Sony RX10 II vs Canon 1DX Mark II

Cameras
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Sony RX10 II vs Canon 1DX Mark II

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 200.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX10 II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX10 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX10 II.
Compare Sony RX10 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX10 II conclusion.

35mm 864.0mm²
20.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Canon 1DX Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 1DX Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 1DX Mark II.
Compare Canon 1DX Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 1DX Mark II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon 1DX Mark III
Compare 1DX Mark II vs 1DX Mark III
Compare Sony RX10 II vs Canon 1DX Mark III

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Differences

Sony RX10 II advantages over Canon 1DX Mark II

Less expensive
$998 vs $2999
Save money for lenses or accessories
Slower slow-motion
1000 fps vs 120 fps
Supports slower slow-mo
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Higher max flash sync
1/3200 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lighter weight
849g vs 1544g
Lighter weight
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Canon 1DX Mark II advantages over Sony RX10 II

Larger sensor
35mm vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 6.58 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
1DX Mark II test data on DxO Mark RX10 II test data on DxO Mark

3,207 vs 531 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

1210 vs 400 shots
Capture more photos
More dots on screen
1620k vs 1229k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
More viewfinder magnification
0.76x vs 0.70x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 44 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
14.1 fps vs 8.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
Unlimited vs 29 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
409600 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read RX10 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Excellent build quality; Superb viewfinder; Excellent image and video quality for its class; Bright and versatile zoom lens; Very fast autofocus; Great burst performance and depth; Incredible slow-motion capabilities; Really intuitive Wi-Fi image transfer; Good battery life.
Expensive compared to its nearest competitors; Less zoom reach than rivals; Soft in corners wide-open; Slow buffer clearing; Small rear control dial has poor tactile feedback; Long delay to render each high frame-rate movie; No tilt/swivel or touch on the LCD panel.
Read our Sony RX10 II Review

Excellent image quality, especially from RAWs; Fantastic high ISO performance; Fast autofocus with great tracking performance; 14fps burst rate; Amazing buffer capacity; 4K 60p video; Robust build quality.
Very heavy, bulky and expensive; Dual memory card slots use different formats; 29:59 continuous video recording limit; Touchscreen feels underutilized.
Read our Canon 1DX Mark II Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony RX10

Sony RX10 II

Sony RX10

$998
1 inch

Shoot 4K video
Higher effective ISO

$698
1 inch

Less expensive

Compare Sony RX10 II vs Sony RX10

Canon 1DX Mark II

Sony RX10

$2999
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$698
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Sony RX10

Compared to Nikon D4S

Sony RX10 II

Nikon D4S

$998
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$5999
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 II vs Nikon D4S

Canon 1DX Mark II

Nikon D4S

$2999
35mm

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

$5999
35mm

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Nikon D4S

Compared to Panasonic FZ1000

Sony RX10 II

Panasonic FZ1000

$998
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Top deck display

$773
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 II vs Panasonic FZ1000

Canon 1DX Mark II

Panasonic FZ1000

$2999
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$773
1 inch

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Panasonic FZ1000

Compared to Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Sony RX10 II

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$998
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Integrated ND filter

$899
1 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Longer exposure

Compare Sony RX10 II vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Canon 1DX Mark II

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$2999
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$899
1 inch

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Compared to Nikon D5

Sony RX10 II

Nikon D5

$998
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$5143
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 II vs Nikon D5

Canon 1DX Mark II

Nikon D5

$2999
35mm

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

$5143
35mm

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Nikon D5

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