Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V review
Packed with impressive features but image quality doesn't quite live up to the high price
Specifications
1/2in 15.9-megapixel sensor, 16.0x zoom (24-384mm equivalent), 245g
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Performance was excellent, with incredibly fast autofocus and just 1.3 seconds between shots. Continuous mode is limited to 10 frames and runs at either 10fps or 2fps. It’s a little odd that this choice of speeds is made is a completely different menu to where continuous mode is selected.
Details are sharp into the corners of frames, but the slightly blocky appearance suggests that digital processing is working hard, even at ISO 100 – click to enlarge
The lens was sharp across its 16x zoom range and right into the corners of frames. However, while bolder shapes such as buildings looked bitingly sharp, more complex textures such as grass looked a little unnatural on close inspection, with evidence of noise reduction and digital sharpening being hard at work. Skin tones looked like they’d been airbrushed, and in low light they exhibited a lot of noise. This is one of the better 16-megapixel compact cameras for noise levels but it can’t match the smooth, clean details of certain lower-resolution cameras such as the Canon SX230 HS.
Low-light photography is impressively smooth but subtle details are glossed over by noise reduction
The HX9V comes very close to greatness, and with a lower-resolution sensor it might have earned itself an award. However, at this price only the very best image quality will do.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | **** |
CCD effective megapixels | 15.9 megapixels |
CCD size | 1/2in |
Viewfinder | none |
Viewfinder magnification, coverage | N/A |
LCD screen size | 3.0in |
LCD screen resolution | 921,600 pixels |
Articulated screen | No |
Live view | Yes |
Optical zoom | 16.0x |
Zoom 35mm equivalent | 24-384mm |
Image stabilisation | optical, lens based |
Maximum image resolution | 4,608×3,456 |
Maximum movie resolution | 1920×1080 |
Movie frame rate at max quality | 50fps |
File formats | JPEG; AVCHD, AVI (MP4) |
Physical | |
Memory slot | SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Mermory supplied | 19MB internal |
Battery type | Li-ion |
Battery Life (tested) | 410 shots |
Connectivity | USB, mini HDMI |
HDMI output resolution | 1080i |
Body material | aluminium |
Lens mount | N/A |
Focal length multiplier | N/A |
Kit lens model name | N/A |
Accessories | USB cable |
Weight | 245g |
Size | 61x105x33mm |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one-year RTB |
Price | £251 |
Supplier | http://www.amazon.co.uk |
Details | www.sony.co.uk |
Camera Controls | |
Exposure modes | program, manual |
Shutter speed | 30 to 1/1,600 seconds |
Aperture range | f/3.3-8 (wide), f/5.6-14 (tele) |
ISO range (at full resolution) | 100 to 3200 |
Exposure compensation | +/-2 EV |
White balance | auto, 7 presets with fine tuning, manual |
Additional image controls | contrast, saturation, sharpness |
Manual focus | Yes |
Closest macro focus | 5cm |
Auto-focus modes | multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect |
Metering modes | multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect |
Flash | auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction |
Drive modes | single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, WB bracket, smile detect |