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Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III

Portability
90
Imaging
42
Features
50
Overall
45
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III front
Portability
53
Imaging
52
Features
77
Overall
62

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Key Specs

Sony HX30V
(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
  • Revealed February 2012
  • Superseded the Sony HX20V
  • Updated by Sony HX50V
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
  • Released March 2016
  • Older Model is Sony RX10 II
  • Replacement is Sony RX10 IV
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Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Overview

Here, we will be looking at the Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Sony. The sensor resolution of the HX30V (18MP) and the RX10 III (20MP) is pretty comparable but the HX30V (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The HX30V was revealed 5 years prior to the RX10 III and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a short highlight of how the HX30V matches up vs the RX10 III when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony HX30V over the Sony RX10 III

 HX30V RX10 III 

Reasons to pick Sony RX10 III over the Sony HX30V

 RX10 III HX30V 
ReleasedMarch 2016February 2012Fresher by 49 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1229k922kSharper screen (+307k dot)

Common features in the Sony HX30V and Sony RX10 III

 HX30V RX10 III 
Manually focus Very accurate focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen measurements
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Missing Touch friendly screen

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Physical Comparison

In case you're intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Sony HX30V comes with physical dimensions of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") along with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs) and the Sony RX10 III has measurements of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") and a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

See the Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the HX30V and the RX10 III.

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the HX30V and RX10 III is 90 and 53 respectively.

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III top view buttons comparison

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the HX30V and RX10 III.

As you can see, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The HX30V having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony RX10 III will show more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older HX30V will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III sensor size comparison

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Screen and ViewFinder

Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Sony HX30V
Portrait photography with Sony RX10 III
45
has manual focus
resolution is good (18MP)
offers face detection focusing
cannot use external flash
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
71
has manual focus
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
supports face detect focus
saves RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sony HX30V as a Street photography camera
Sony RX10 III as a Street photography camera
61
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition (254g)
fixed screen
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
64
tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is nice (1")
saves RAW files
weather proofing
heavier than competitors in class (1,051g)
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Sports Comparison

Sony HX30V Sports photography factors
Sony RX10 III Sports photography factors
49
excellent zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (18MP)
offers tracking autofocus
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
70
excellent zoom range (24-600mm 25.0 x zoom)
quiet shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
supports tracking focus
weather proofing
great battery (420 per charge)
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony HX30V as a Travel photography camera
Sony RX10 III as a Travel photography camera
69
lighter than competition (254 grams)
resolution is good (18MP)
built-in flash
relatively wide (25mm)
very long zoom (500mm)
does not have Timelapse recording
display isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.2)
55
great battery (420 per charge)
weather proofing
resolution is good (20MP)
has built in flash
relatively wide (24mm)
long zoom (600mm)
does not have Time Lapse function
heavier than competitors in class (1,051 grams)
display isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f2.4)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony HX30V Landscape photography details
Sony RX10 III Landscape photography details
50
has manual focus
relatively wide (25mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (18MP)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
does not have Timelapse recording
63
has manual focus
relatively wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
saves RAW files
weather proofing
great battery (420 shots)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f2.4)
does not have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony HX30V Vlogging details
Sony RX10 III Vlogging details
34
relatively wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition (254g)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
display isn't selfie friendly
does not have external microphone jack
28
relatively wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect focus
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
comes with mic socket
sluggish max aperture (f2.4)
display isn't selfie friendly
heavier than competitors in class (1,051g)
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Sony HX30V vs Sony RX10 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony HX30V and Sony RX10 III
 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30VSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
General Information
Company Sony Sony
Model Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Large Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2012-02-28 2016-03-29
Physical type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Processor Chip BIONZ Bionz X
Sensor type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 18 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4896 x 3672 5472 x 3648
Highest native ISO 12800 12800
Highest boosted ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 100 125
RAW files
Min boosted ISO - 64
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points 9 25
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 25-500mm (20.0x) 24-600mm (25.0x)
Maximum aperture f/3.2-5.8 f/2.4-4.0
Macro focus distance 1cm 3cm
Crop factor 5.8 2.7
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of display 922 thousand dots 1,229 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/1600 secs 1/2000 secs
Maximum quiet shutter speed - 1/32000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 10.0fps 14.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 7.10 m 10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
External flash
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)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video file format MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 254 gr (0.56 pounds) 1051 gr (2.32 pounds)
Physical 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 All around score not tested 70
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.1
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.6
DXO Low light score not tested 472
Other
Battery life 320 shots 420 shots
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-BG1 NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at launch $420 $1,398