Is the Sony RX0 the GoPro Killer?

Sony's RX0 has promised to be the latest competitor to GoPro's virtual monopoly in the action camera space. With features like a 15.3 megapixel 1-inch sensor, a Zeiss F4 wide-angle lens, and a highly durable body, it has certainly been hyped but the initial results and reviews have been mixed. In his latest video, Kaiman Wong puts the RX0 through its paces and stacks it up against the latest from GoPro, the HERO6.  

The RX0 is at an immediate disadvantage as it doesn't shoot 4K video without the use of an external recorder. Yes, you read that right - Sony has released a high-end camera in 2017 that doesn't shoot 4K, maxing out at 1080p. Does the RX0's huge sensor size, which is almost four times larger than the HERO6 sensor make up for four times less resolution?    

Another consideration point is the field of view of both cameras. The RX0 lens is not as wide, with a 24mm equivalent field of view as compared to the HERO6's lens with a 16mm field of view.

What about image stabilization? After all, both of these cameras are marketed towards people using them in action environments. The HERO6 has decent image stabilization while the RX0 does not offer this as a feature, leading to shakier footage that requires more correction in post.

Additional items that Wong touches on are the display screen size and quality, dynamic range, image quality, battery life, and price.

In the end, perhaps this is comparing apples and oranges as the RX0 is marketed more as a compact production camera as opposed to an overall action camera like the HERO6. 

Has anyone used the RX0 yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts and impressions in the comments.

Aneesh Kothari's picture

Aneesh Kothari is a Houston-based travel, landscape, and cityscape photographer. He enjoys reading Fstoppers.com, traveling with his family, and making lists of things he enjoys. He yearns to be a Civil War buff but has yet to finish the Ken Burns series.

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4 Comments

Is a 14mm equivalent fish-eyes camera with Image stabilization can be compared to a fixed 24mm camera?
No need to watch a video to know the answer.

Only the form factor is similar and the color.
Different camera for different usage.

RX 0 has no intentions to be a GoPro competitor. Please drop the argument and do not encourage it. Sony already has a go pro competing action camera. Rx0 has a complete different purpose.

As has already been pointed out. The RX0 is not a competitor to the GoPro. Sony's ActionCam is a competitor, and is already better than the GoPro in many ways. It also has 4k, IS and the other things you would want in an action camera.

The RX0 is for people that need to record high quality video in unique environments. What that looks like is up to the user.

Thanks for your comment! What sort of unique environments do you see the RX0 being used in?