Dick Dastardly
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Casual review and comparison of the Sony HX60 pocket camera, (mine was manufactured in 2018).
So, i've recently sold my Sony RX100 M6 but i enjoy having a pocket camera, so i looked around and bought this, a HX60, after owning some of the previous models in the series(i've had a whole bunch of cyber shot cameras since around 2002).
I know the latest model in the series is the HX99, but i only paid like $85 for the boxed HX60 and it's basically a brand new camera.
I just came back from a walk with it and i can safely say this camera is a winner. For starters, it's a pretty small yet chunky camera, it has a nice rubber grip and one handed operation is possible, i can even use the exposure comp. dial all while holding the dog's leash with the other hand. The plastic case is firm and the weight dostribution os just perfect. The buttons are nice and clicky. In all honesty, this is a better design than the rx100 series, where the metal body is slippery and will develop scratches and dents, since it's basically thin painted aluminium. I actually dropped my M6 a couple of times and the body was already showing signs of damage, with the HX60 this becomes less of an issue. It just sits better in the hand and plastic doesn't get damaged as easily.
The major selling point for the HX series is the huge zoom range, the HX50/60/90/99 all have the same 30X optical zoom and the AF and IS work really well. Autofocus speed on the HX60 is not the same as with the RX100 M6, but it's no sluch either, it works well and most of my images come out looking swell.
One of the reasons i bought and sold the M6 was the fact that it has a nice zoom range and a good quality lens, however because the lens starts at f2.8 and goes to f4 at the tele end there is more grain in the images than i would like to see at this price point. Also, the 10x zoom range doesn't go as far as i would've liked. Now obviously, the HX60 has a even slower lens and a smaller sensor resulting in plenty of noise when used in low light, but i have 3 times more zoom and for the price, i can't really complain. Having a pocketable 30X zoom camera opens up a lot of possibilities, more so than the 10X zoom on the rx cameras.
I am happy to report that the lens fitted on the HX60 is quite sharp, definitely an improvement on the previous HX20/30 and the older ones. Maybe the rx100 M6 has a slight advantage here as you would expect, personally I really like what i am getting from the cheaper camera, i was able to get sharp results even towards the end of the zoom range, where the rx cameras can struggle at times. Personally, i think the rx100 24-200mm lens is only truly sharp between ~28-120mm, which was somewhat frustrating for me.
The HX60 also has the added bonus of being better for macro work, because it has the small sensor advantage. Neither camera shines in this area, but i am happy with what i get from the HX60.
The RX100 cameras are fantastic video cameras, the HX60 also has nice video quality(only 1080p), my only dissatisfaction is that while recording video i can't use any WB preset, the video is always recorded using AWB, which is always bluish on sony cameras.
Both the HX60 and my former RX100 M6 have weird WB presets and the colours are not great, if you shoot jpeg like me. I prefer other brands when it comes to colour.
Both cameras use the same battery which can be charged in camera, but the HX60 draws less power, meaning more shots per charge.
What i actually miss from the HX60 is the tilting screen, which is useful for this type of camera.
Although the HX series are not "premium" like the RX line-up, i feel that you get more for your money when buying any HX model versus the equivalent RX version. They are also more fun to use, and i can carry the HX60 everywhere without feeling anxious about damaging it in any way, like i was with the rx100 M6.
I am hoping this little review and indirect comparison might help the type of people who buy these pocket zoom cameras, i've had plenty and lately i've noticed a rise in prices, meaning even less people can now afford a $800 pocket camera. By comparison, the HX60/HX90 are lesser known models from a lesser known line-up and the prices for these are lower, especially since our friends the youtubers haven't really noticed the Sony HX cameras, not many real reviews from them on YouTube, for example. Which is good, because this means they can be had for relatively little money.
For those who can afford an rx camera, i would actually get a rx100 VA or, even better, a ZV-1, which is basically the same camera but cheaper. The reality of the situation is that neither the RX100 VI/VII nor the HX60/90 cameras are not suitable for low light situations, but with the HX60 at least i can have fun while the sun is up, simply because i have more zoom than i know what to do with.
To put things into perspective, at 200mm equivalent and beyond, i can get equal or better pictures with the HX60 than i do with the rx100 vi, a panasonic tz100 or a canon 55-250 IS lens. For this type of camera, i would argue that this is a big deal.
If a large pocketable zoom is not needed, then a rx100 M3 is all anybody needs really.
To prove my point, i am attaching a few sooc pictures i just took while walking the dog, one handed.
So, i've recently sold my Sony RX100 M6 but i enjoy having a pocket camera, so i looked around and bought this, a HX60, after owning some of the previous models in the series(i've had a whole bunch of cyber shot cameras since around 2002).
I know the latest model in the series is the HX99, but i only paid like $85 for the boxed HX60 and it's basically a brand new camera.
I just came back from a walk with it and i can safely say this camera is a winner. For starters, it's a pretty small yet chunky camera, it has a nice rubber grip and one handed operation is possible, i can even use the exposure comp. dial all while holding the dog's leash with the other hand. The plastic case is firm and the weight dostribution os just perfect. The buttons are nice and clicky. In all honesty, this is a better design than the rx100 series, where the metal body is slippery and will develop scratches and dents, since it's basically thin painted aluminium. I actually dropped my M6 a couple of times and the body was already showing signs of damage, with the HX60 this becomes less of an issue. It just sits better in the hand and plastic doesn't get damaged as easily.
The major selling point for the HX series is the huge zoom range, the HX50/60/90/99 all have the same 30X optical zoom and the AF and IS work really well. Autofocus speed on the HX60 is not the same as with the RX100 M6, but it's no sluch either, it works well and most of my images come out looking swell.
One of the reasons i bought and sold the M6 was the fact that it has a nice zoom range and a good quality lens, however because the lens starts at f2.8 and goes to f4 at the tele end there is more grain in the images than i would like to see at this price point. Also, the 10x zoom range doesn't go as far as i would've liked. Now obviously, the HX60 has a even slower lens and a smaller sensor resulting in plenty of noise when used in low light, but i have 3 times more zoom and for the price, i can't really complain. Having a pocketable 30X zoom camera opens up a lot of possibilities, more so than the 10X zoom on the rx cameras.
I am happy to report that the lens fitted on the HX60 is quite sharp, definitely an improvement on the previous HX20/30 and the older ones. Maybe the rx100 M6 has a slight advantage here as you would expect, personally I really like what i am getting from the cheaper camera, i was able to get sharp results even towards the end of the zoom range, where the rx cameras can struggle at times. Personally, i think the rx100 24-200mm lens is only truly sharp between ~28-120mm, which was somewhat frustrating for me.
The HX60 also has the added bonus of being better for macro work, because it has the small sensor advantage. Neither camera shines in this area, but i am happy with what i get from the HX60.
The RX100 cameras are fantastic video cameras, the HX60 also has nice video quality(only 1080p), my only dissatisfaction is that while recording video i can't use any WB preset, the video is always recorded using AWB, which is always bluish on sony cameras.
Both the HX60 and my former RX100 M6 have weird WB presets and the colours are not great, if you shoot jpeg like me. I prefer other brands when it comes to colour.
Both cameras use the same battery which can be charged in camera, but the HX60 draws less power, meaning more shots per charge.
What i actually miss from the HX60 is the tilting screen, which is useful for this type of camera.
Although the HX series are not "premium" like the RX line-up, i feel that you get more for your money when buying any HX model versus the equivalent RX version. They are also more fun to use, and i can carry the HX60 everywhere without feeling anxious about damaging it in any way, like i was with the rx100 M6.
I am hoping this little review and indirect comparison might help the type of people who buy these pocket zoom cameras, i've had plenty and lately i've noticed a rise in prices, meaning even less people can now afford a $800 pocket camera. By comparison, the HX60/HX90 are lesser known models from a lesser known line-up and the prices for these are lower, especially since our friends the youtubers haven't really noticed the Sony HX cameras, not many real reviews from them on YouTube, for example. Which is good, because this means they can be had for relatively little money.
For those who can afford an rx camera, i would actually get a rx100 VA or, even better, a ZV-1, which is basically the same camera but cheaper. The reality of the situation is that neither the RX100 VI/VII nor the HX60/90 cameras are not suitable for low light situations, but with the HX60 at least i can have fun while the sun is up, simply because i have more zoom than i know what to do with.
To put things into perspective, at 200mm equivalent and beyond, i can get equal or better pictures with the HX60 than i do with the rx100 vi, a panasonic tz100 or a canon 55-250 IS lens. For this type of camera, i would argue that this is a big deal.
If a large pocketable zoom is not needed, then a rx100 M3 is all anybody needs really.
To prove my point, i am attaching a few sooc pictures i just took while walking the dog, one handed.
