We are a bit of a Sony fan here when it comes to video/picture, so we are always willing to give them a chance when it comes to sitting down with a new digital camera. The HX60V is one of Sony’s latest in the Cyber-shot family, replacing the HX-50V. It’s size it typical for most pocket-fit point and shoot cameras, but it also comes packed with useful features. One of these features is an amazing 30x optical zoom. A very useful spec to have when pulling out a camera. Even better, a camera of it’s size.
When it comes to pocket-size gadgets, smartphones have taken the industry for quick go-to solutions for photographic moments. The one thing they don’t offer however is optical zoom. The one thing most pocket-size devices do not offer…is a really “good” optical zoom. So the Sony HX60V finds itself in a very useful niche. The ability to easily pull out a small device to record the moment, even if that moment isn’t as close as you’d like it to be. A 30x optical zoom adds a lot of flexibility to having such a small camera which adds pressure to it’s competition. In fact, I am sitting next to a $1200 camcorder, that has less than 30x optical zoom, so this camera has a lead when it comes to the $300-400 range.
It packs a 20.4mp (mega-pixel) 1/2.3 inch Exmor R CMOS sensor for high resolution shots with vibrant colors and performs very well in low-light conditions.
The HX60V offers both WiFi and NFC connectivity for easily accessing and controlling the device. You can even control it via a smartphone and expand it’s features by using a number of camera install-able apps designed by Sony (known as “PlayMemories apps” in the PlayMemory Store).
The camera has built in GPS for geo-tagging the images you take, and features many useful abilities including the panoramic sweep and several digital filters.
Another nice feature that is becoming more common among cameras in this price range is that it allows full manual control of it’s settings for photo enthusiasts. This allows usability by a very a large range of camera users, both looking for an easy to use device and those looking to capture the best image possible from it.
The camera feels good in the hands with little feeling of wanting to drop it due to the texture grip and the easy to reach buttons. The only thing it’s missing is a touch screen for easier menu navigation. Thankfully, the menu system is the same across all of Sony’s cameras creating consistency.
Our Conclusion
Although our time was short with it, the HX60V was a pleasure to play with. The images were clear and colors were bright and accurate. There was some noticeable smoothing in the images, but didn’t seem to become an issue. The camera is built well and small enough to still fit in the pocket and features plenty of options and available apps. The 30x zoom is quite impressive and allowed us to capture some very detailed shots from a good distance. All in all, we decided to give this camera a 7/10. It is a very worthy camera and competes well within it’s price range.
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1 Comment
Extremely fascinating article. Although I don’t “completely” agree, it is a good camera.