Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V is the midrange model in Sony's trio of GPS-equipped travel zoom cameras. All three cameras - the HX10V ($330), HX20V ($370), and HX30V ($390) - all use the same 18.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor. The differences are simple: the HX10V has a 16X zoom lens, while the other two models have a 20X lens. The HX30V earns its flagship status by offering Wi-Fi support.

The HX20V has a lot more to offer than just its big lens. It also has both automatic and limited manual controls, HDR and other multi-shot options that improve image quality, a fun sweep panorama feature, and Full HD 1080/60p video recording. All that in a body that fits in your jeans pocket.

As you may know, there are a lot of other travel zoom cameras out there - some of which are quite good. Is the Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V one of the top choices? Find out now in our review!

What's in the Box?

The Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V has a rather unremarkable bundle. Here's what you'll find when you open the box:

The 18.2 effective Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V digital camera NP-BG1 lithium-ion battery AC adapter Wrist strap USB cable 33 page basic manual

The Cyber-shot HX20V has a healthy amount of built-in memory - 105MB to be exact. That holds seventeen photos at the highest quality setting, which isn't bad for emergencies. That said, you'll probably want to buy an actual memory card right away. The HX20V supports both SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick Pro Duo (including TransferJet) cards, and I'd suggest a 4GB card at the very minimum, and a 16GB card if you plan on taking a lot of Full HD videos. Buying a high speed card (Class 6 or higher for SD cards) is a smart idea.

The camera uses the same NP-BG1 lithium-ion battery as many other Sony cameras. It also supports the NP-FG1 InfoLithium battery, which shows you exactly how many minutes of battery life you have left, instead of the the not-so-accurate standard battery meter. Both batteries hold 3.4 Wh of energy, which is on the low end for a travel zoom. Let's see how that translates into battery life:

Camera Battery life
(CIPA standard) Battery used Canon PowerShot SX260 HS

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