The Swiss army knife of compact cameras

SINGAPORE — The Sony Cyber-shot HX90V is a little nondescript black camera that is packed with a stunning array of features.

I brought the camera with me to take pictures at the National Day Parade preview and was surprised by the versatility the 245g kit could deliver.

The camera, launched here in June, is well-suited to telephoto shots. It functions like a pair of binoculars with its ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T lens’ 30x optical zoom with a limit of 720mm (35mm equivalent). Its Clear Image Zoom mode can double that to reach a gargantuan 60 times digital magnification.

A photograph straight from the CyberShot HX60V on 30x optical zoom:

Photographs straight from the CyberShot HX60V on the Clear Image Zoom mode:

At the same time, selfies and overview shots were not an issue with the built-in zoom lens, which is 24mm (35mm equivalent) at its widest.

The brightness, colours and contrast seen on the LCD screen are by and large accurate to what I got as photographs. Coupled with its intuitive auto mode, the camera is so easy to use it did not take much effort on my part to get non-shaky, correctly exposed photos, even when the sun was setting as the flypast and the paraders’ costumes — neon and fluorescent in the dark — got wild.

Similar to Sony’s higher range a7 cameras, the Cyber-shot uses an Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ X processor, although it captures images at a moderate 18.2 megapixels.

As a serious snapper, I was disappointed I could not capture images in the highly manipulatable RAW format, but I appreciate the extensive control modes, especially the Memory Recall mode. The mode allows me to save a preset right down to details, such as whether I would like to set an ISO range the camera uses on auto mode — useful to avoid overtly grainy images when shooting in darker settings. I also like that the control ring can be assigned to functions such as manual focusing.

For those who are used to having a viewfinder, the camera has an electronic OLED Tru-Finder that can be popped up for use.

Photography aside, the autofocus on video mode is immaculate — by far the best I have seen in the Full HD category. It makes crisp anything the camera points at, even if the subject is a skydiver approaching from above. No wonder, since the Cyber-shot inherits the autofocusing system from Sony’s pro a7 range of cameras. The camera’s five-axis image stabilisation kept my camera wobbles in check, so the video clips I got were clear, steady and smooth.

There was one problem, however: The buzz of the mechanism could be heard in the recording whenever I zoomed in or out. Also, the more zoomed in the camera is, the longer it will take to find its initial focus. The focusing can be quickened to about a second if you hold the shutter.

Together with its GPS, Wi-Fi, and 180° tilt LCD screen functions, the Sony Cyber-shot HX90V is the Swiss army knife of compact cameras with a stellar video function. It retails for S$599 at all Sony Stores, Sony Centres and select Sony authorised dealers.