Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V Review

With an 18.2-million-pixel sensor and a design overhaul, is the HX90V one of the best travel zooms ever? Callum McInerney-Riley finds out

Image Quality

: JPEG images are punchy and pleasing straight out of the camera

See more in our Sony HX90V sample image gallery

With its small sensor, we don’t expect the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V to achieve outstanding image quality. However, taking the 18.2-million-pixel, 1/2.3in Exmor R sensor into consideration, the image quality is rather good. The caveat is that JPEG-only shooting limits the images to the effectiveness of the BIONZ X processor. Up to ISO 800, the camera does a reasonable job of both detail and resolution, while past this the images become very mushy when viewed at pixel level.

Resolution

JPEG images resolve 2600/lpph at the lowest sensitivity of ISO 80, which is what we expect to see from a small sensor such as this. The images for the resolution chart were shot at a 35mm equivalent focal length of 50mm at f/4.5 aperture. At ISO 800 the camera scores a resolution of 2200l/ph and drops to around 1800/lpph at the maximum ISO of 3200.