short zoom range; No touchscreen