Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
The basics
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 is a 9.1MP superzoom with CMOS sensor and stabilised 20x (28-560mm equivalent) zoom lens. It has a three-inch folding LCD, 10fps continuous shooting, sweep panorama, low noise and anti-blur modes. As well as a 1080p movie-capture mode it has face detection, smile shutter and anti-blink portrait setting. It measures 115x83x92mm, and weighs 504g.
The good
This Sony’s 20x zoom lens isn’t just a lens, it’s a force of nature. From a wideangle that can accommodate Jonathan Ross’s ego to a telephoto that can (just) make out the Jonas Brothers’ talent, the stabilised optics are crisp and sharp. A high-speed CMOS chip lets Sony go bonkers with new features, such as an auto-stitching panorama where you simply pan the camera or multiple exposure modes to cut down on noise and blur. Start-up, focus and burst modes are extremely fast for a camera this powerful, and (non-widescreen) Full HD movies don’t disappoint.
The bad
How often do you zoom in to the inside of someone’s nose? If you don’t need the longer reaches of the huge lens, a budget SLR like the Nikon D60 costs and weighs about the same, but with a crystal clear optical viewfinder instead of a cramped EVF, higher resolution and much, much better image quality. The HX1’s 9MP images are bright and colourful but also smeary and noisy, and the benefits of that zippy 10fps burst mode fade away when you’re forced to wait 15 seconds before you can shoot again.
The bottom line
Japanese Sony’s most American camera yet: the big, brash HX1 chews gum and deafens cowering compacts with its 20x zoom and endless feature list. However, average picture quality is all mouth and no (plaid) ‘pants’.
User comments (10)
Leave a comment
Daniel Blumenow02 September 2009
I got an HX1 for my birthday and think it is amazing. Recovery time after 'burst mode' could be quicker but there are so many excellent features such as 'smile shutter' and 'Iscn' - (intellegent scene recognition) the only worry i've had has been because there is too much fancy technology, so there is a lot to go wrong.
Report as inappropriateglyn12 October 2009
I have a Sony Hx1. Before this I had a sony Compact. I wanted something better. So after reading a lot of reviews I decided to stay with sony. I have not had a single problem with the camera. Can manage all the menu functions with ease. The only thing I would like tohave extra would be a dedicated button to go direct into tele zoom without going into the menu.. Takes time when you want to take an instant picture
Report as inappropriateAnonymous24 October 2009
is this good for shooting photos
Report as inappropriateTheFloyd28 November 2009
Brought this after some research and absolutly love it! Only down side is the cost of Sony Memory sticks but you can find them online at resonable prices.
Report as inappropriateNeil15 March 2010
Sorry but I always find John Bentley's reviews hopeless! He reviewed this on tonights show and gave it a better score than the Panasonic FZ38. I own both these camera's! John scored the Sony higher on image quality but failed to mention that the FZ38 also shoots in RAW; so the images that can be produced are much better than the Sony! John said it had a better zoom which it does ... but only 20 vs 18 and the FZ38 has much better image stabilisation! The Sony also uses Sony memory cards (!!!) and I can name a host of other reasons why the Panasonic wins hands down - non of which were covered on the show. John made a big deal about the Sony's wide photo ability - but failed to mention the decreased resolution required to do so, or how hit and miss this feature really is! As usual, useless biased reviews by the Gadget Show!
Report as inappropriateStephen22 March 2010
I purchased a HX1, to be truthful it is the best camera I have ever purchased! Very easy to use, simple functions.. even my grandad can use it! As previously mentioned i feel the recovery time on burst mode could be a little quicker. Bought it from http://www.monkeybits.com, with absolutely no hassle and great customer service, they even chucked in an extra years warranty for me.
Report as inappropriatePete19 April 2010
I can't help but agree with Neil. I also opted for the Panasonic FZ38 after getting a more informed review from any number of camera websites. It's a better camera and lighter too. It may not be as good a camcorder but I've bought it for taking photos. The review was hopeless and when are they going to remove the, frankly awful, Yogi Gatekeeper Pico from the list of prizes?
Report as inappropriateMark18 May 2010
We bought this camera based on the strength of John's review and it is easily the best camera we''ve ever owned. Every feature highlighted in the review seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. Top of that list is the anti-motion blur setting, which is just phenomenal if you want well lit shots in low light. Haven't regretted buying it yet.
Report as inappropriateExtreme9622 August 2010
I'm going skiing after Christmas and I want to be able to take pictures of the views but always record down the slopes. Am I better off getting a camcorder or this?
Report as inappropriateOliver04 March 2011
I have looked all over the internet at bridge cameras and even though this is nearly 2 years old, it is still the only one that fits all my requirements for mountaineering. It has a long battery life and is small enough to be practical. The sweep panorama mode is very good and only a little bit of fringing occurs when zoomed in fully.
Report as inappropriateJoin Channel 5
Creating an account is free, will only take a few moments and will allow you to enjoy the full benefits of 5FWD and Channel 5:
Leave a comment