As tough as it is, we’ve got to remember that although the Fujifilm X100VI dominates the viewfinder point-and-shoot camera space, with its aggressively attractive retro looks and constant state of unavailability, there are other cameras on the scene that offer excellent quality.

Sony’s not used to being somewhat of an afterthought. Not at all. When it enters or exists in a market space, it’s usually at the top of everybody’s mind. But I just don’t see enough people talking about Sony’s impressive RX100 VII.

It may not look like anything special, but it has some advantages of the covetable X100VI when it comes to its built-in optical zoom and shooting fast-moving subjects, such as sports and automobiles.

point-and-shoot pro

For a lot of folks looking for the overall best point and shoot camera, their search will lead them to the RX100 VII. It has a few legs up on the Fujifilm X100VI. Whereas the Fuji has a fixed lens, the Sony has a 24–200mm zoom.

It can also shoot continuously at 20 frames per second (fps), almost double the Fuji’s 11 fps. Its autofocus is accurate and fast, particularly in situations with fast-moving subjects, and its one-inch image sensor provides accurate color and detail.

The RX100 VII’s 24-200mm lens gives you a wide flexibility to zoom in and capture faraway subjects, as well as to zoom out a bit and capture wider-angle shots.

Sleek and compact, you get a solid level of performance in a package that can fit easily into a jacket pocket or purse. Downsides are few. Notably, its low-light performance suffers a bit compared to other cameras with wider aperture ranges.

Even though at $1,698 it’s close in price to the Fujifilm X100VI’s $1,799, at least you can find the Sony for sale much more easily, and without waiting on a pre-order list.