I was interested in both the TX7 and the HX5V because of the HDR and low-light features. I couldn't make up my mind from the specs alone so I bought both, with the intent of giving one of them to my son as a graduation present.
I have separately reviewed the TX7, and there I give my take on these two features, which are identical for the two cameras. In this review I'll just focus on the differences between the two. There are three major ones: size, interface, and zoom range.
Curiously, despite the vastly different lens design, I could see no difference in the optical performance. You can check this out yourself by visiting [...] and taking a look at the full-size samples of the HX5V and the TX5 (the TX7 has not been yet reviewed as I write this, but the lens is the same as that on the TX5). Both are at the top of the compact class , especially at higher ISOs.
As to size, the HX5V appears bulky next to the slim TX7. The real difference is in the thickness. It's quite noticeable when the cameras are sitting side-by-side. The HX5V is heavier, but in actual use this isn't very noticeable. Both cameras fit easily into your pants pocket. The TX7 will also fit into your shirt pocket.
Interestingly, I found that the HX5V's greater thickness is an asset while shooting. It feels more comfortable in the hands. I hold the camera in my left hand with the thumb and index finger. When shooting with the TX7 it's very easy for my left middle finger to drift over the lens, ruining the shot if I'm not paying attention to the screen (easy to do in bright sunlight). Not so for the HX5V, since the protruding lens in the shooting mode prevents this.
In my TX7 review I say how much I like the touchscreen in that camera. The HX5V has the traditional button navigation. I much prefer the touchscreen. It's a lot quicker. However, the navigation on the HX5V is definitely better than on my previous compact, a Canon SD700IS. Also, as with the TX7, the text and icons are clean and very readable, even with my poor eyesight.
The TX7 has a 920MP screen, while the HX5V's screen has only 230MP. You'd think there would be a noticeable difference between the two, but even looking at them side-by-side I don't see much of any.
Another difference is the shutter release. In the HX5V it's a round button, which is much better than the tiny thin bar on the TX7. However, the button is located next to the control wheel, which is also round. In fact, the wheel is on the right, where you'd normally expect to find the shutter release. I found myself pressing on this a few times, vainly trying to take a shot.
It's the zoom where the HX5V really shines. The 25mm-250mm range is a great range (though with Samsung's HZ35W and HZ30W you get a whopping 24mm-360mm). What's more, the HX5V's resolution is sharp at all focal lengths. My SD700IS is a little soft at its maximum.
To really test the HX5V at its maximum 250mm focal length I compared it to my DSLR (a Canon 20D, circa 2004) with a Canon 300mm EF 4.0 L lens. The L-series Canon lenses are the white-bodied lenses you see professional sports photographers using. They are top-of-the-line. Many years ago I foolishly spent nearly $1000 to buy a used one on e-Bay. It's very, very sharp.
I took shots with both cameras mounted on a tripod, using the self-timer to minimize shake. Compared to the Canon combo the HX5V looked like a rowboat sitting next to a battleship. In taking the shots I adjusted the camera-to-target position to account for the different focal lengths (the effective focal length of the 300mm lens with the 20D's sensor is huge) so that the image in the viewfinder or on the screen was roughly the same. The target was a box of fertilizer, with lots of fine print. Both cameras were set to their lowest ISO settings.
On the monitor they looked the same, even at large magnifications, but the proof is in the printing. So I first made a moderately cropped 8x10 print of the image produced by each camera (the uncropped prints would have been about 11x14). I could see no difference between the two. I then did severely cropped 8x10s, where the uncropped prints would have been roughly 16x20. Again, no difference.
I kept at it, making prints at huge magnifications. I was feeling like the guy in Antonioni's Blow Up. I made 8x10s of a tiny portion of the image, where the uncropped print would be a giant 32x40--essentially a poster. At this level the HX5V showed some haloing around the details, but the sharpness was the same.
I was amazed by this. I would have bet money that at some point the Canon combo would have been sharper, but the facts are the facts.
Which leads me to give some advice. If you're reading this review you've probably already settled on a compact camera, but if you're considering a DSLR I think you should stick with the compact. I wouldn't have said this a few years ago. I've had a couple of film compacts over my life, but rarely used them because the quality was not as good as the bigger camera. That's not true anymore. Yes, a DSLR has certain advantages over a compact, but to me they pale next to the one fundamental truism in photography: a camera in your pocket is worth a lot more than a camera sitting at home on the shelf. We should all get into the habit of slipping a little camera like the HX5V or the TX7 into our pocket or purse each day, just like a wallet or car keys.
So, which camera am I going to keep? I'm embarrassed to say that I can't seem to part with either. I guess I'll get my son something else for graduation.
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This camera does not have the same image quality as say the Canon S90 or the Panasonic LX3. Nevertheless, I would say the image quality is good for a point and shoot and the colors are definitely an improvement over the Sony WX1. If you want more in-depth analysis on pixels and IQ, I suggest doing a search on dpreview or look at images on flickr or picasa to draw your own conclusions. There are also a number of reviews online such as cameralabs and imaging-resource.With that being said, what makes this camera so great are its features. And there are a lot of them! I personally enjoy the panoramic shots and being able to capture expansive scenery in one swoop. The smile detection feature is also a lot of fun as I find my family and friends posing in front of the camera and trying to trigger the smile shutter. The anti-motion blur is useful to reduce camera shake. For instance, if you zoom in 10X optically or 20X digitally, it is difficult to keep your hands steady, but if you use anti-motion blur with its 6 superimposed images, the pictures come out clear. Nice!Features:- iSweep Panoramic: improved version over the Sony WX1. You do get a "ghosting" effect with fast moving objects. However, for people that are walking, the subject appears only once.- Anti-Motion Blur: takes 6 shots with one press of the shutter and superimposes the images to create one image with no blur. I find this feature useful when you can't keep your hands still such as in a crowded stadium/concert/bar or when you're zoomed in on a distant subject.- Handheld Twilight: same thing as Anti-Motion Blur but the colors are warmer. Use this setting for low-light or night pictures for good results.- 1080i/720p HD Movie: Video appears smooth with the new Active Mode stabilization and you can optically zoom 10X while recording. It also has stereo sound but the left and right microphones are located on top of the camera, so you have to be careful when holding it to not cover the mic.- HDMI Output: the camera comes with an HDMI adaptor to hook up to your HD TV. It does not come with the cable, so I bought this one and it works Mediabridge Ultra Series - 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable - Version 1.3 Category 2 Certified - 1080p - Blu-Ray - PS3.- Slideshows: seems very minor, but I particularly enjoy being able to upload your own music onto the camera. So with the HDMI adaptor and cable, you can instantly play your own slideshows for friends and family. If you do not have an HD TV, the camera also comes with a standard A/V cable bundle- GPS and compass: From my experience, it locks on in about 10-15 seconds. It varies depending on climate and location. And I have been able to have the GPS lock on indoors as well. However, I do not use it and I have it turned off. I can see it being useful for travel or hiking.- High Dynamic Range: Takes two shots at two different exposures and superimposes them to capture detail that would be lost in shadows. It works but I wish it took 3 shots from bracketing instead of just two shots.- 10 fps: It does take 10 pictures in one second in full resolution. However, it takes about 15 seconds to store those 10 shots and in that time you cannot take another picture. You can change the burst mode to 5 fps and 2 fps which is a nice option.- Smile Shutter: camera has face detection and smile detection as it will automatically take a picture whenever it detects a smile. I find it pretty accurate and it's fun for the kids to test if the camera can read their smirk or joker-like smile.- Manual Mode: allows you to pick a shutter speed between 30 seconds to 1/1600th of a second. but only allows two aperture settings - at wide angle at f3.5 and f8 and at telephoto it is at f5.6 and f13. the shutter speed is useful if you have a tripod and you want to capture more light. but the camera is lacking in shutter and aperture priority.Overall, a great camera and a lot of FUN to use. It has a ton of features to accommodate almost any setting. Whether or not this is the right camera for you..well you have to evaluate your priorities, do you want better image quality and portability then look at the Canon S90 or Panasonic LX3. If you want high zoom and HD video in a small package, then also take a look at the Panasonic ZS7 and Canon SX210IS in addition to this camera.If you already bought the camera, I suggest the Case Logic TBC-302 Camera Case. It fits it perfectly and the front zipper pocket allows you to store 2 extra batteries or 1 battery and extra memory card. You can let it hang off of your belt loop or you can take the carabiner off and just stick it in your pocket (which I do). It's small enough to fit in loose fitting jeans/slacks or cargo shorts.Caselogic TBC-302 Ultra Compact Camera Case with Storage (Black)I also bought the ZAGG Invisible Screen Protector for the Sony DSC-H20. It's not listed for this model but both cameras have 3 inch LCD screens and it fits.
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Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 30, 2010
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 25, 2010
This camera does not have the same image quality as say the Canon S90 or the Panasonic LX3. Nevertheless, I would say the image quality is good for a point and shoot and the colors are definitely an improvement over the Sony WX1. If you want more in-depth analysis on pixels and IQ, I suggest doing a search on dpreview or look at images on flickr or picasa to draw your own conclusions. There are also a number of reviews online such as cameralabs and imaging-resource.
With that being said, what makes this camera so great are its features. And there are a lot of them! I personally enjoy the panoramic shots and being able to capture expansive scenery in one swoop. The smile detection feature is also a lot of fun as I find my family and friends posing in front of the camera and trying to trigger the smile shutter. The anti-motion blur is useful to reduce camera shake. For instance, if you zoom in 10X optically or 20X digitally, it is difficult to keep your hands steady, but if you use anti-motion blur with its 6 superimposed images, the pictures come out clear. Nice!
Features:
- iSweep Panoramic: improved version over the Sony WX1. You do get a "ghosting" effect with fast moving objects. However, for people that are walking, the subject appears only once.
- Anti-Motion Blur: takes 6 shots with one press of the shutter and superimposes the images to create one image with no blur. I find this feature useful when you can't keep your hands still such as in a crowded stadium/concert/bar or when you're zoomed in on a distant subject.
- Handheld Twilight: same thing as Anti-Motion Blur but the colors are warmer. Use this setting for low-light or night pictures for good results.
- 1080i/720p HD Movie: Video appears smooth with the new Active Mode stabilization and you can optically zoom 10X while recording. It also has stereo sound but the left and right microphones are located on top of the camera, so you have to be careful when holding it to not cover the mic.
- HDMI Output: the camera comes with an HDMI adaptor to hook up to your HD TV. It does not come with the cable, so I bought this one and it works [[ASIN:B0019EHU8G Mediabridge Ultra Series - 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable - Version 1.3 Category 2 Certified - 1080p - Blu-Ray - PS3]].
- Slideshows: seems very minor, but I particularly enjoy being able to upload your own music onto the camera. So with the HDMI adaptor and cable, you can instantly play your own slideshows for friends and family. If you do not have an HD TV, the camera also comes with a standard A/V cable bundle
- GPS and compass: From my experience, it locks on in about 10-15 seconds. It varies depending on climate and location. And I have been able to have the GPS lock on indoors as well. However, I do not use it and I have it turned off. I can see it being useful for travel or hiking.
- High Dynamic Range: Takes two shots at two different exposures and superimposes them to capture detail that would be lost in shadows. It works but I wish it took 3 shots from bracketing instead of just two shots.
- 10 fps: It does take 10 pictures in one second in full resolution. However, it takes about 15 seconds to store those 10 shots and in that time you cannot take another picture. You can change the burst mode to 5 fps and 2 fps which is a nice option.
- Smile Shutter: camera has face detection and smile detection as it will automatically take a picture whenever it detects a smile. I find it pretty accurate and it's fun for the kids to test if the camera can read their smirk or joker-like smile.
- Manual Mode: allows you to pick a shutter speed between 30 seconds to 1/1600th of a second. but only allows two aperture settings - at wide angle at f3.5 and f8 and at telephoto it is at f5.6 and f13. the shutter speed is useful if you have a tripod and you want to capture more light. but the camera is lacking in shutter and aperture priority.
Overall, a great camera and a lot of FUN to use. It has a ton of features to accommodate almost any setting. Whether or not this is the right camera for you..well you have to evaluate your priorities, do you want better image quality and portability then look at the Canon S90 or Panasonic LX3. If you want high zoom and HD video in a small package, then also take a look at the Panasonic ZS7 and Canon SX210IS in addition to this camera.
If you already bought the camera, I suggest the Case Logic TBC-302 Camera Case. It fits it perfectly and the front zipper pocket allows you to store 2 extra batteries or 1 battery and extra memory card. You can let it hang off of your belt loop or you can take the carabiner off and just stick it in your pocket (which I do). It's small enough to fit in loose fitting jeans/slacks or cargo shorts.
[[ASIN:B001V9KG0I Caselogic TBC-302 Ultra Compact Camera Case with Storage (Black)]]
I also bought the ZAGG Invisible Screen Protector for the Sony DSC-H20. It's not listed for this model but both cameras have 3 inch LCD screens and it fits.
With that being said, what makes this camera so great are its features. And there are a lot of them! I personally enjoy the panoramic shots and being able to capture expansive scenery in one swoop. The smile detection feature is also a lot of fun as I find my family and friends posing in front of the camera and trying to trigger the smile shutter. The anti-motion blur is useful to reduce camera shake. For instance, if you zoom in 10X optically or 20X digitally, it is difficult to keep your hands steady, but if you use anti-motion blur with its 6 superimposed images, the pictures come out clear. Nice!
Features:
- iSweep Panoramic: improved version over the Sony WX1. You do get a "ghosting" effect with fast moving objects. However, for people that are walking, the subject appears only once.
- Anti-Motion Blur: takes 6 shots with one press of the shutter and superimposes the images to create one image with no blur. I find this feature useful when you can't keep your hands still such as in a crowded stadium/concert/bar or when you're zoomed in on a distant subject.
- Handheld Twilight: same thing as Anti-Motion Blur but the colors are warmer. Use this setting for low-light or night pictures for good results.
- 1080i/720p HD Movie: Video appears smooth with the new Active Mode stabilization and you can optically zoom 10X while recording. It also has stereo sound but the left and right microphones are located on top of the camera, so you have to be careful when holding it to not cover the mic.
- HDMI Output: the camera comes with an HDMI adaptor to hook up to your HD TV. It does not come with the cable, so I bought this one and it works [[ASIN:B0019EHU8G Mediabridge Ultra Series - 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable - Version 1.3 Category 2 Certified - 1080p - Blu-Ray - PS3]].
- Slideshows: seems very minor, but I particularly enjoy being able to upload your own music onto the camera. So with the HDMI adaptor and cable, you can instantly play your own slideshows for friends and family. If you do not have an HD TV, the camera also comes with a standard A/V cable bundle
- GPS and compass: From my experience, it locks on in about 10-15 seconds. It varies depending on climate and location. And I have been able to have the GPS lock on indoors as well. However, I do not use it and I have it turned off. I can see it being useful for travel or hiking.
- High Dynamic Range: Takes two shots at two different exposures and superimposes them to capture detail that would be lost in shadows. It works but I wish it took 3 shots from bracketing instead of just two shots.
- 10 fps: It does take 10 pictures in one second in full resolution. However, it takes about 15 seconds to store those 10 shots and in that time you cannot take another picture. You can change the burst mode to 5 fps and 2 fps which is a nice option.
- Smile Shutter: camera has face detection and smile detection as it will automatically take a picture whenever it detects a smile. I find it pretty accurate and it's fun for the kids to test if the camera can read their smirk or joker-like smile.
- Manual Mode: allows you to pick a shutter speed between 30 seconds to 1/1600th of a second. but only allows two aperture settings - at wide angle at f3.5 and f8 and at telephoto it is at f5.6 and f13. the shutter speed is useful if you have a tripod and you want to capture more light. but the camera is lacking in shutter and aperture priority.
Overall, a great camera and a lot of FUN to use. It has a ton of features to accommodate almost any setting. Whether or not this is the right camera for you..well you have to evaluate your priorities, do you want better image quality and portability then look at the Canon S90 or Panasonic LX3. If you want high zoom and HD video in a small package, then also take a look at the Panasonic ZS7 and Canon SX210IS in addition to this camera.
If you already bought the camera, I suggest the Case Logic TBC-302 Camera Case. It fits it perfectly and the front zipper pocket allows you to store 2 extra batteries or 1 battery and extra memory card. You can let it hang off of your belt loop or you can take the carabiner off and just stick it in your pocket (which I do). It's small enough to fit in loose fitting jeans/slacks or cargo shorts.
[[ASIN:B001V9KG0I Caselogic TBC-302 Ultra Compact Camera Case with Storage (Black)]]
I also bought the ZAGG Invisible Screen Protector for the Sony DSC-H20. It's not listed for this model but both cameras have 3 inch LCD screens and it fits.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Sheldon Gogal
Great camera will do many things has many great features
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 4, 2016
