I am on the hunt for the perfect travel camera. I know what you’re probably thinking: “Why isn’t that just your iPhone?” And that’s a good question that I hope to answer for myself. Part of my problem is that I typically shoot with Sony’s flagship, the A1, which is widely considered one of the best cameras ever made. I’m used to high megapixels (50.1) and massive dynamic range, so I start with that bias.
But traveling with that camera means packing a lot of extra gear I don’t want to haul around. This post is a public test of the Sony RX100 VII. It’s tiny enough to put in a pocket, but it packs some serious specifications. So I thought I’d test it against my current iPhone 14 Pro.
I don’t have the most recent iPhone, so I don’t know how dramatic the real-world improvements in the iPhone 16 Pro are. The first two photos in this post were taken with the Sony RX100 VII, and the final photo below is from the iPhone 14. It’s not hard to spot the difference in the dynamic range offered by the RX100 VII’s 20. 1MP 1. 0 Type stacked CMOS sensor. But is it worth the price?
I don’t think so. I was hoping for the same feeling while editing the photos. I love the editing process, and the Sony A1’s dynamic range and high resolution provide a tremendous amount of creative freedom. While editing the RAW file from the RX00 VII, it felt familiar, but something was missing from the experience of using the camera. Perhaps it’s just me, but when I hold a professional camera, something about the feel of it changes the way I approach each shot. I take it all more seriously.
From this quick test, I learned that I already have a camera that I can fit in my pocket if I’m not taking “serious” images or simply capturing moments in my journeys for personal use. My iPhone fills that need. And while the Sony RX100 certainly delivers some of the quality I was hoping for, the experience of using it left me wanting. I guess I will have to figure out a way to pack up my gear in a more condensed way. And maybe an iPhone 16 Pro is in my future.
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EXIF Data Below Applies Only To The Featured Photo In This Post
FYI, Steve Shaluta of Grafton got an I 15 for the same purpose. He posted pictures on FB about November 17. They are tremendous.