Are you a fan of travel cameras? If so, there are plenty of options on the market for 2012, including the newest addition to the range, Sony's HX20V. Continuing on the same track as its predecessor, the HX9V, this camera boasts a longer optical zoom lens (20x), as well as a few more features to improve the package.
Design and features
There's no doubt that the HX20V is one of the best-built travel cameras around. There's a firm but comfortable hand grip, which offsets the camera's sturdy construction. The mode dial at the top of the camera is pleasing to turn and responsive, while the buttons at the back do their job without taking up too much space. Above the 20x optical zoom lens is a stereo microphone, and there's also a pop-up flash alongside it that raises automatically when needed.
It's a camera simple enough for beginners to use and leave in automatic mode, and be done. Fortunately, for more experienced photographers, there's also a built-in manual mode, as well as program mode, and enough other shooting options to make most people happy.
Shooting options come in the form of intelligent auto; superior auto for reducing blur and noise; program; manual; MR or memory recall; iSweep panorama; movie; 3D; and scene or background defocus modes. There's a built-in GPS for automatically tagging location data on photos.
Photo filters are fun, just like we've seen on other Sony compacts, ranging the gamut from pop art to watercolour effects, and a painterly HDR mode.
Just a few of the photo filters on the HX20V, clockwise from top left: HDR painting, toy camera, watercolour and partial colour.
(Credit: CBSi)
While we're not fans of companies arbitrarily increasing sensor resolution just for the sake of marketing a few more megapixels, the HX20V could strike the balance right. Sony claims that the 18.2-megapixel backlit CMOS camera has an adaptive noise-reduction feature, which optimises each area of the image to best apply noise-reduction techniques. Sony also says that this camera has lowered the noise level to one sixth of that delivered by cameras with the previous technology on-board. We'll see if this holds true in our analysis of image quality.
The high-resolution, 3-inch screen is a big plus point, particularly when compared to other travel cameras in this class, which seem to miss out on pin-sharp displays.
The HX20V is one of the first cameras we've seen to tout its environmental cred openly on its sleeve, made of recycled plastic. The polycarbonate body is made up of 99 per cent reused materials, and is supposed to have excellent heat resistance. We didn't take the liberty of putting it in the microwave to test this claim.
Connectivity is through a mini-HDMI port at the side of the camera, and also through a proprietary mini-USB connector at the base, which doubles as the camera charger when hooked up with its power adapter.
Compared to
| Canon PowerShot SX260 HS | Sony Cyber-shot HX20V | Panasonic Lumix TZ30 |
|---|---|---|
| 12.1-megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor | 18.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor | 14.1-megapixel high-sensitivity MOS sensor |
| GPS built in | GPS built in | GPS built in |
| 3-inch 461,000-dot LCD | 3-inch, 921,000-dot LCD | 3-inch 460,000-dot LCD |
| 25mm wide-angle lens | 25mm wide-angle lens | 24mm wide-angle lens |
Performance
The HX20V can shoot at 10 frames per second in continuous mode, but only for 10 shots before it stops to process them. Sony rates the battery at 320 shots.
Image quality
Any snapshooter or travel photographer will be pleased with the image quality delivered by the HX20V. Colours are bright and punchy, perhaps a little too over-saturated in the red channel, although this is something that we've noticed before on other Sony compacts.
This camera performs particularly well in low light, and the sensor and image processor is impressive in these situations despite the resolution bump. It's particularly noticeable in superior auto mode, which does exactly what it promises — delivers clearer shots in low light with less noise.
This shot was taken in superior auto mode, which, when used in low-light situations, snaps several photos in quick succession to make a clearer, blur-free and low-noise shot. It works excellently, as you can see in this image with the 100 per cent crop inset. The EXIF data says that this was taken at ISO 800, and, given the way that the camera automatically stitches the photos together when using this auto mode and applies some special magic, no wonder they look much better than just shooting in Program mode at ISO 800.
(Credit: CBSi)
Automatic white balance does reasonably well when the flash is fired, but is a little too warm when used in dark situations without the flash. Skin tones in particular look a bit too crimson when the flash isn't used.
This photo was taken at the full extent of the 20x optical zoom. You can go further with digital zoom if required. The 100 per cent crop is inset, which you can see is quite over-processed. Still, for web use, this is a great-looking shot.
(Credit: CBSi)
Like other backside-illuminated CMOS sensors, the HX20V exhibits some over-processing on images taken in ample lighting. On the plus side, the camera and lens do well on keeping fringing at bay, something that usually exhibits itself in high-contrast areas.
While the lens is nice and sharp at its centre, this sharpness does drop off towards the corners of the frame.
ISO 1600 is really the top sensitivity you want to use if you intend to make any enlargements from your photos. You may be able to salvage a shot at ISO 3200, but the detail is pretty smeared; things get even worse at 6400 and 12,800, which is the camera's maximum sensitivity.
While the HX20V produces reasonably clean shots at lower ISO levels, beyond 800 is when things start to get a little messy. As with most other backlit-CMOS sensors we've seen, this camera also gives a slightly over-processed look to its shots.
(Credit: CBSi)
Video quality comes in a number of configurations, topping out at 1080/50p in AVCHD as its highest setting. There's also MP4 recording available, too. Quality is excellent for a camera of this class, with a sharp image and good colour representation. Sony does enable the full extent of the optical zoom while filming, and the auto-focus does an excellent job of keeping up with lens movement without you noticing that the focus changes. Sound is decent, thanks to the stereo microphone, with a wind cut option and an adjustable level (either normal or low).
The HX20V can capture stills during video recording, but the implementation is a little confusing. For starters, you can't snap them when recording at the highest-quality 1080p setting; you need to be shooting in 1080i. Secondly, there's no real visual indication on the screen as to when the shot has been taken seamlessly during video recording. It flashes "Capture", but then doesn't give you any other visual feedback to say that it's still shooting video.
The stills captured during video shooting aren't of the same quality as standalone stills, at a 16:9 aspect ratio and 13 megapixels. They're also pretty noisy, and present a smeary image even at ISO 400. Still, for web use, they should be fine.
Image samples
Exposure: 1/800, f/3.2, ISO 100 |
Exposure: 1/80, f/4, ISO 500 |
Exposure: 1/125, f/4.5, ISO 320 |
Exposure: 1/8, f/3.2, ISO 800 |
Conclusion
Offering a wide range of features from a 20x optical zoom lens to excellent low-light modes, the HX20V is a great buy for the cashed-up traveller. The usual caveats apply, including limitations on the use of high-ISO images for enlargements due to noise, but the HX20V is one of the nicest travel cameras from the current crop.
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