The Sony DSC-RX100 VI offers powerful features and very-good-quality images and video, but it's extremely pricey.

Very good quality and versatility in bright light; Excellent electronic viewfinder; Many shooting modes; Lots of high-quality video options; Shoots up to 24 frames per second; RAW files

It's expensive; Images and video are noisy in some low-light scenarios; Can't capture time-lapse video clips

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI ($1,199.99) is essentially the RX10, but smaller. It covers the same zoom range as Sony's first 1-inch bridge camera, and while its lens isn't as bright when zoomed in, it fits into your pocket. It doesn't come cheap, however: At $1,200, it's the most expensive pocket camera we've seen that doesn't boast a Hasselblad or Leica badge. Its image quality and build are top notch, helping to justify the price tag and earn our Editors' Choice recommendation. If you like the idea of the camera, but struggle to justify its cost, the $800 Panasonic ZS200 is a good, more affordable alternative—but aside from its longer zoom range, it's not quite the equal of the RX100 VI. Design: Big Zoom, Small Body The original version of the RX100 was a groundbreaking camera at the time of its 2012 release. Its 1-inch image sensor ran circles around competing point-and-shoot cameras—the sensor format is about four times as large as image sensors found in typical point-and-...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI delivers premium image quality, fit and finish, and features in a pocketable form factor, but demands a hefty price.

8x zoom lens; Large 1-inch image sensor; 20MP resolution; Up to 24fps Raw image capture; Tilting LCD; Large pop-up EVF; 4K video with HDR support; Ultra slow-motion at 1080p

Expensive; Can't start video while images are writing to card; Limited touch functions; Dense menu system

Extremely advanced compact pocket sized camera with top specifications, superb image quality, and fast responsive autofocus. It has a better zoom than the previous RX100 models and takes beautiful videos. I did buy the Sony grip for it which improves handling.

Durable; Great Features; Great Picture Quality; Lightweight; Simple Controls

The point-and-shoot fit for a photographer

Great image quality; Still works like a P&S but offers manual controls; The extra zoom is useful

Weak flash; High price; Battery can be a bit short

Impressive lens gives sharp images all through its really useful zoom range; Very good image quality with reliable exposure; Remarkably fast autofocus and continuous shooting means you should never miss a shot; Pop-up viewfinder and tilting screen give flexible composing options;

Small, slippery body is far too easy to drop without an accessory grip; Far too expensive compared to its competitors; Tiny buttons can make operation frustrating; Comparatively poor battery life;

Barely a week in use . . . I like it. Powerful pocket camera . . . and complex to pack all of that into a small form factor. Does most of what my full frame DSLR does. Have used lesser pocket cameras before. Looking forward to learning and using all the advanced features.

Having owned two other editions of this model i'm more than happy with this Upgrade,an excellent little camera.

The Sony RX100 IV is the fourth instalment in what has become our favourite compact camera series. Since its beginnings in 2012, it's given us pocket-friendly models that offer image quality good enough to satisfy high-end DSLR-wielders on those days when taking out a large camera just isn't on the...

Pocketable size; Excellent shooting speed; Versatile video; Great image quality at lower ISOs

Intimidating price

It may seem that I've picked up on quite a few negatives here, but the RX100 IV is an excellent compact camera – and, crucially, it produces excellent images. And it would be easier to let those smaller niggles slide with a product which didn't come with such a high asking price, but they disappoint...

High-resolution viewfinder; Tilting screen; Large sensor; 4K video

High price; No touchscreen; Limited raw functionality

The RX100 VI is something of a departure for the RX100 series: offering a more extensive zoom range but giving up some of its large sensor's low light ability by pairing it with a less bright lens.

Anyone needing fast AF; good video; sharp images and a flexible zoom range in a pocket-sized package

Anyone seeking the best possible image quality in dim light or with moving subjects