Sony HX20V

Sony HX20V is Sony's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first launched on July of 2012. It has a 18 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4896 x 3672.

Sony launched this model in order to improve the older Sony HX10V (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards brought out the more recent Sony HX30V (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to improve this camera.

The HX20V is scored #61 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all round #532 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to check out our Smart camera filter to see camera listings based on your personal requirements.

Here is a chart of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Sony HX20V is part of a family of products. You can view the complete range below.

You can see the HX20V from different angles in the gallery below.

Below is a selection of advantages and disadvantages of the Sony HX20V based on factors that are normally viewed as essential in a digital camera.

The Sony HX20V is powered by the BIONZ processor. The sensor spec in the Sony HX20V is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4896 x 3672 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 18 megapixels and has a standard ISO range of 100 - 12800. Unfortunately, RAW files are not supported which means that you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below shows the HX20V's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The HX20V sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is presented in green.

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To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Sony HX20V has a weight of 0.56 pounds (254 gr / 8.96 ounces) and features external measurements of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr so the Sony HX20V is lighter when compared with various rivals.

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Listed below is a pic of the Sony HX20V alongside a softdrink so you can have a feel for its scale.

The top view below will highlight the button arrangement on the HX20V.

The HX20V is equipped with a built-in lens providing a focal range of 25-500mm giving it a 20.0 x zoom which is very good and is going to let you zoom right in.

At the widest 25mm, the lens will have an aperture of f3.2 which will be kind of slow and not very good in low light events and you will find it difficult to capture good bokeh. You will also have to up the ISO setting producing noisy shots. With the tele end, 500mm is superb zoom and comes with f5.8 making it fairly sluggish and you may need to apply slower shutter speeds.

The HX20V has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes
• GPS Yes

Cameras that contain NFC and Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly through smartphones. You can send files and sometimes change camera settings with no need to connect physically to the camera.

Many applications even provide a Liveview and click the shutter whenever you aren't close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external monitor. Almost all cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.

The maximum video resolution in the Sony HX20V is 1920 x 1080 and it can capture in MPEG-4 and AVCHD file format. 1080p resolution gives a great balance for video quality and file sizes but FULL HD won't give you much room to downsample. The camera doesn't feature a mic and headphone port which means you have got no control over your sound. It is probably best to find a different camera if you want good sound in your videos.

There is no weather proofing on the Sony HX20V so you need to be cautious in rainy or dusty situations.

The Sony HX20V has a 3 inch fixed screen boasting a resolution of 922 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder details regarding Sony HX20V are below:

• ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and tough to view, viewfinders will be particularly valuable.

Sony HX20V continuous shooting speed is 10.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/1600s.

Sony HX20V boasts only in-built flash lacking external flash ability.

Sony HX20V boasts just Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot quicker & precise when compared with Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera has Face detection which can be handy for taking portraits of people.

The AF system has 9 focus points to select from. It also features Tracking Autofocus for moving things. Sony HX20V comes with manual focusing if needed for low light conditions or you want more exact control on focusing.

The battery (NP-BG1) on the Sony HX20V is fashioned to last for 320 images based on the CIPA standards making it similar to its competitors. The general Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the highest possible (600) battery life for this group of cameras.

Underneath is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
HX20V vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
HX20V vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
HX20V vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
HX20V vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
HX20V vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following graph shows a overview of the Sony HX20V for varying types of photography. To check out more, go to the specific paragraph below.

The Sony HX20V gets a points total of 45 which is horrible, meaning that it is not really appropriate to use for portrait photography. Photographing portraits favors heavily to sensor dimensions, RAW support and capability to utilize off-camera lighting.

With a above average score of 61, the Sony HX20V is a fine choice to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

A average sports photography points total of 49 means the Sony HX20V is reasonably adequate for taking pictures of sports. A camera really should have fantastic autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Weight is really important in buying a travel camera. Over-all, the Sony HX20V gets a above average 69 for a travel camera which makes it a fine choice to buy for your journeys.

When you're planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photos, the most vital factor is going to be image quality. The Sony HX20V at it's decent grade of 50 as a landscape camera is fairly adequate amongst it's rivals.

A camera for vlogging should really posses a moving display, mic input and ideally image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Sony HX20V is not really appropriate as a vlog camera as it delivers a horrible rating of 34.

If you are interested in replacements to the HX20V, below is a collection of the highest ranked cameras that fall within the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The line chart here provides you an overview of the HX20V compared to it's highest ranked rivals mentioned earlier.

Following are additional cameras you may look into as alternatives. To read through a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.