Sony Needs to Dive Back Into High-End Point-and-Shoot Cameras Like the RX100

In my quest for a pocketable camera that doesn't also take phone calls, I've arrived at Camp Sony. While I wanted the camera that every tech writer calls one of the best point and shoots ever made, the RX100 VII, between stock and price, I actually arrived at its video focused cousin, the ZV-1. And it makes me wonder: Why don't we have more of these kinds of cameras?

Tech YouTuber Becca Farsace wonders the same thing. She made the RX100 IV (an admittedly older model, but very similar to the ZV-1 with the same lens and more or less the same 20.1 MP 1-inch sensor) her only camera for a trip to Mexico City. I did something similar this summer when I took my kids to Niagara Falls. Knowing how hard it would be to wrangle kids with their own cameras, I pared my kit down to just the point-and-shoot. Was I disappointed? Yes and no.

One of the issues Farsace and I both encountered was focus, though for different reasons. For her, the RX100 IV was too slow to focus. My ZV-1, on the other hand, borrows from the latest and greatest RX100 VII and can nail an eyeball in a way no smartphone (or older model) could dream of. It's probably one of the camera's best features. My issue, however, was with manual focus. Point-and-shoots like these don’t offer great ways to manually focus, which is particularly important for shots like the one above at Niagara Falls. Sure, you can use the touchscreen to focus, but nothing beats having your eye to an electronic viewfinder, with the image zoomed in to your desired focus point, and grabbing a focus ring to adjust. But I suppose that’s the price of portability.

The other issue I had was that I wished for a wider angle lens for this shot. I know the newer version of my camera, the ZV-1 II (that's a weird name when you say it out loud), solves this, but it does so by giving up 20mm on the long end. If I'm going to use this instead of my phone, I want more zoom, not less.

Another aspect that required adjustment was the mindset shift. When I go out with a mirrorless camera or DSLR, I aim for the best possible photo, often at the expense of fully experiencing the moment. On this trip, and others where the ZV-1 was my only camera, I could capture the moment while still being part of it. These aren’t professional cameras; they’re just better than your phone, while operating in much the same way.

Finally, one point Farsace didn’t make, but I think is a strong argument for releasing a new camera like this: concerts. Most concerts I’ve attended don’t allow cameras with interchangeable lenses, but I’ve never been stopped with the ZV-1. While it’s no dedicated video camera, it captures video and, more importantly, sound better than my smartphone in such environments. Take this example from a Dave Matthews Band concert at Mohegan Sun:

That’s not terrible for being in the nosebleed seats, and it offers far more detail than my phone’s tiny sensor could manage.

So, take a look at Farsace’s points and mine about these cameras, and then leave a comment below that Sony executives can see so they’ll start working on an RX100 VIII. Please?