Sony Touts New HX90V, WX500 As Smallest 30x Zoom Shooters

Smartphones have started to eat into the digital camera market because of their portability and growing photography competence. That is why camera makers are trying to keep up, some by hunkering down on their professional lineup, others by further empowering their compact camera portfolio. Sony's two new cameras, the HX90V and the WX500, belong to the last group. These two are compact cameras that can boast of a few features that that Sony's premium RX and α (Alpha) lines flaunt around, including a strong 30x optical zoom and an 18.2 MP sensor.

The two cameras have a lot in common. In fact, the two are almost similar in all aspects save one or two on the HX90V. Both bear the same 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, with a powerful BOINZ image processor providing the background muscle. And in case you yourself don't have much muscle strength to hold the camera steady, the 5-axis Optical SteadyShot feature should help minimize the damage. The cameras are both capable of recording videos in Full HD, even supporting XAVC S at a fast rate of 50 mbps.

Selife lovers will love the 921k dot LCD that can tilt 180 degrees for that perfect self shot. Perhaps a bit strange is the pop-up flash for low light photography, a mechanism you rarely find in compacts these days. And, of course, the cameras have Wi-Fi and even NFC for easy pairing with devices and connecting to the Internet.

The HX90V has all these and then some. It takes after the Sony RX100 III with a retractable OLED Tru-Finder EVF. It sports adjustable dials and customizable control rings to give power users all the control they need within reach. And the icing on top is the built-in GPS for automatic geotagging of photos and videos.

The Compact Hi-Zoom Sony HX90V will be available starting June for a starting price of $430. The Ulra-Compact Sony WX500 will debut on the same month for a much lower price of $330.