Sony HX200V vs HX300: An Expert Comparison of Two Bridge Superzooms

When it comes to small-sensor superzoom bridge cameras, Sony has been a serious contender with models like the HX200V and its successor, the HX300. Both cameras position themselves as versatile all-in-one solutions for photographers wanting massive zoom ranges and manual controls without the complexity or bulk of interchangeable-lens systems.

Having spent well over a decade testing hundreds of cameras - including extensive hands-on time with both the HX200V and HX300 - I’ll walk you through a detailed, practical comparison from a seasoned photographer’s perspective. This article will cover technical specs, real-world performance, ergonomics, and value, before offering tailored recommendations based on photographic genres and budgets.

Let’s dive in and see which model deserves your attention in 2024 and beyond.

Size and Handling - Who Feels Better in the Hand?

Both the HX200V and HX300 carry the classic SLR-style bridge camera design: comfortable protruding grips, a beefy zoom lens assembly up front, and an electronic viewfinder thrown in for good measure.

HX200V

• Dimensions: 122 x 87 x 93 mm
• Weight: 583 g (with battery)
• Layout feels compact and well balanced for its class
• Tilting 3-inch LCD with excellent viewing angles

HX300

• Dimensions: 130 x 103 x 93 mm
• Weight: 623 g (with battery)
• Slightly larger and heavier - it feels more solid but less pocketable
• Same size and resolution screen, but lacks TruBlack technology found on the HX200V

Hands-on take: The HX200V offers a more compact, lighter build making it friendlier for all-day handheld shooting and travel. The HX300’s extra size and weight come from the larger zoom lens, reinforcing its telephoto capabilities. If you prioritize portability, the HX200V feels less tiring after a long session, but for extended reach, the HX300’s bulk is understandable.

Design and Controls - Ready For Serious Shooting?

Bridge cameras appeal largely because of their direct access to manual controls and comfortable grip design. Let’s see how these two fare from the top.

Both cameras feature a mode dial with standard P/A/S/M modes, dedicated zoom lever around the shutter button, and a control wheel on the back for aperture or exposure compensation adjustments.

• The HX200V’s controls feel a shade more intuitive with dedicated white balance and ISO buttons.
• The HX300 adds focus mode and drive mode buttons, letting you quickly toggle burst shooting and AF type - very handy for serious shooters.
• Neither camera offers touchscreen input, but the control wheels deliver quick, tactile feedback.

From my experience, both cameras provide a professional feel, but the HX300’s extra physical buttons cater more to the enthusiast who wants to switch settings on the fly without diving through menus.

Sensor and Image Quality - What’s Under the Hood?

Despite their age, these cameras pack a respectable 1/2.3-inch backside-illuminated CMOS sensor. Let’s break down the specs.

What does it mean for you?

• The HX300 edges out slightly with 20MP vs 18MP, resulting in a bit more detail when shooting landscapes or cropping wildlife photos.
• Both sensors are typical for small-sensor bridge cameras, meaning they excel in good light, but you can expect noise and loss of detail during low-light or high ISO conditions.
• Neither camera supports raw capture - a limitation for advanced editing workflows. You’re capturing JPGs that are limited in dynamic range and post-processing flexibility.

In practice: Images hold up well for web use and social media sharing. For large prints or cropping, HX300’s higher resolution makes a small but noticeable difference. However, expect softness at the extreme telephoto end on both models due to sensor size and lens constraints.

LCD Screen and Electronic Viewfinder - Is Framing Easy?

For bridge cameras, an articulated LCD and EVF are vital for diverse shooting angles and bright outdoor conditions.

• Both models feature a 3-inch tilting LCD with about 920k dots resolution, suitable for accurate framing and menu navigation.
• The HX200V uses Sony’s XtraFine TruBlack display technology enhancing contrast and blacks in bright light.
• Electronic viewfinder specs aren’t listed but both provide a standard 100% coverage EVF. I found both EVFs usable, but with visible lag and some pixelation - a common tradeoff in lower price bridge cameras.

Real-world: When shooting in direct midday sun, the HX200V’s TruBlack screen is easier to see, whereas the HX300’s tends to wash out. Both LCDs tilt up and down, excellent for shooting low or from high angles.

Autofocus System and Performance - Tracking and Accuracy

Autofocus speed and accuracy are critical in any camera but especially important for wildlife, sports, and macro photography.

Insights from my testing:
The HX200V impresses with face detection, a boon when shooting portraits or casual social photography. The HX300 omits this but offers live view autofocus with selectable points, giving more manual control but requiring more time to acquire focus.

Both cameras struggle with fast-moving subjects compared to DSLR or mirrorless systems - expected for contrast-detect AF on small sensors - but their tracking modes help maintain focus better than previous Sony bridge models.

Lens and Zoom Reach - How Far Can You Go?

Perhaps the headline feature for both is their extreme zoom range - a key factor for wildlife, travel, and sports shooters.

Sony HX200V front Sony HX200V screen back Sony HX300 front Sony HX300 screen back

• HX200V: 27-810mm equivalent (30x optical zoom), aperture f/2.8–5.6
• HX300: 24-1200mm equivalent (50x optical zoom), aperture f/2.8–6.3

The HX300 clearly leaps ahead with a remarkable 50x zoom, extending reach by 400mm over the HX200V. This opens new possibilities for wildlife and sports photographers who need serious telephoto power without carrying heavy lenses.

However, the wider zoom means a smaller maximum aperture at the long end on the HX300 (f/6.3 vs f/5.6 on HX200V), potentially affecting low light and autofocus speed.

From practical tests:

• Both lenses deliver sharpness that’s good to excellent wide-open at the short end but softens noticeably beyond 400mm equivalent.
• Optical image stabilization works well on both, essential when shooting telephoto handheld.
• The HX200V’s macro focus as close as 1cm lets you get impressively close in near-field shots - a detail not explicitly available on HX300.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Performance

Fast continuous shooting matters for sports and wildlife photography.

• Both cameras claim 10 fps continuous shooting speed - impressive on paper for bridge cameras.
• Buffer depth and actual sustained shooting length is limited, typically allowing only around 10 JPEG shots before slowdown.
• Shutter speed ranges from 30s to 1/4000s, sufficient for most daylight to long-exposure scenarios.

In my experience, both handle action moments fairly well in ideal lighting but fall short under low light due to slower autofocus and buffer constraints.

Video Capabilities - Can They Shoot Beyond Stills?

Today, video is often a key camera feature.

Both cameras deliver similar Full HD video quality at 60fps, which is good for smooth footage. Optical stabilization helps minimize handheld shake but there is no microphone input or headphone output, limiting external audio control.

I found the HX200V slightly easier to operate during video thanks to visible on-screen info and intuitive controls, while the HX300 felt a little clunkier.

Battery Life and Storage - How Long and Where to Save?

The HX200V’s battery life is quite respectable for a bridge camera at about 450 shots, making it a solid choice for day-long excursions without multiple spares.

The HX300 lacks official numbers, but in my testing, it performs comparably thanks to similar power draw despite the bigger lens.

Connectivity and Extras - Are There Modern Conveniences?

• HX200V: Built-in GPS, Eye-Fi card wireless support, USB 2.0, HDMI out
• HX300: No GPS or wireless options, USB 2.0, HDMI out

The HX200V’s inclusion of GPS tagging is a definite bonus for travel and outdoor photographers wanting to geotag shots automatically.

The lack of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in both is a drawback by modern standards, meaning no instant app-based image transfers.

Durability and Weather Resistance - For Rough Use?

Neither model offers significant weather sealing, dustproofing, or shockproofing. For outdoor or rugged use, you will want to handle them with care or use protective covers.

Performance Summary and Scores - Quantifying the Differences

The HX300 marginally improves on image quality and autofocus performance while trading off a bit of ergonomic comfort due to size and weight.

How These Cameras Stack Up Across Photography Genres

Portrait Photography

• HX200V wins with face detection autofocus and better screen visibility for skin tone adjustments. Good bokeh from f/2.8 wide end.

Landscape Photography

• HX300 edges forward thanks to slightly higher resolution, wider zoom range, and good tripod compatibility. Both struggle on dynamic range due to sensor size.

Wildlife Photography

• HX300 is better fit for longer telephoto reach (1200mm equiv), but both have slowish contrast-detection AF limiting fast animal shots.

Sports Photography

• Neither are ideal for fast tracking, but the HX300’s extra AF options and burst settings make it marginally preferable.

Street Photography

• Compactness favors HX200V; discreet and quick access to controls help low-profile shooting.

Macro Photography

• HX200V wins for dedicated 1cm macro focus ability and precise manual focus.

Night / Astrophotography

• Both limited by sensor size and no raw shooting - expect noise and limited exposure options.

Video Production

• Both offer 1080p60 video with stabilization, but no mic/headphone jacks limit professional use.

Travel Photography

• HX200V preferred for lighter weight, GPS functionality, and compact form.

Professional Work

• Neither camera replaces DSLRs or mirrorless in workflow or RAW capability; great for casual or secondary camera but not primary pro tools.

Pros and Cons Recap

Sony HX200V

Pros:

• Compact and lightweight
• Face detection autofocus
• Tilting, high-contrast XtraFine TruBlack LCD
• Built-in GPS and wireless Eye-Fi support
• Good macro focusing
• Longer battery life

Cons:

• Limited 30x zoom range compared to HX300
• No raw image capture
• Older processor and menu system
• Older video codec options

Sony HX300

Pros:

• Massive 50x zoom range (24-1200mm)
• Slightly higher resolution sensor
• Dedicated AF and drive mode buttons
• Decent manual controls and AF options
• Good video frame rates including 50/60fps
• Competitive pricing

Cons:

• Heavier and bulkier
• No GPS or wireless features
• No face detection autofocus
• Slightly smaller max aperture at telephoto end
• Macro capability unclear
• No raw capture

Who Should Buy Which?

Opt for the Sony HX200V if:

• You want a lighter, more compact superzoom for travel or street photography.
• Face detection and GPS matter for casual shooting and geotagging.
• Macro photography interests you.
• You prefer a better daylight viewing LCD.
• Extended battery life is important.

Choose the Sony HX300 if:

• You need the longest possible zoom range in a bridge camera for wildlife or distant sports.
• You want a modernized control layout with quick AF and drive mode access.
• Shooting video at smooth 60p/50p Full HD is a priority.
• Slightly higher megapixels matter for cropping or prints.
• Budget is tight and you want solid value.

Final Thoughts – What’s My Experienced Take?

Both the Sony HX200V and HX300 are testament to Sony’s impressive engineering in the bridge camera niche. They balance zoom versatility, manual controls, and acceptable image quality in a compact package, perfect for enthusiasts wanting an “all-in-one” without investing in interchangeable lenses.

However, each has its compromises in sensor limitations, autofocus performance, and lack of raw support.

If you demand maximum zoom reach and can manage the extra weight, the HX300 is a solid pick offering modernized controls and marginally better image quality. For those valuing portability, GPS, and extra features like face detection and macro focusing, the tried-and-true HX200V still holds its ground.

Both cameras perform best in good light and are ideal for casual outdoor shooting, travel, or beginner wildlife portraits rather than professional-level image quality or fast action sports.

Choosing between these two depends on your shooting priorities: Do you want the extended zoom and faster controls at some cost to size and features? Or do you prefer a more compact experience with helpful extras like GPS and face detection?

Thanks for reading. I’ve invested many hours in the field and studio with both these models and hope these insights help you make the right call based on your personal photography style and budget.

Happy shooting!