Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V Review

The Cyber-shot HX90V replaces last year's HX60V as Sony's high-end travelzoom compact camera. Like the HX60V it sports 30x optical zoom, though where this used a Sony G lens, the new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V gets a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T-star coated optic. In an effort to stay competitive with class-leading cameras like Panasonic's Lumix TZ70, Sony has equipped the HX90V with a high resolution pop-up electronic viewfinder. It also gets a new lens barrel control ring and a flip-up screen. But it's the HX90V's sheer compactness that makes it stand out from the crowd, as it's appreciably smaller than key rivals like the TZ70, Canon PowerShot SX710 HS and Nikon Coolpix S9900. A host of extra features like Wi-Fi with NFC pairing, GPS, exposure bracketing and full manual control help justify what's currently a relatively high retail price of around £339/$428/ INR 27,990.00.

Ease of Use

Although the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V may share some similar specs to the HX60V, on the outside they're very different animals. At 102 x 58.1 x 35.4mm, the HX90V lines up alongside Sony's WX500 as the smallest camera on sale to feature a 30x optical zoom. By comparison, the HX60V is 6mm wider, 5.5mm taller, 3mm thicker and 28g heavier. The HX90V is also noticeably smaller than the 30x compact camera competition from Canon, Nikon and Panasonic. And yet despite this, it's not short on features.

Front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

The 30x zoom lens is certainly impressive, giving a 24-720mm-equivalent focal range, but it's not enough to set the HX90V apart. That's left to the new pop-up electronic viewfinder. Keen followers of the Cyber-shot range will recognize this from the premium RX100 III, and it ejects in the same way. Flick the release switch by your left hand and up it pops, powering the HX90V on in the process. You'll also need to pull the eyepiece towards your eye though, as otherwise the EVF won't activate when you go to use it. Once it does burst into life, the 1,440k-dot resolution is crisp and color reproduction faithful.

Also packed in to the HX90V's top panel is a pop-up flash, however this, the EVF and smaller case design means you no longer get a hotshoe mount for attaching a flashgun or other accessory. The HX60V's useful exposure compensation dial has also been deleted from the HX90V, and instead you'll have to nudge the rear panel D-pad down and use the surrounding control ring to adjust exposure. It's no particular hardship, but a dedicated dial would be even easier.

Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

The compacted case design also has a knock-on effect of compressing the rear panel buttons together to a point that they're far fiddlier to use than a Canon SX710 HS or Panasonic TZ70. The lack of button space also means the rear thumb rest is small and not particularly grippy, although there is a good-sized – if plasticky – front finger ridge. This makes the HX90V far more comfortable to use than Sony's WX500, despite the two cameras sharing an otherwise-identical case design.

Whilst the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V's compactness is a mixed blessing compared to its predecessor, you do at least get an improved LCD screen. It's still a 3-inch, 922k-dot panel, but now it can flip up through 180 degrees, making low-level shots easier to compose and selfie-snapping a doddle. Nikon's S9900 features a fully articulating screen rather than just a tiltable unit, but it's also much bulkier than Sony's version.

Move round to the front of the HX90V and there's another new feature: a control ring around the lens. You'll find a similar gadget on the Panasonic TZ70, although Sony's implementation does feel very cheap and rather like it's just a lose piece of trim. The ring can be used to operate the zoom, but it can also be customised to control exposure compensation, white balance, ISO sensitivity, shutter speed and aperture. By default, it'll control zoom when the camera is in either of its automatic modes, adjust aperture in program auto, aperture priority and manual mode (with the rear control wheel altering shutter speed), and the lens ring sets shutter speed in shutter priority mode. If you activate manual focussing, the ring is then used to focus, and by pressing the Fn button on the rear panel, the ring will operate the last-used menu option.

• For India (18.2 MP)  Rs. 27,990.00  - http://amzn.to/2iKq05H
• For India (16 MP)  Rs. 68,363.00  -  http://amzn.to/2zY1diB
• For US (18.2 MP)  $448.00   - http://amzn.to/2zgqEi2
• For US (32 MP) $468.00   - http://amzn.to/2zOg1zu
• For UK (18.2 MP)  £319.00   - http://amzn.to/2zYuqtJ
• For UK (21.1 MP) £319.99  -  http://amzn.to/2xxLjtz

Unboxing

• For India (18.2 MP)  Rs. 27,990.00  - http://amzn.to/2iKq05H
• For India (16 MP)  Rs. 68,363.00  -  http://amzn.to/2zY1diB
• For US (18.2 MP)  $448.00   - http://amzn.to/2zgqEi2
• For US (32 MP) $468.00   - http://amzn.to/2zOg1zu
• For UK (18.2 MP)  £319.00   - http://amzn.to/2zYuqtJ
• For UK (21.1 MP) £319.99  -  http://amzn.to/2xxLjtz

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