We all know what a “selfie” is, but we’re not always happy with the outcome, and sometimes that’s just because of the quality of photos, but what if you had a compact camera that you could see the image on? As of June, Sony will have two.
If you’re thinking of buying a new camera in the next few months and the art of taking a good self-portrait is high on the prerequisites, the two cameras that will make it happen are the HX90V and the WX500, and while they carry different model names, technically, they’re very close, with only a couple of key differences breaking them up dependent on how far you want to go with your photographic purchase.
First up is the sensor, and both rely on an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor with image stabilisation, with the same 30x (24-720mm) zoom lens sitting over it to let you take shots near and far.
WiFi and NFC are included in both for easy sharing, you’ll find a fast autofocus mode, video capture, and support for manual modes such as program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and yes, even manual.
And both even have a 3 inch LCD that can be pushed into various angles, with it even able to be aimed at the person taking the photo, turning the camera into a selfie camera.
Where they start to differ, however, is in the advanced functionality, with the HX90V including a GPS to tag where you shot the photos, a control ring around the lens to let you deal with things like manual focus or controlled step zoom, an ergonomically design grip for better hand-holding, and a pop-up OLED viewfinder if you’re in bright light and prefer taking the camera close to your eye rather than using it through the LCD screen.
Beyond those three features, the cameras are very, very similar, and rely on the same Sony BIONZ image processor, the same Full HD video capture, the same Zeiss glass in the lens, the same zoom lens, and pretty much the same camera, with the price and model difference coming from the sort of photography you plan to do.
And if you like having more control over your camera and want a GPS, Sony’s HX90V is the model out of these two you’ll want to check out retailing $599. If you don’t need the viewfinder, the grip, the GPS, or that manual control, you can save a few bucks and go with the WX500 which will retail for $479.
Fortunately, you have some time if you can’t decide, because neither of these will be out until June, and we suspect we’ll see more cameras arriving in that time, also, no doubt making the choice of a new camera a little more difficult.
