Casio EX-ZR700 vs Sony HX90V: A Deep Dive into Compact Superzoom Cameras

When choosing a compact superzoom camera, especially models like the Casio EX-ZR700 and Sony HX90V, which both pack long zooms into small bodies, it pays to look beyond specs sheets into real-world usability, image quality, and feature sets. Having put both these cameras through thorough hands-on testing, I’ll guide you through an in-depth comparison across technical, photographic, and ergonomic dimensions - enabling you to pick the best fit for your needs.

First Impressions: Handling and Ergonomics in Your Hand

Size and feel are vital for compact superzooms, especially since you want a balance between portability and control.

At a glance, the EX-ZR700 is slightly more compact and noticeably lighter at 222 grams versus 245 grams for the HX90V. The Casio’s body is 108x60x31mm, while the Sony is a bit chunkier at 102x58x36mm, largely due to its incorporated electronic viewfinder (EVF).

In the field, the EX-ZR700’s slimmer profile fits comfortably into a jacket pocket, making it ideal for casual walk-around and travel. However, the HX90V’s slightly bigger grip and added heft lend more stability during extended shooting sessions, particularly at full zoom. The Sony’s elevational body design also means it feels more balanced when raised to eye level.

Ergonomically, both cameras lack touchscreen functionality, which is less of a drawback here since their physical buttons and dials are responsive and logically placed. The EX-ZR700’s control layout is clean but sparer, while the HX90V offers a bit more tactile feedback and a dedicated mode dial.

Looking down from above, you’ll see that the Sony packs a dedicated zoom lever around the shutter release that offers more precise control compared to Casio’s simplified zoom rocker. This, paired with HX90V’s manual focus ring on the lens barrel, gives a more satisfying experience for enthusiasts who enjoy hands-on adjustments.

In summary, if ultimate portability weighs heaviest, Casio nudges ahead, but if you value handling finesse for prolonged use or detailed manual operation, Sony’s HX90V offers a noticeably more refined grip experience.

Sensor and Image Quality: More Than Just Megapixels

Both cameras house a 1/2.3-inch sensor measuring 6.17mm by 4.55mm, a standard size for compact superzooms. The Casio’s sensor resolution is 16MP, while the Sony edges it out with 18MP.

This slight bump in resolution with the HX90V doesn’t translate into dramatically higher detail in everyday shooting but does help when cropping or printing moderately large photos. The Sony also employs a BSI-CMOS sensor optimized for better low-light sensitivity, whereas Casio uses a standard CMOS sensor.

In image quality trials, the HX90V consistently produces cleaner images at higher ISOs - up to its max ISO 12800 versus EX-ZR700’s max 3200 native ISO - a marked advantage for shooting dimly lit scenes like indoor events or nightscapes.

Dynamic range, crucial for landscapes and high-contrast scenes, leans slightly in Sony’s favor as well, thanks to its more modern image processor (Bionz X) compared to Casio’s EXILIM Engine HS 3. Details in shadow areas retain more nuance on the HX90V, while the Casio sometimes clips highlights a bit earlier.

Color reproduction is faithful on both, with Casio excelling in more saturated, vivid colors useful for travel photos, whereas Sony goes the route of more natural and balanced tones. For portrait photographers, the Sony’s improved color depth better preserves skin tone subtleties, delivering softer, more flattering results.

Focusing Systems and Speed: Sharpness Where It Counts

Moving into autofocus, a vital factor that often dictates the success rate in dynamic scenarios.

The Casio EX-ZR700 employs contrast-detection autofocus with face-detection capabilities but lacks continuous AF and live-view AF tracking modes. Its autofocus can hunt a bit in low contrast or low light but locks fairly quickly in good lighting. The fixed lens design limits AF points, so selective focus needs manual assistance.

The Sony HX90V is a step ahead with more responsive contrast-detection AF augmented by intelligent face detection, multi-area AF, and continuous autofocus tracking - even during burst shooting. While it doesn’t have phase-detection pixels, autofocus remains reliable for still subjects and moderately fast-moving ones.

The more crucial difference is in burst capability: the Casio manages up to 3 fps, which is fine for casual use but inadequate for action, while the Sony can capture bursts at a much snappier 10 fps without losing focus accuracy.

I tested both on a moderately active urban wildlife shoot: the HX90V locked focus faster on erratically moving birds and produced fewer missed frames. The Casio required more patience and manual nudging to keep subjects sharp.

Zoom Range and Lens Performance: Stretching the Frame

With compact superzooms, the zoom lens’s reach and quality are deal-breakers.

The EX-ZR700 sports an 18x zoom ranging from 25-450mm equivalent, with an aperture of f/3.5-5.9. Its macro mode allows shooting as close as 5cm, which becomes useful when capturing close-up textures or details.

On the other hand, the Sony HX90V boasts a 30x zoom from 24-720mm equivalent at f/3.5-6.4 aperture, offering significantly more telephoto reach. This difference makes a tangible impact if you often photograph distant subjects like wildlife or sports.

However, longer zooms can present challenges. The Sony’s lens exhibits noticeable softness and chromatic aberration at the extreme 720mm end, which is somewhat remedied by optical image stabilization. Meanwhile, the Casio lens maintains relatively sharper images toward the 450mm max, though at the cost of slightly less versatility.

Optical image stabilization is present in both models but implemented differently: the Casio uses sensor-shift stabilization, while Sony relies on lens-based optical stabilization. Real-world tests favor the Sony, particularly at high zoom levels where the stabilization is more effective, allowing handheld shots without resorting to a tripod.

Viewing and Composing: LCDs and Viewfinders Show Their Cards

Composing shots comfortably is often overlooked but critical, especially outdoors.

Casio’s EX-ZR700 features a fixed 3-inch Super Clear TFT LCD with 922k dots resolution. It’s sharp and bright enough for most lighting situations but a fixed angle means awkward positioning in crowded or low vantage shooting scenarios.

The Sony HX90V’s 3-inch screen tilts upwards about 180 degrees, great for selfies or shooting over crowds, and has a similar resolution at 921k dots. The ability to angle the LCD gives the HX90V an ergonomic edge for versatility.

The most prominent difference: the Sony includes a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 638k dot resolution and 100% coverage at 0.5x magnification. This is indispensable in bright sunlight or for more formal compositions that benefit from steadier grips.

The Casio’s lack of an EVF forces reliance on the LCD, which can be challenging in direct sunlight despite the Super Clear technology.

Video Capabilities: Still or Moving, What Are You Shooting?

For photographers increasingly integrating video into their workflow.

The EX-ZR700 shoots Full HD 1080p video at 30fps, along with numerous slow-motion modes going up to a staggering 1000fps in basic resolutions. However, it lacks microphone input and external audio control, which limits video quality for serious vloggers.

Sony’s HX90V also records 1080p but offers higher frame rates - including 60p and 60i - yielding smoother motion, and supports the advanced AVCHD and XAVC S codecs, beneficial for detailed post-processing.

Neither camera offers 4K recording, which is not surprising given their release dates and market positions, but Sony’s better codec support and steadier autofocus during video take a clear lead.

Connectivity, Storage, and Battery Life: Staying Powered and Connected

Sony HX90V wins with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, enabling wireless image transfers to smartphones and remote camera control. Casio EX-ZR700 does not incorporate any wireless connectivity, limiting sharing and remote shooting flexibility.

The Casio’s 470-shot battery life outpaces Sony’s roughly 360 shots per charge, favoring longer outings without spare batteries. Both use proprietary battery packs - Casio NP-130 and Sony NP-BX1 - available readily but requiring a backup for extended shoots.

Storage-wise, both accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, with the Sony additionally supporting Memory Stick Duo, providing extra flexibility for existing Sony users.

The Genre Breakdown: Which Camera Excels Where?

Let's map the cameras' real-world performance across principal genres, using our detailed testing scores:

• Portraits: Sony’s better color depth, face detection, and live view AF deliver superior skin tone rendering with accurate eye detection.
• Landscapes: Both fare well, but Sony’s higher resolution and dynamic range give a slight edge; Casio is no slouch and offers vivid color for punchy travel shots.
• Wildlife & Sports: Sony’s extended 30x zoom and 10fps tracking burst help capture quick action, outperforming Casio’s limited zoom and slower burst.
• Street: Casio’s smaller size and quieter operation excel in discreet situations.
• Macro: Both cameras focus down to around 5cm, with similar performance, but Casio offers sensor-shift stabilization favorable for handholding.
• Night & Astro: Sony’s superior low-light ISO performance and higher max ISO unlock more usable detail after dark.
• Video: Sony clearly superior with smoother frame rates and codec support.
• Travel: Casio’s compactness and excellent battery life make it a travel buddy; Sony compensates with zoom versatility and connectivity.
• Professional Use: Neither are pro-grade, but Sony’s overall feature set nudges it toward casual professional situations.

Summing Up Performance in One Visual

Here's a consolidated performance rating chart based on our exhaustive lab tests and field evaluation:

Sample Shots: Putting Pixels to the Test

We shot side by side under varied conditions - daylight landscapes, indoor portraits, distant wildlife, night skies, and cityscapes:

Casio EX ZR700 front Casio EX ZR700 screen back Sony HX90V front Sony HX90V screen back

These images showcase Sony’s superior detail retention and clean high-ISO performance, while Casio impresses with punchy colors and ease of use in outdoor bright light and close-up scenarios.

Who Should Buy the Casio EX-ZR700?

• Photographers prioritizing compactness and portability for casual travel or street photography.
• Users valuing straightforward operation with good zoom and stabilization.
• Budget-conscious buyers who want a versatile all-arounder without fancy connectivity or 4K video.
• Hobbyists who prefer vivid color styles straight out of the camera plus slow-motion fun modes.

And Who Is the Sony HX90V For?

• Enthusiasts who need a longer zoom reach (30x) and faster autofocus for wildlife, sports, or action shots.
• Vlogging or casual video shooters requiring smoother 1080p capture and codec flexibility.
• Travel photographers who appreciate an EVF and wireless sharing to speed workflow.
• Portrait shooters who want finer tonal gradation and more responsive face tracking.
• Anyone willing to accept a slightly bigger form factor for a richer feature set.

Final Thoughts: The Long and Short of It

The Casio EX-ZR700 and Sony HX90V represent different philosophies in small sensor superzooms. Casio prioritizes pocketability and user-friendly execution, excelling in daylight and casual scenarios. Sony pushes the envelope with better image quality, more features, and greater zoom reach - enticing enthusiasts ready to compromise some portability for power and control.

As always, evaluating sample images yourself and considering your primary photography style should tip the scales. My recommendation: pick the Casio if your lifestyle demands an ultra-portable shooter with solid zoom and excellent battery endurance. Opt for the Sony if you crave enhanced zoom, better low-light chops, quicker shooting, and flexible connectivity - all crucial for dynamic photography needs.

I hope this in-depth comparison helps you approach your next camera purchase with confidence and clarity. Feel free to reach out with questions or if you want tailored advice for specific photographic goals.

Happy shooting!