Canon Powershot SX230 HS or Sony HX9V

[Sponge]

I'm looking to replace my ageing Fuji F31 and using online reviews have a short list including the Canon Powershot SX230 HS & the Sony HX9V. I'm leaning towards the Canon as my DSLRs are Canon (assuming controls/menus are similar) and I like the fact the SX230 has Av and Tv modes. However, the Sony has a few good features, e.g. it can go wider and, according to dpreview, scores better in movie mode.

One of my key requirements is good performance in low light/indoors. They seem to be the areas where I use compacts the most (going to parties etc, without my DSLR) and often curse their lack of skills.

As far as price, the Sony retails at £299.99 but can be bought from Currys for £269.99 using a discount code and Sony are running a £40 cashback promo that brings the price down to a reasonable £229.99.

Currys are also the cheapest for the Canon. With a discount code it's £206.99

I just wondered if anyone had any real world experiences of either camera?

Thanks.

Having searched the forum for HX9V I found a thread discussing the Olympus XZ-1 and it looks very nice with its f1.8! It was above my budget, so not a camera I had considered. However, it can be bought from Amazon and I have £100 in discount codes (thanks Topcashback!) so it brings it down to within budget.

 

[tfindley]

My Girlfriend just got a Sony HX9V. I looked carefully at the Nikon S9100 and Canon Powershot IS220 / IS230 in comparison. The dPreview Travel Zoom Group Test was VERY Helpful for this.

In the end, I discounted the Nikon S9100 because while it gets good write-ups, the owner reviews indicate that it can develop some serious faults during the 3-8month period.
The Canon IS220 / IS230 (the 230 is the 220 plus a GPS module) almost won out. Its now cheaper (owing to the fact its about to be replaced - its about £150 in London Camera Exchange right now), but I've never been a fan of Canon's non-DSLR camera. The Panoramic Shoot option is not a patch on Fuji's or Sony's.

Having got a Sony NEX-5n in December, I was very pleased with the picture quality. Their new-range of Exmor CMOS sensors give a very pleasing picture.

Don't get me wrong, I owned a Canon Powershot G12 for about 8 months. It was a good camera but I never found it very useful owing to its weak zoom range and inability to change the lens. The interface was pleasing and the amount of control it gave was great, but it never felt right to me.

Try London Camera Exchange for the HX9V. They have it in for £229. So do Jessops, but they're experiencing a country-wide shortage right now (guess someone let slip it was a good camera).

 

[Alastair]

I have the HX9V and I'm finding it a fun camera to keep in a pocket, so much so I'm not packing the 40D with me as much and the HX9V is just right as a bring-a-long digital when I'm out with a film camera.

The negatives.. if you're a pixel-peeper the HX9V suffers from over-aggressive noise reduction and jpg compression. If Sony ever releases a firmware upgrade or if someone hacks the firmware, I suspect this could be dealt with. There's a tendency towards over-exposure, which is odd given that shadow detail is so good, and I'm almost always putting in -1 exposure compensation and always with video. No raw capture. No external hot shoe. No remote shutter options or timelapse. I only mention the last three as they feature most in the online want lists for this model.

The positives.. excellent image stabilisation. Outstanding video (search Vimeo for examples at full 1080p resolution) and you'll find plenty of HD video enthusiasts raving about it online. I didn't think that video was my thing, but once I had a play with it I realised that it does have a lot of creative potential. I find the image quality to be more than acceptable, and some of the inbuilt modes have a lot of potential I have yet to explore. iAuto+ is an inbuilt mutiple exposure HDR type mode which whilst being soft viewed close-up, captures a very impressive dynamic range. Very useful for back-lit situations.

I had wanted a compact difital to jeep in a pocked and I was considering either the G12 or the X10, but the HX9V came available with some loyalty points I had been collecting. The increased focal length range and the outstanding HD video performance more than compensate for absolute image quality over a shorter focal length range for my needs.

Samples - all downsized for Flickr. Includes a couple of video clips, most of the stills are on iAuto+, some have been heavily mullered in post.

I have heard that the Sony HX10 is waiting in the wings, the initial reports I have seen suggest very little change from the HX9V. But if you always wait for new models, you'll never buy anything.

 

[DaveKing]

I bought my girlfriend a Canon SX210 IS and I have been quite impressed with it's good light IQ. In low light noise soon creaps in, but for less than £100 I really can't complain!

Edit: as an additional comment, the IS does seem very very good.