Photographer's Guide to the Sony DSC-RX100 VII

Book excerpt: This book is a complete manual for users of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII camera, one of the most advanced, but still pocketable, cameras available. With this book, author Alexander White provides users of the RX100 VII with a guide to all aspects of the camera’s operation, including its many advanced settings for autofocus and exposure control. Using a tutorial-like approach, the book shows beginning and intermediate photographers how to take still images and record video with the RX100 VII, and explains when and why to use the camera’s many features. The book provides details about the camera’s automatic and advanced shooting modes, including continuous shooting at rates as fast as 20 frames per second, with short bursts as fast as 90 frames per second, as well as its numerous menu options for shooting, playback, and setup. The book includes information about using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections for image transfer, remote control, and adding location information to images. The book has more than 500 color photographs or illustrations that help explain the camera’s menus, shooting screens, and features. These images include examples of photographs taken using the RX100 VII’s Scene mode, with settings optimized for subjects such as landscapes, sunsets, portraits, low-light, and action shots; and the Creative Style and Picture Effect menu options, with settings that alter the appearance of images. The book also provides introductions to topics such as street photography, astrophotography, and digiscoping, with photographic examples. The book includes a full discussion of the video features of the RX100 VII, which can shoot HD and 4K (ultra-HD) movies, and which offers manual control of exposure and focus during movie recording. The book explains the camera’s numerous features that are useful for professional-level videography, including Picture Profiles that allow adjustment of settings such as gamma curve, black level, knee, and detail. The book provides detailed information about recording 4K video to an external video recorder using the “clean” video output from the camera’s HDMI port. In three appendices, the book discusses accessories for the RX100 VII, including cases, power sources, grips, remote controls, and filter adapters, and includes a list of websites and other resources for further information. The book includes an appendix with “quick tips” on how to take advantage of the camera’s features in the most efficient ways possible. This guide to the RX100 VII includes a detailed index, so the reader can quickly find needed information about any particular feature or aspect of the camera.