The Sony HX90V is the smallest superzoom compact camera on the market (at the time of writing) and unlike the Sony HX60, which was essentially an upgraded HX50, the new Sony HX90V has been built from scratch. Sony went back to the drawing board, with a new body, new lens design and, despite the HX90V being significantly smaller than its predecessors, the inclusion of an impressive pop-up electronic viewfinder.

Sony will be joining us at the Liverpool store on Friday June 26th with the HX90V so you can try it out and see what all the hype is about. We're sure you'll be as impressed as we are. Sony will be able to answer all your questions about the HX90V as well as the full Sony range, from compacts to their full frame mirrorless a7 series. Don't miss your chance to pick their brains!

We were given a sneak preview at the launch event in London a little while back, and we loved it! Now we’ve been able to get hands-on, we’re even more impressed. It’s a small, stylish and remarkably powerful compact camera which is ideal for every day shooting and perfect for your summer holidays, especially with the built in GPS for geotagging your pictures.

Despite its small size, the HX90V contains a 24-720mm equivalent or 30x optical zoom. This has been achieved by completely rebuilding the lens (30% smaller) using a floating rear optical group and an aspherical element. The Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens is also a step up from previous models, using reknowned Zeiss optics as previously only seen in the Sony RX range, including the RX100. Teaming sharp optics with 5-axis image stabilisation, you won’t have to worry about camera shake; even at full optical zoom. This is an improvement on the HX60, which only featured 3-axis stabilisation.

The Sony Cybershot HX90V on the left, compared to the Sony Cybershot HX60 on the right. Along with a sleeker looking body, the HX90V is both smaller and thinner than its predecessor, the HX60. Sony have achieved this by making the lens smaller, as you can see in the image above, without losing any quality and maintaining the 30x zoom.

The 1 / 2.3-inch type Exmor R CMOS sensor along with the Bionz X processor combine to produce up to 18.2MP images with minimal noise for sharp and detailed pictures. Autofocus has been improved, using Fast Intelligent AF, inherited from Sony’s A7 series of interchangeable lens cameras, so even fast moving subjects can be captured with ease.

The biggest changes, apart from the size, are the inclusion of a pop-up OLED electronic viewfinder. Similar in style to the viewfinder found on the Sony RX100 Mark III premium compact, the HX90V viewfinder features a slightly wider viewing angle and rubber seals to keep out any dust. Like on the RX100 Mk III, the viewfinder is discreetly hidden away in the body of the camera, until you need it, keeping the sleek design of the and maintaining the pocketable size. There is also a pop-up flash concealed alongside the viewfinder.

The OLED Electronic Viewfinder is neat and simple to use, and simply pops back into the camera when you've finished using it.

The LCD screen on the back of the camera is a large 3-inch 921,000 dot monitor which can be tilted through 180 degrees, which is great for taking pictures at different levels and for selfie lovers or timed group shots. When you flip to screen the full 180 degrees, face-detection mode is automatically enabled and pressing the shutter button starts a countdown timer so you have enough time to perfect a pose, or run back to your group.

Don’t love the idea of running, potentially falling over and having the photographic evidence to remember it by? Turn on the camera Wi-Fi, connect to your mobile or tablet using the Sony PlayMemories App, and you’ll be able to see what your camera sees and use your phone as a remote shutter control. You can even zoom and change settings quickly and easily. When you’ve got the shot, you can instantly save it to your mobile device for quick and simple sharing with friends.

For selfie lovers and group shots, the screen flips a full 180 degrees and automatically turns on facial recognition and a count down timer so you have time to perfect your pose.

For the more serious photographers, Sony have included a control ring around the lens, which can be used for stepped zoom control, or customised for manual focus or other controls depending on your style. When in Aperture Priority mode, the control ring changes the aperture by default and the shutter speed when in Shutter Speed Priority mode. There is a small and very effective grip on the front of the camera providing a firm, steady hold even at full zoom.

Modes include Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, Manual Exposure, Memory Recall, Movie, Panorama and Scene Selection giving you the option of taking control or easy to use point and shoot options.

The control ring can be customised to suit your shooting style, or default settings vary by shooting mode. It's smooth, easy to use and adds an extra professional touch to the HX90V.

Movie mode allows you to record Full HD at 50p & 60p up in either XACV S or AVCHD codecs, and also offers dual recording in MP4 standard so you can create web-ready videos alongside the full quality original. This can be transferred straight to your mobile device using the PlayMemories App for sharing online.

This is a superb all round camera that really should be with you at all times. With nods towards Sony’s RX100 series both in terms of performance and design, but with easy handling auto modes and a huge 30x zoom it will suit a wide variety of photographers… from serious shooters as an every-day pocket camera right through to people who would never even consider themselves a “photographer”.

With a digital camera so powerful, so compact and so versatile, there’s no excuse for not taking it everywhere with you. Say “Goodbye!” to poor quality mobile phone pictures and “Hello!” to the SonyHX90V this summer.