Sony DSC-HX90VB.CE3 Cyber-SHOT DSC-HX90V Compact Camera with 30x Optical Zoom, 18.2MP, 3-Inch LCD - Black

Spent a lot of time dithering between full frame and more portable. You can find all the specs and lots of reviews elsewhere so will just say here that I went for portable because I wanted a good travel camera and something a little less intrusive when photographing street scenes and the like. This packs a lot of camera in a small package. It’s versatile, great focus modes, the fitting offers a host of adaptor options so I was surprised to find I could fit anything from the latest Sony lenses through to old M42 screw thread lenses if I want (good if you want to attach to a telescope or something other than a camera lens). Specifications aside I’ve found over the years that some cameras are ‘enjoyable’ to use and prefer them to others that on paper are more capable. I’ve found the a6300 to be a camera enjoyable to use, even with a bigger lens like the Sigma 100-600 contemporary when I put it on the lens rather than the other way around. Not regretted my final choice once.

I bought this camera because it is very compact, it has a very good zoom range for its size, and it comes with an electronic viewfinder (essential for composing shots at full zoom because it's easier to hold the camera steady when you're looking through the viewfinder) and GPS. The only other camera that met these requirements was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60. I opted for the Sony because it is appreciably smaller than the Panasonic, and because – having compared sample images from both cameras – I felt that the Sony delivers marginally better image quality than the Panasonic. This said, one should not expect too much of any compact camera with a x30 zoom where image quality is concerned. No zoom lens is going to deliver sharp images throughout its range. The wider the zoom range, the more image quality is compromised. Furthermore, fitting a x30 zoom to a pocket-sized camera is only possible if the camera has a tiny sensor. Tiny sensors generate grain (digital noise) and resolve fine detail poorly. This is not about the megapixel count but the physical size of the sensor: squeezing more megapixels onto a tiny sensor only makes the problem worse. In going for a compact camera with a long zoom I was consciously opting to sacrifice image quality for practicality. The camera handles nicely thanks to a protruding grip on the right side which allows you to hold it securely with one hand. It feels heavy for its size at 245g, indicating just how much gadgetry is packed into it. Sony’s designers have pulled off a remarkable feat in making the HX90V so small, but even they couldn’t fit a x30 zoom lens completely within the camera body. The protruding lens housing adds bulk to the camera, but on the plus side it gives you something to hold on to with your left hand. I find that two-handed shooting DSLR-style, with left hand cradled around the base of the lens, is essential to hold the camera steady when shooting at full zoom. And there is a very handy control ring around the lens housing which I have set to control exposure compensation. Sometimes you’re taking a photo with large areas of background shadow, which can fool the camera into overexposing your main subject. You can avoid this by setting negative exposure compensation. This normally involves diving deep into the camera menu, but with the HX90V all I need to do is turn the control ring with my left hand as I'm framing the shot. Anyone familiar with compact cameras should find it easy to get the hang of the various buttons on the back of the camera. The camera menu system is intuitive if a bit complex. Image quality is a mixed bag. Colour rendition and exposure are generally accurate. The autofocus is excellent: I have never yet had to delete an image because of poor focus. Photos are pleasing to look at as whole images, as the attached wideangle landscape shows. However, if you scrutinise images in detail at full size the shortcomings of the camera sensor and lens emerge. The camera struggles to capture fine detail: see second attachment, which is a crop from the full size version of the landscape image. Grain is visible in photos even at ISO80, the lowest setting. Wideangle shots suffer from blur in the corners, particularly the lower right corner in my camera's case: see third attachment. Shots at full zoom are soft. Grain obviously increases at higher ISO settings. The camera does its best to wipe away the grain, but at the cost of eliminating fine detail and giving images something of a watercolour-effect look. See fourth attachment, shot at the maximum ISO of 3200, and the fifth which is a crop from the full size version of attachment 4. The in-camera GPS is easy to use. It does not appear to increase the camera’s power consumption excessively although I have not yet needed to keep it on for a whole day’s shooting. The location of geotagged photos can be identified on a map by means of Sony's PlayMemories Home app on a PC. The HX90V is equipped with NFC (near field communication), which supposedly allows you to set up a connection between it and a compatible smartphone or tablet simply by holding the two devices against each other. I say supposedly because I have not yet been able to make this feature work. However I have not missed it because setting up a connection manually is very easy once you have downloaded the necessary app on your mobile phone. My overall verdict? As I said I bought this camera for practicality not image quality. It scores highly for practicality with its combination of compactness and a long zoom range, not to mention other features like GPS and a tilting screen. Although I expected compromises where image quality is concerned, I admit I have been surprised at just how extensive the compromises are. Still, I'm very happy with it overall. This camera is not for you if you want professional-standard image quality. But if, like me, you want a small but versatile camera and you don't intend to scrutinise images in detail at 100% size, then this camera would make an excellent choice.

Very handy camera, does not come with a case or SD card, however it does come with USB/Charging lead. Takes HDR images in Auto plus mode and also has scene type selection such as Night shooting, Firework, Beach etc. Fully charged the battery only went down 1 bar after a full day trip out, taking approx 80 images via the screen being on. The camera does have a view finder that can be focused. It has a 30x zoom, which gets a bit shaky at full zoom. Picture quality is good but will never beat a DSLR. However took some photo's in some dark museums of items in glass cases without the flash in HDR mode and they came out great. Nice neat handy camera to slip in your pocket when the DSLR is to heavy to lug around, very pleased with its performance. and have been pleasantly surprised by what images it produces in low light area. Last of all it records GPS position of the photo taken, this saves a lot of time when adding to photo sites.

Zoom is great, optical viewfinder is even better (in very bright light), folding screen is good for selfies, wifi is great for tablet / phone connectivity and transfer of photos, this camera has it all.

So disappointing. I bought this to carry around when not using my DSLR but the quality of the test shots were so poor that frankly I could produce better with my phone. The good points - fantastically compact, great zoom range and it has a viewfinder, albeit very small. The downsides are the picture quality and the generally insubstantial feel of the build. I returned it and have bought a Lumix LX100 - great lens, bigger sensor far better viewfinder but shorter zoom range. You pays your money and takes your choices - for me the Lumix is far far better.

When I tell you that I loved the product, the question will be then why only 3 stars? Carmarthen Cameras who sold the product to me were excellent - the product arrived quickly and in pristine condition (new); and when the problem was flagged up accepted the return without quibble. So to return to singing its praise - the camera is/was beautiful and with an electronic viewfinder which I found incredibly useful. The zoom worked perfectly and the picture quality appeared excellent. But I only got to spend a short time with it. With a very busy schedule I had spent months researching cameras to find one that suited me. The ISO range advertised (80-3200, 12800) together with other features, particularly the size and zoom, pushed this product slightly ahead of the competition. Imagine my surprise when I received the product and could find ISO 80-3200 but nothing further to 12800. I keyed back and forth through the menu system, finally deciding to refer to the manual. Sure enough on page 93 - ISO 80-3200. Nowhere is 12800 or anything above 3200 mentioned. Carmarthen Camera cannot be blamed as the official Sony web site listed the same information - as does dpreview.com. I think its despicable when a large company such as Sony puts out this sort of misinformation. I had researched and ordered the camera for autumn at a temporary location: needing both the extra zoom and ISO. I had to fall back to using the camera being replaced for not being up to the task. And to add insult to injury found myself £8 out of pocket for the return postage.

This Sony DSC-HX90VB replaces my Canon SX740 which in itself was a brilliant camera with a bigger screen and zoom range at 40x but this Sony DSC-HX90VB at 30x is more than enough for me. The main reason to change was because its easier to setup GPS and the use of the eye viewer similar to my SLR. The facilities of this camera are many and it would take me days to go though them all. I managed to get a kindle book download for the Sony DSC-HX90VB which is a great addition to help with setting up etc, but does not fully answer my questions about the GPS. There are loads of reviews on YouTube and I spent hours watching them before deciding to change. There was no Kindle for the Canon HX740. The Sony DSC-HX90VB is slightly smaller and the screen does not seem as bright as the Canon but it slips into the pocket more easier. Once I understand the GPS, I may add it later, but for now I have a lot of camera to play and learn with. One problem I did have, the supplied USB mains adaptor to was not a UK one and was not the same as the images for this camera, never the less, the camera still warrants my 5 Stars.

Almost everything about this camera is brilliant, especially the x30 zoom. The only problem is the on/off button which is a real pain in that it is slightly indented making it awkward to turn on and off.