I bought a used Sony RX100 Mark II on eBay for about $120 (roughly 100 euros). In this post I’ll show you my exact camera, what was wrong with it, what to look for if you want to buy one, and how it does for photos and video. For the price, the image quality is excellent, and it’s small enough to take anywhere.
What condition mine was in
It had scratch marks, and when it arrived it looked worse than it does now, so I cleaned it. I took off the grip mount, which was supposed to help but didn’t, and the neck strap. There’s a crack, but it was visible in the listing and I didn’t mind. The buttons show wear but the labels are still readable. The display shows the most age, probably because the previous owner used it outdoors without a screen protector. Everything on it is still readable, and that’s what mattered to me.
The defects, and how to buy a defective one
Cameras that are listed as defective but only have specific parts broken are much cheaper. That’s how I got a good price. It does come with a risk, so here’s what I ran into:
- HDMI cover won’t stay closed: the listing said so. I took the tab out, bent it, and it stays in now. Easy fix.
- Stuck lens: this was the real issue. The lens sometimes did not extend all the way. My guess is that if it extends sometimes, you’re fine. Now I hold the camera level when I open and close it. I also don’t use the zoom ring around the lens because I think it’s slightly bent, and I use the normal zoom knob instead.
- Lens lids sticking: they used to get stuck and I had to push them up by hand. That doesn’t happen anymore, so some problems are temporary.
- Display: it still tilts, but it doesn’t fold out far enough to see yourself. I believe the Mark III can do that.
The risk: if the lens won’t come out at all, it might be dead for good and you’ve bought a piece of metal. Most of the time a stuck lens gets unstuck, but it’s not a guarantee. If you buy at or below market value you can usually resell the camera. That’s my experience, not a promise.
Features that still matter
- Flash: a pop-up fill flash that takes great pictures. Sometimes it won’t go back down right away. Maybe it needs to cool down, or maybe it’s just my unit. The Mark III I bought does not have a flash.
- Autofocus: pretty good, especially for a camera this old. You can also use the focus tracker: pick a subject, press OK, and it follows it.
- No viewfinder: the display is how you frame shots, so it needs to work.
- USB: one cable charges the camera and copies files. I mostly use the SD card for transfers.
- Wi-Fi: useful for sending one or two pictures. I don’t like the app.
Video on the RX100 M2
There aren’t many video settings. You can choose AVCHD or MP4. I found AVCHD annoying, and you have to look up the specifics yourself. Mine is a European model, so it records at 25 or 50 frames per second. There’s no 24 or 30 option. I switched my phone to 25 fps so both match, which keeps editing simple. It has stabilization and autofocus in video. Quality drops noticeably when you zoom in.
You can use it as a webcam through mini HDMI and a capture card, but I wouldn’t recommend it on the Mark II. You can’t remove all the overlays, so you have to crop them out and lose some quality.
Why I bought it
I wanted to use my phone less, because I was spending a lot of time on it that was essentially wasted. So I bought a used phone for 40 euros in mint condition. It does messaging, browser tasks and document photos, and it’s a worse experience for social apps, which is the point. To still have a good camera, I got a small one I can take anywhere. For me this combination makes more sense than a $1,200 phone where I don’t use most of the features.
I’ve also bought the Mark III for 155 euros without knowing if it even turns on. I’ll review it once it arrives.
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