High zoom travel compacts seem to be one area of the compact
camera market that is continuing to do well in an area otherwise marred
by smartphone sales.
This type of camera offers
something that smartphones can't – a high quality optical zoom. This
makes them particularly appealing to those going on holiday, or looking
for something a little more flexible than is currently offered by their
phone.
In that respect, the HX60V is one of the most impressive options currently available on the market – at least on paper. It
has a market-leading 30x optical zoom, packed into a small body. It
also boasts full manual control, although you can't shoot in raw format. It's matched in zoom ratio by the Panasonic TZ60, which is probably this camera's biggest competitor. Along with manual modes, there are also semi-automatic and, of course, fully automatic modes.
Alongside that optical zoom lens, there's a 20.4 million-pixel 1/2.3 inch Exmor R CMOS sensor. Sony's Exmor sensors are backlit for best performance in low light shooting scenarios.
What should also boost the camera's performance in a range of shooting conditions is the Bionz X processor. This is the latest-generation processor available from Sony, and is featured on much more expensive or advanced cameras, including the very top-of-the-line Sony Alpha 7R. With
a native sensitivity of ISO 80–3200, it will be interesting to see how
well the Bionz X processor copes with low-light, high-sensitivity shooting situations, as it should offer a significant improvement over the HX50. In fact, we were left a little disappointed with the HX50, so I'm hopeful that all-round image quality will see an improvement.
Unlike other manufacturers, such as Canon, who often use older processors even when newer ones are available, Sony hasn't skimped on introducing this processor for its latest compact range, and you'll now find it on others, including the WX350, HX60V and the HX400V.
It's starting to become an industry standard now, but the HX60 features both Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. This gives you a number of wireless options, including being able to control the camera remotely from a smartphone or tablet, as well as quickly sharing images between devices. Sony has also introduced the ability to expand the camera's functionality with PlayMemories apps, something we've previously seen on the company's range of compact system cameras.
A number of different apps can be downloaded – some are free, some are paid for – from the PlayMemories store. Although the number is fairly small at the moment, this gives good scope for Sony to introduce more in the future for download. There
are two variants of the HX60 available. The HX60V features GPS
connectivity, which is useful if you want to geotag (i.e. record
location information with) your images. Otherwise, specifications for
both cameras are exactly the same.
With its full manual
control, the HX60V is likely to appeal to enthusiast photographers who
have a good knowledge of cameras, but there's also plenty to appeal to
novices or those who like to have a bit more fun with their photography.
For starters, there's Sony's Sweep Panorama function, and also a number
of digital filters that can be applied to images.
It's
getting increasingly difficult to find a camera that doesn't boast Full
HD video shooting, so it's no surprise to see this functionality on the
HX60.
The camera includes a 921,000 dot Xtra Fine TFT LCD, but Sony doesn't offer a touchscreen. The same can be said for the Panasonic TZ60.
Other interesting features include 10fps shooting capability and a 380-image battery life.
As mentioned, the HX60 goes head to head with the Panasonic TZ60, but it's also worth noting the Canon SX700. It also features a 30x optical zoom, but has only just been announced, so we haven't had a chance to review it yet.
The HX60 is fairly chunky for a compact camera, but considering it houses a 30x optical zoom, it's remarkably sleek.
It's
solid and weighty enough to give it a quality feel, and those who are
tempted by this kind of camera as a second, or everyday camera, will
probably find that the size and design really appeals.
A
chunky, textured grip on the front of the camera gives excellent
purchase when using the camera one-handed, while a thumb rest on the
back of the camera helps it to sit naturally in the hand. All of the
camera's buttons on the back of the camera are grouped on the right-hand
side, making them easy to reach with your thumb. The
HX60 doesn't have a touchscreen, but there are a good number of buttons
and dials to give quick access to a lot of different functions. On top
of the camera are two dials, one for changing the shooting mode from
manual, to semi-automatic, automatic and scene modes. You'll also find a
Memory Recall slot here, which is useful if you often like to shoot
with one particular group of settings – i.e. monochrome or high
sensitivity. A second dial is used for altering exposure compensation.
Also
on top of the camera is the shutter release button, around which you'll
find the zoom lever. Zooming in and out is pretty quick and fluid,
which is important for a camera with such a high zoom ratio.
On
the back of the camera is a scrolling dial that doubles up as a
four-way navigational pad. Each direction of the pad controls something,
such as right to alter flash settings, or left to change the drive
mode. Unlike some other Sony cameras, the buttons can't be customised to
a different setting, but there's a sensible selection of options
available nonetheless.
To access the most commonly used
settings, all you need to do is press the Fn (function) button. By
default, here you'll find settings such as white balance, sensitivity
and Picture Effect. Actually, this menu is customisable, so if you never
use the Flash Compensation option, say, you could remove it and replace
it with something you do use. It's a nice way to work. You
can change the autofocus point, which is nice to see. To do this, you
first need to switch Focus Area from 'Wide' to 'Flexible Spot'. You can
also choose a small, medium or large spot, depending on the size of the
detail you're trying to focus on.
Once you've selected
Flexible Spot, you simply need to press the centre button in the
navigation pad and then scroll around the screen to the point you
require. It would be quicker to do this with a touchscreen, but it's not
as convoluted as we've seen on other Sony cameras, which is good.
Sony
has taken the decision to use the same menu system across its range,
whether it's a compact camera, compact system camera or DSLT. As such,
if you're a user of another Sony camera you should be at home here.
It
also makes the HX60 all the more appealing to anybody who already owns a
Sony model. Fortunately, the menu that Sony has chosen to use is a
sensibly arranged one, split into camera settings, custom settings,
wireless options, PlayMemories apps, Playback and setup options.
Sony
has been integrating Wi-Fi into its cameras for some time now, and for
the most part it's easy to use. Once you've completed initial setup of
the Wi-Fi connection, you won't need to input the password again, but we
did find you need to manually connect the cameras often enough for it
to become annoying. If
you have an NFC-enabled device it's much easier, as all you need to do
is simply tap the two together to create the connection. Using the
PlayMemories app on an iPhone 4S is good, if not perfect, but it's a
decent solution to getting images from the camera ready for uploading to
social networks.
The ability to add apps to Sony cameras
has also been around for a little while now, most prevalently on its
compact system camera series, such as the NEX 5T. These give you the
ability to expand the functionality of the camera.
Some
apps are already preloaded onto the cameras, while others can be
downloaded from the PlayMemories store. The range is reasonable, but it
would be nice to see Sony adding some more interesting options here –
especially in the paid-for section.
Of the apps that are
pre-installed, Multiple Exposure is fun to experiment with, guiding you
along the process of creating a multiple exposure image. You can also
use a Remote Control app to take control of the camera from a smartphone
or tablet.
Sony cameras have been producing excellent results as of late, and so we had anticipated that the HX60V would also be good – especially given that it has the new Bionz X processor. We were also a little concerned about the quality of images from the HX50, so hoped for an improvement on that front too.
We're pleased to report that, overall, images are bright and punchy, with vibrant colours that are also generally true to life. Detail resolution is good, with its 20.4 million-pixel sensor capable of resolving a good amount of detail. Viewing
images at normal printing and web sharing sizes – of A3 or below –
gives the impression that images are wonderfully detailed, and
generally, for most of the people that will use this camera, that's
fine. However, if you do examine images at 100%, it's fair to say that
they're marred by mottling and a painterly effect, even at the lower end
of the sensitivity scale, so if you're pixel-peeping you may be a
little disappointed. That said, this is also true of images from the Panasonic TZ60, so it's pretty much to be expected of cameras of this type and price. At higher sensitivities, such as ISO 800 and above, images from the HX60 don't display too much noise, but the effects of noise reduction can mean that image smoothing removes more details than is ideal.
Generally, the camera is capable of producing well-exposed images, but it does tend to suffer from under-exposure in a lot of situations, meaning you'll need to dial in some exposure compensation to get a correctly exposed image.
The camera's automatic white balance system does a good job of producing accurate colours in the majority of conditions, erring slightly towards warmer tones when faced with artificial lighting. If that's proving to be too much of a problem, then it's easy enough to switch to a more specific white balance setting.
In terms of standout features, the key selling point of the HX60 is of course its 30x optical zoom, which is matched by the Panasonic TZ60 and the Canon SX700. This focal length is the longest available for a compact camera of this type (only beaten by much bulkier bridge cameras). Images
taken at the furthest point of the telephoto lens are very good,
offering a decent amount of detail, which is very similar to the images
taken at the widest point of the lens.
Sony also has
Clear Image Zoom, which is its version of digital zoom. This boosts the
camera's zoom capability up to 60x. While the images taken at this
setting are not as good as those taken at the optical zoom – as it's
basically a cropped version of the 30x optical image – they're still
very good at normal printing and web sizes, so if you need that
flexibility it's very welcome. The
HX60 has a good range of options for those who want to experiment and
get creative with their images. There are a number of Picture Effects
that can be applied before a shot is taken. Some, as is to be expected,
are better than others, but as it's largely down to personal taste, it's
worth trying them out. As the camera doesn't shoot in raw format
though, it's worth remembering that if you shoot with a Picture Effect,
you'll be stuck with it.
For a subtler effect, you can
also alter the Creative Style. Options such as Vivid, Sunset and Black
and White are available, and you also have the option to customise
certain aspects, such as contrast, so they're worth using if you would
like a bit more control over the setting.
Sony's Dynamic
Range Optimiser technology is useful when you're photographing high
contrast situations, as it works to brighten the shadows while
maintaining the highlights.
You can set the mode to
automatic, or you can set it in a range of strengths from 1-5, with 1
being the most subtle. It you use it on the strongest setting, the
effect can be a little fake, but the subtler settings can really help to
balance a scene.
Autofocusing speeds are pretty quick,
especially in good light. If you step inside, speeds drop a little, but
it's only when the light is incredibly low that the camera struggles to
focus at all.
We shoot a specially designed chart in carefully controlled conditions and the resulting images are analysed using DXO Analyzer software to generate the data to produce the graphs below.
A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) indicates a cleaner and better quality image.
For more more details on how to interpret our test data, check out our full explanation of our noise and dynamic range tests.
Here we compare the Sony HX60V with the Panasonic TZ60, Olympus Stylus SH-50 and Canon PowerShot S120.
JPEG dynamic range
In
terms of dynamic range, the HX60V is the worst performer on this test,
being beaten reasonably significantly by the Canon PowerShot S120. All
of the cameras perform fairly well though, so it's not too disappointing
a result.
JPEG signal-to-noise ratio
In
terms of signal to noise ratio, again, it is the HX60V which is the
worst performer on the test here. However, that could be a reflection of
the detail which is kept in shots in favour of noise suppression. It's a
shame that you can't shoot in raw format to control the amount of noise
reduction, or otherwise, is applied.
As part of our image quality testing for the Sony HX60V, we've shot our resolution chart.
For a full explanation of what our resolution charts mean, and how to read them, check out our full explanation of our camera testing resolution charts.
Examining
images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the
following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:
If you examine an image like this at 100%,
you'll see that there is a noticeable degree of image smoothing,
resulting in a painterly-like effect. However, if you view at normal
printing or web sizes, it appears to have plenty of detail – which is
how you will view your images most of the time. The HX60 is capable of producing relatively shallow depth of field effects, despite the fact that its widest aperture is f/3.5. Click here to see the full resolution image. Shooting with Picture Effects gives you a nice amount of flexibility. Click here to see the full resolution image. Images straight from the camera are bright and punchy, showing a good level of vibrance without being overly saturated. Click here to see the full resolution image. With its huge optical zoom range, the HX60 is appealing to those who want to photograph subjects such as nature. Click here to see the full resolution image. The camera's Sweep Panorama mode is quick and easy to use, merging images successfully in camera.Click here to see the full resolution image. At
high sensitivities, such as ISO 1250, you can see image smoothing
taking effect where noise reduction has been applied, but again, at
normal printing and web sizes it's not particularly noticeable.Click here to see the full resolution image. The
camera's metering system is a little prone to underexposure, meaning
you'll need to dial in some positive exposure compensation to get a
correctly exposed image at times. Click here to see the full resolution image. Toy Camera (Normal)Toy Camera (cool)Toy Camera (Warm)Toy Camera (Green)Toy Camera (Magenta)Pop ColorPosterization (Color)Retro PhotoSoft High-KeyHigh Contrast MonoSoft FocusHDR PaintingRich-Tone MonoWatercolorIllustrationNo Filter
Zoom range
At its widest point, the HX60 offers an equivalent focal length of 24mm, which is great for capturing a lot in a wide scene. Click here to see the full resolution image. At
the maximum telephoto zoom end of the optic, the 30x optical zoom
offers an equivalent of 720mm, making it incredibly flexible for
travelling and holidaying photographers. Click here to see the full resolution image. If
the optical zoom still isn't enough reach, then you can shoot with
Clear Image Zoom – a sort of digital zoom. This boosts the focal length
equivalent up to 1440mm, and still performs reasonably well. Click here to see the full resolution image.
The HX60 is an interesting option for those who want a
camera that offers a lot of functionality in a (relatively)
pocket-friendly body size.
Fortunately for consumers,
there's a lot of choice on the market at the moment, with three travel
compact cameras currently offering the 30x optical zoom reach that the
HX60 features.
The HX60 is a very capable camera, producing bright, vivid images with plenty of detail. There's a problem of image smoothing throughout the sensitivity range, but this is something we've also seen on the Panasonic TZ60.
Also, it's only particularly noticeable when examining images at 100% - something the average user of this camera will never have the need to do. If you're printing at A3 sizes or below, images look great.
Built-in Wi-Fi and, to some extent, NFC connectivity, is starting to become a bit of an industry norm for modern cameras. Nevertheless, it's great to see it here, and on the whole it's easy to use. The ability to add apps from the PlayMemories store is a nice function too, as it gives you scope to add optional extras – an app for uploading directly to Facebook, for instance. There's not a great deal of choice in the store at the moment, but hopefully Sony will continue to support and expand the choice available.
Looking at the downsides, it's a shame not to see a touchscreen on this model, but a decent number of dials and buttons make operation easy, so it's not too bad that there isn't one. That's also true of thePanasonic TZ60.
Having full manual control is great, as well as other semi-automatic modes, as it makes this an appealing camera for those who own DSLRs or are experienced photographers that want a back-up or travel camera. It would be nice to be able to shoot in raw format though, something which the TZ60 does offer.
There's a good range of creative options, with Picture Effects and Sweep Panorama being easy and fun to use.
We liked
The
HX60 is a sleek camera, especially when you consider its 30x optical
zoom. Image quality at the far end of the telephoto optic is excellent,
with optical image stabilisation doing a good job of helping to produce
blur-free images. This is the key selling point of this camera, and
although others offer it, the HX60 does a very good job of producing
excellent images at its furthest reach. Digital zoom is good, too.
We disliked
It
would be easy for photographers to be put off by the lack of detail
when examining images at 100%, but it's also worth considering the
likelihood that you will ever print off an image at huge sizes – it
seems unlikely for a camera of this kind. That said, it's the thing we
dislike about the camera the most.
Verdict
The
HX60 is a solid choice for anybody who wants a reliable travel camera
that can take great shots, has a decent range of creative options and
offers a lot of flexibility in terms of the zoom range.
Unfortunately
for Sony, where once it offered something unique with its huge zoom
range, other manufacturers, namely Panasonic and Canon, have caught up
and also offer that range, giving consumers more choice and making it
difficult for Sony to stand out quite so much.
Still,
it's an attractive option, with built-in connectivity making it
appealing to those who want to share images quickly while out with the
camera.
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