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Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III

Portability
90
Imaging
42
Features
50
Overall
45
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III front
Portability
53
Imaging
52
Features
77
Overall
62

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Key Specs

Sony HX20V
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-500mm (F3.2-5.8) lens
  • 254g - 107 x 62 x 35mm
  • Released July 2012
  • Succeeded the Sony HX10V
  • Renewed by Sony HX30V
Sony RX10 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Boost to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-600mm (F2.4-4.0) lens
  • 1051g - 133 x 94 x 127mm
  • Announced March 2016
  • Older Model is Sony RX10 II
  • Refreshed by Sony RX10 IV
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Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Overview

Below, we will be evaluating the Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom and both are created by Sony. The image resolution of the HX20V (18MP) and the RX10 III (20MP) is pretty similar but the HX20V (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") feature different sensor size.

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The HX20V was announced 4 years prior to the RX10 III and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving through a in depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the HX20V grades versus the RX10 III with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony HX20V over the Sony RX10 III

 HX20V RX10 III 

Reasons to pick Sony RX10 III over the Sony HX20V

 RX10 III HX20V 
AnnouncedMarch 2016July 2012Fresher by 44 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1229k922kCrisper screen (+307k dot)

Common features in the Sony HX20V and Sony RX10 III

 HX20V RX10 III 
Manually focus Very accurate focus
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen size
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly screen No Touch friendly screen

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to carry your camera, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Sony HX20V offers external dimensions of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") and a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs) while the Sony RX10 III has specifications of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") having a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

See the Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the HX20V and the RX10 III.

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the HX20V and RX10 III is 90 and 53 respectively.

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III top view buttons comparison

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Sensor Comparison

Quite often, its hard to picture the difference between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the HX20V and RX10 III.

As you can see, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The HX20V with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony RX10 III will offer you greater detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older HX20V is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III sensor size comparison

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Screen and ViewFinder

Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony HX20V as a Portrait photography camera
Sony RX10 III as a Portrait photography camera
45
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (18 megapixels)
supports face detection autofocus
can't use external flash
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
71
focusing manually
good resolution (20MP)
nice sensor size (1")
supports face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Sony HX20V as a Street photography camera
Sony RX10 III as a Street photography camera
61
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors (254 grams)
screen does not articulate
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
64
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
nice sensor size (1")
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
more heavy than competitors in class (1,051g)
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Sports Comparison

Sony HX20V as a Sports photography camera
Sony RX10 III as a Sports photography camera
49
excellent zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (18 megapixels)
supports tracking autofocus
no shutter priority mode
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
70
great zoom range (24-600mm 25.0 x zoom)
quiet shutter (1/32,000s)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
nice sensor size (1")
supports tracking autofocus
environment proof
great battery life (420 per charge)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony HX20V Travel photography advice
Sony RX10 III Travel photography advice
69
lighter than competitors (254 grams)
decent sensor resolution (18MP)
has built in flash
really wide (25mm)
great reach (500mm)
lack of Timelapse function
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.2)
55
great battery life (420 shots)
environment proof
good resolution (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
quite wide (24mm)
great reach (600mm)
no Timelapse recording
more heavy than competitors in class (1,051 grams)
does not feature selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f2.4)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony HX20V as a Landscape photography camera
Sony RX10 III as a Landscape photography camera
50
focusing manually
really wide (25mm)
nice screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (18 megapixels)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.2)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
lack of Timelapse function
63
focusing manually
quite wide (24mm)
screen is a good size (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
nice sensor size (1")
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
great battery life (420 CIPA)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f2.4)
no Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony HX20V Vlogging info
Sony RX10 III Vlogging info
34
really wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detection autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competitors (254g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.2)
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of external microphone support
28
quite wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detection focus
high quality video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
comes with external microphone jack
slow max aperture (f2.4)
does not feature selfie friendly display
more heavy than competitors in class (1,051 grams)
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Sony HX20V vs Sony RX10 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony HX20V and Sony RX10 III
 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20VSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
General Information
Brand Sony Sony
Model type Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Large Sensor Superzoom
Released 2012-07-20 2016-03-29
Body design Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Chip BIONZ Bionz X
Sensor type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4896 x 3672 5472 x 3648
Max native ISO 12800 12800
Max enhanced ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 125
RAW photos
Minimum enhanced ISO - 64
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 9 25
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-500mm (20.0x) 24-600mm (25.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.2-5.8 f/2.4-4.0
Macro focusing range 1cm 3cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 2.7
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Display resolution 922k dot 1,229k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/1600 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Fastest quiet shutter speed - 1/32000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 10.0 frames per sec 14.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 7.10 m 10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video data format MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 254g (0.56 lbs) 1051g (2.32 lbs)
Dimensions 107 x 62 x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") 133 x 94 x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 70
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.1
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 472
Other
Battery life 320 shots 420 shots
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-BG1 NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Retail price $397 $1,398